Spencer Dinwiddie Sounds Off on His Role With the Lakers

Spencer Dinwiddie has averaged 23.5 minutes per game over the 14 games he has played with the Los Angeles Lakers so far this year, down from 30.7 minutes per game with the Brooklyn Nets earlier this season. Dinwiddie addressed his role with the Lakers, embracing his duty as a role-player with the team.

Speaking to the Athletic’s Jovan Buha, Dinwiddie said “Obviously, the way [expletive] shook out in Brooklyn kind of put me more so in this box than my game being in that box. It’s not like I’m 35 or coming off injury or washed or anything. … Like, I’m one of them guys. Let’s not get it twisted. But I also understand being a part of a bigger unit.”

Dinwiddie was traded to the Toronto Raptors for Dennis Schröder and Thaddeus Young on the February 8 trade deadline. The Raptors then waived Dinwiddie, before he signed a contract worth $1,554,664 with the Lakers for the remainder of the season.

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Dinwiddie’s Laker Resume

As noted, Dinwiddie’s minutes have decreased since he joined the Lakers. With his new role, the rest of his box stats have taken a dip as well. His points per game have shrunk from 12.6 to 4.7 since being acquired, while his rebounding is down from 3.3 per game to 1.1 per game. Finally, his 6 assists per game has diminished to 2.7 per game.

While his box score numbers dropping would be expected, considering he is playing roughly 7 minutes less per game, his efficiency has taken a hit as well. He is shooting 3% worse from the field in Los Angeles than he was in Brooklyn and is shooting 1.2% worse from the free-throw line. However, his 3-point shooting has seen a slight increase, going from 32% in Brooklyn to 32.4% in Los Angeles, on 3.2 fewer 3-point attempts per game.

When looking at advanced stats and composite metrics, which attempt to evaluate the overall play of a player with one number, we can see that Dinwiddie’s play has suffered as a whole since joining the Lakers. The below graph shows a sharp decline in Estimated +/- (EPM) since being acquired by the Lakers.

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Lakers’ Playoff Push

With 14 games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Lakers sit at 36-32, in 10th place in the Western Conference.

If they can hold onto a spot in the Play-In tournament, they will be a difficult matchup for any team, regardless of what their record says.

LeBron James, at age 39, remains one of the best players in the game still. He is currently eighth in the league in EPM, ahead of players like Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, and Jayson Tatum. On March 16, against the Warriors, James dropped 40 points while playing 38 minutes, showing no signs of slowing down as the season has progressed.

Meanwhile, Anthony Davis is also having a fantastic season. The big man is averaging 24.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, all while also being one of the best defenders in the league. Davis has had a double-double in 13 of his previous 14 games, including eight games with 3 or more blocks. No matter who the series is against, if the Lakers can make it out of the Play-In and into the Playoffs, any team they play will have their hands full trying to guard Davis and James over a 7-game series.

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