Getty Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets.
Brooklyn Nets star guard Spencer Dinwiddie may have been one of the centerpieces of the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, but this is not his first rodeo with the franchise. The ex-Maverick spent five years in Brooklyn from 2016-2021 and so you can bet he is very familiar with the franchise.
After the buzzer sounded in their win over the Houston Rockets on March 29, Dinwiddie went to the area where Nets owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai were seated to acknowledge them. When talking to reporters after the game, Dinwiddie spoke on the importance of the Nets’ ownership.
“You want the ownership group always to be bought into your team and be fully there for any resource that anybody may need,” Dinwiddie said. “In terms of trying to win a playoff series or a championship in the future and all that other stuff, you are going to need them on your side.”
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Spencer Dinwiddie Sounds off on Role With Nets
This may be Dinwiddie’s second go-around with the Nets, but the situations are not similar in any facet. When Dinwiddie was last with the Nets in 2021, their roster boasted household names such as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. Dinwiddie barely got a chance to play with the All-Star trio, as he partially tore his ACL and was ruled out for the season.
But even if he had not gotten injured, one would have to think his role would be reduced, in a backcourt that featured two future Hall of Famers in Harden and Irving.
Fast forward to the present day, and Dinwiddie’s role with the Nets is much more important. He is their second-leading scorer since the All-Star break. With the Nets still hoping to secure a playoff berth, Dinwiddie believes the has finally found his groove with this current Nets’ roster.
“I think I’m settling into my role with this group. Understanding what we need in terms of getting in the paint, trying to get guys going all that stuff…It’s a process: We’re all learning from each other, and we’re all trying to get everything down pat,” Dinwiddie said after the win on March 29.
“And as being kind of the older guy, you want to read the game. And if they’re hitting shots, it’s my job to pass the ball. And, if they’re not, I got to be a little more aggressive. Because at the end of the day, the [goal] is to win. So just trying to read that at all times.”
Mikal Bridges Reacts to Injury Scare
Parting ways with an all-world talent in Kevin Durant could not have been an easy decision for the Nets. But they got one heck of a consolation prize in Mikal Bridges.
Bridges has blossomed into one of the NBA’s top scorers since being traded to the Nets and is also a menace on defense. But despite being the Nets leading scorer since the All-Star break, Bridges’ most impressive trait won’t show up on the stat sheet. His durability has allowed him to appear in every game since he was drafted. Bridges’ streak was almost in jeopardy after he suffered an apparent wrist injury in Brooklyn’s win over the Rockets. But his toughness and mental fortitude helped him to play through the pain and he doesn’t believe it will hamper him.
“It was just bothering me a little bit,” Bridges said after the win via YES Network. “Just shaking it off. Not at all [a lingering concern].
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn also said that he does not expect the injury to be an issue moving forward.
“Everything seems to be OK from the quick synopsis I get from the [medical] group when we walk in together,” Vaughn told reporters after the game.
“I think he was trying to dunk that ball extremely hard with his left hand. That got it in position to start shaking that thing a little bit. So far, so good.”