Now that Kyrie Irving has returned to the lineup what does that mean for the guard that held down the fort, while playing like an All-Star, for the Nets?
The six-time All-Star Kyrie Irving made his long awaited debut Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks in a 108-86 victory, as Brooklyn won their second consecutive game. Irving, 27, poured in 21 points on an efficient 10-of-11 shooting in 20 minutes, while showing no signs of rustiness in his return.
The Nets have been able to scrounge up a two-game win streak with an impressive performance over the Miami Heat, and their blowout victory against Atlanta after losing seven straight.
Despite their recent success, it’s become readily apparent that teams around the league were able to devise schemes that have stymied the Nets ability to score the ball; Brooklyn failed to score 100 in three out of the seven games. The lack of another ball-handler/shot creator amounted to a hapless situation for Spencer Dinwiddie which resulted in rather putrid play.
With that being said, Dinwiddie still remains one of the most spectacular, consistent players throughout the entirety of the season. This guy just needs some help.
He’s 15th in the NBA in scoring(22.1) and is poised to be selected in his first All-Star game this year. Furthermore, Dinwiddie has been the Nets main, if not only, source of offense, ranking 11th in the league for isolation plays per game, with a usage rating of 30.8%.
Fortunately, for the Nets sake, all their offensive woes should wither away with Irving’s return. Kyrie’s insertion back into the starting lineup will, subsequently, spark a fire that could potentially resonate within this team and get them back on track as a formidable foe, as well as a playoff threat.
All that being said, it begs the question: Will Irving’s return have a positive or negative impact on Spencer Dinwiddie?
In a one game sample, Dinwiddie had a stat line of seven points, four rebounds, and eight assists on 2-of-7 shooting in 25 minutes against the Hawks on Sunday. His performance was rather underwhelming for a player of his stature.
Kyrie was, without a doubt, the star of the night and absorbed all the praise that Dinwiddie has received in the first half of this season.
Nonetheless, although Kyrie’s return may have a negative impact on Dinwiddie’s averages, his shooting efficiency will improve throughout the rest of the 2019-2020 campaign due to all the attention that the Duke product attracts.
Meaning, his return will have a positive effect on Dinwiddie.
Yes, his touches will decline.
But Spencer Dinwiddie has already suffered recently with teams focusing solely on neutralizing his abilities. As a result, he’s struggled mightily in terms of shooting the ball.
The 6-foot-5 Spencer Dinwiddie currently shoots 42.2 percent from the field on 17.4 shot attempts, while shooting 28.9 percent from beyond the arc— his lowest percentage since his second year in the league.
Kyrie Irving’s craftiness and ability to draw exponential attention on the court will ultimately coincide with Dinwiddie’s play. As a result, he’ll have the ability to play more freely and take advantage of more frequent one-on-one matchups.
Having the threat of rim-runner Jarrett Allen, sharpshooter Joe Harris, stretch forward Taurean Prince, and All-NBA point guard Kyrie Irving on the court will bode well for the player that sustained the Nets playoff position with marvelous performances this season.
Just check out this incredible run.
https://twitter.com/thenbacentral/status/1206386767756173313?s=21
His shooting percentages and efficiency will spike up and he’ll still be able to put up great numbers on a nightly basis, while, most likely, increasing his assist numbers(6.4).
It’s going to be an exciting second half of the season watching this backcourt.