Getty Spencer Dinwiddie of the Dallas Mavericks.
Did the clock strike midnight on this Dallas Mavericks team? After spending much of late December getting back into the Western Conference playoff race (including a 7-0 run), the Mavs have cratered back to Earth, losing six of their last eight.
The nadir came January 24 in a rough 127-126 loss to the Washington Wizards. After the game, Spencer Dinwiddie called out the Wizards for their style of play.
It’s not the first time that Dinwiddie’s comments have raised eyebrows recently.
Spencer Dinwiddie Calls Out Luka Doncic ‘Storylines’
Whether the Mavericks need to upgrade the roster depends on who you ask. According to some, the team could stand to add some fresh talent to the roster, including a legitimate All-Star running mate for Doncic, evidenced in Dallas’ stance as one of the league’s clear “buyers” ahead of the trade deadline.
But according to Dinwiddie, the Mavs’ need for a Luka costar is just a media storyline, not necessarily rooted in reality.
“You guys work in the media, and you know that storylines are king, right?” Dinwiddie said in a January 22 Dallas Morning News story. “So, we have a 23-year-old savant — it’s very easy to say [that Doncic needs help’]. Luka’s amazing. He’s been the prodigy from the beginning. So it’s always gonna be like that because his star power is so much further beyond ours. And, in a lot of ways, he makes the game easier for us. Because of that, you’re just gonna have to deal with some media backlash sometimes off the court.”
Dinwiddie went on to fluff is own accolades, suggesting he’s the star running mate Dallas is looking for.
“The 5-foot-4 dude sitting on his couch saying I’m a bum or whatever. … Listen, I want you to be a fan, I want you to buy jerseys and be invested. But, like, I’ve averaged 20 points before. That’s not gonna faze me. It’s part of the game,” Dinwiddie concluded.
Unfortunately for Dinwiddie, this isn’t a sappy rom-com in which the too-blind-to-notice protagonist (the Mavs front office) doesn’t realize what they had all along right in front of their very eyes. It’s excellent for Hallmark, but on the hardwood, Dinwiddie isn’t a Finals-bound team’s second option on the floor.
Oh, and the last time Dinwiddie averaged 20 points per game was in 2019-20. Since then, he’s averaged 14.8 points per game.
Dallas Mavericks Are Among Most Active Buyers
Seeing Dallas’ name linked to just about every available player either suggests they are going to be big buyers or big disappointments at the deadline.
According to Ric Bucher of Fox Sports, it’s the former. The Mavs, along with the Warriors and Bucks, figure to be buyers before the trade deadline.
Good luck with the defense🥶 #Mavericks
“A sampling of GMs, scouts and front-office executives identified the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks as interested buyers on the trade market, looking to add a proven player — or two — to complement their star-studded core and improve their championship title chances in June,” Bucher wrote.
The Mavericks are likely eyeing defensive upgrades with hopes of leveling out Dallas’ middling defensive rating.