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Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham plans to give Spencer Dinwiddie a key role after signing the veteran guard for the remainder of the season.
Ham told reporters that he will use Dinwiddie in three-guard lineups alongside D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves similar to Dennis Schroder’s role last season.
“All three of those guys can play together,” Ham said per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. “His size, he can guard bigger wings. So if we have to finish the game with those three, he’s definitely more than capable of doing that. We will look at some lineups with the three of those guys, along with Bron and AD. But I think he compliments them well. He can defend, he can pass, he can dribble, he can shoot.”
Buha also reported that Dinwiddie and Ham sat down for an “extensive film session on Sunday in which Ham explained and wrote out the Lakers’ play-call terminology on both sides of the ball. Then, Dinwiddie went through an individual workout with assistant coach JD DuBois.”
“It’ll be a smooth transition for him,” Ham said.
Dinwiddie will make his Lakers debut tonight, February 13, against one of his former teams, the Detroit Pistons.
Spencer Dinwiddie Fulfills Childhood Dream
For Dinwiddie, who starred at William Howard Taft High School in the Woodland Hills district, just 24 miles away from the Crypto.com arena, playing for the Lakers is a dream come true.
“Looking at the team setup and the ability to possibly come in and make an impact and try to help the team win a championship,” Dinwiddie said per The Athletic. “Being home. It’s a childhood dream come true. … It’s just a special place.”
Dinwiddie was the John R. Wooden California High School Player of the Year in 2011 and won the city championship during his senior year. After bouncing around the NBA and in the G League (formerly D League) in the past 10 seasons, Dinwiddie is finally home.
“It really hit home not so much when I saw the jersey in the locker but when [my son] put it on and he was like running down the corridor and I was behind him looking at Dinwiddie [with the jersey number] 26,” Dinwiddie said. “And I was like, ‘Oh man, it’s real!’ You feel me? And for your son to be the reason why you feel this is real was really a special moment.”
Why Spencer Dinwiddie Picked Lakers Over Mavericks
Dinwiddie used an interesting analogy to explain why he picked the Lakers over the Mavericks, his former team, who also courted him after the Toronto Raptors waived him.
“Let’s say you’re a kid and you get your ass whupped by the bully,” Dinwiddie told reporters following the Lakers’ February 12 practice. “Dallas would have been like your mama, like, ‘It’s okay, baby. Don’t worry about it.’ Lakers are like your dad: ‘Nah, you better go out there and fight ’til you win.’ You feel me? I just felt like that was what I needed at the time.”
Dallas represented a comfort zone for him while playing in his hometown with a storied franchise he rooted for growing up is a challenging pursuit with so much pressure.
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