Spencer Dinwiddie showed again Wednesday night that the Brooklyn Nets have the best chance to win in crunch time if he has the ball in his hands.
This season the Brooklyn Nets picked up right where they left off in games coming down to the wire. After a massive roster turnover this offseason, who should have the ball in their hands at the final buzzer?
The arguments range far and wide, but ultimately it boils down to either Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert or D’Angelo Russell.
At the start of this season, it was obvious that fans wanted LeVert shooting the last shot, but after Wednesday night’s thriller of a win, some might think otherwise. It was Wednesday night that Dinwiddie made a strong case he should be taking the last shot in the Nets’ close games.
Dinwiddie made all three of the biggest plays of the game; the game-tying shot from 28 feet, the game-winning 3 and lock-down defense against Blake Griffin‘s attempt to win it in the final seconds.
On the horizon was a four-game losing streak, with the Houston Rockets coming to town on Friday. Dinwiddie was not having a loss to the Detroit Pistons ruin his Halloween.
Dinwiddie always plays with a chip on his shoulder, reminding the team that drafted him they made the wrong decision. When asked after the game if playing the Pistons was personal, Dinwiddie told YES Network’s Michael Grady:
"“I mean at this point, nah. Players have changed, coaching staff has changed. I was able to hit a couple shots and help our team win.”"
There is something about Dinwiddie and the swagger he is carrying himself with this year that makes a strong case for him to be the go-to guy at the end of the game.
When Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily asked Dinwiddie if he felt any added pressure after almost winning the league’s Most Improved Player award last season, he answered simply:
"“Actually, nah, man.”"
Dinwiddie is carrying himself like a true professional this season, taking the minutes that Kenny Atkinson gives him and making the most of them.
In the end, if I was the coach of the Nets, I am giving Dinwiddie the nod at the end of the game when the Nets get down into another barn burner.
Unless D’Angelo Russell or Caris LeVert are having the games of their lives, you have to give Dinwiddie the ball for the game-winner after Wednesday night.
Dinwiddie proved last season that he can handle the pressure at the end of the game time and time again and that he takes over games. Spencer Dinwiddie takes control and for the first time in a while had fans chanting, “Brooooooklyn” all the way to the subway.