Mavs Film Room: How Will Spencer Dinwiddie Fit?
The Dallas Mavericks made arguably the most surprising move at the NBA trade deadline by sending Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards. In return, they received Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.
Dinwiddie was among the secondary ball-handler options the Mavericks could have pursued in the offseason before he signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Wizards.
Coming off a torn ACL injury that kept him sidelined for the 2020-21 season, Dinwiddie has averaged 12.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. His efficiency has been underwhelming, and The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported weeks ago the Wizards “want to move Dinwiddie because he looks like a shell of his former self and his teammates don’t want him there.”
Given Bradley Beal's struggles to stay on the floor, Dinwiddie found himself often having to play a lead initiator role as of late for an underwhelming Wizards team during his first season back from a torn ACL injury. The expectations for Dinwiddie will be lower with the Mavericks, and the conditions of him coming off the bench will be simpler.
Dinwiddie mentioned during his introductory Mavericks media availability that coming off his torn ACL, the Wizards told him he didn't have to play the first 20 games. He wanted to be available for the team and decided to play, but posted diminished results given the circumstances.
“Of course. … That was kind of the thing that I was a little bit disappointed with but was also a little bit hurt by, right,” said Dinwiddie.
“I got wrote off like 30 games into a season that I didn’t have to play the first like 25 of, right? They told me when they signed me, ‘you don’t have to play the first 20 games [because] you’re coming off a torn ACL’ and I was like ‘nah, I want to come in here, I want to help out and be a part of this whole thing.’"
Dinwiddie continued: "[I want to] sacrifice whatever it needs to be [and get] consistent hours of treatment just to make sure I’m in a position to play.”
From the Wizards' perspective, the team does not have time to waste when it comes to enticing Bradley Beal to stay long-term. Dinwiddie and Beal struggled to co-exist when they shared the floor — providing Washington with enough uncertainty to move on from Dinwiddie.
Dinwiddie also expressed how he is getting his rhythm back. He feels a sense of confidence that he will eventually find his previous form, whether it's the second year or third year being removed from the injury — alluding to his previous experience with recovering from a torn ACL during his days at Colorado in college.
"Everybody that talks about this experience [of tearing an ACL] – and I’ve been through it before in college – your first year, you’re getting your rhythm back and you’re getting everything rocking and rolling, beyond just a health aspect," Dinwiddie said.
"They always talk about the second year and the third year being much better. Being 28 and having a great recovery so far, I definitely expect myself to play at that type of level going forward in my career."
With the success the Mavericks have experienced with Jalen Brunson sharing the backcourt with Luka Doncic, there has been a need for a top guard talent to help lead the bench unit. There was thought that Goran Dragic would land in Dallas, but now that focus has shifted to Spencer Dinwiddie after the trade.
There is a significant burden placed on Doncic and Brunson to be initiators throughout the course of a game. Dinwiddie presents a third-guard option to use ball screens to get downhill and make a play. At 6-foot-5, he is a factor around the basket as a finisher and doesn't present the same limitations as a smaller guard does like Trey Burke.
Consider a circumstance similar to Saturday's game against the Clippers where Burke injured his shoulder and missed the rest of the game. The Mavericks relied on Frank Ntilikina more, and his lack of impact on offense was key in Dallas finishing with only four bench points. Maxi Kleber and Josh Green underwhelmed, too, but still, they need a difference-maker on the floor in those situations to make things easier for others.
A common struggle for Mavs bench guards is their lack of versatility and being able to remain a factor when seeing multiple defensive coverages. Guards that lack an in-between game struggle against drop coverage, but Dinwiddie's ability to get to his floater offers a go-to option.
In addition to getting to the rim and attacking in the gap, Dinwiddie is an unselfish playmaker that makes quality reads based on the tag. For a unit that is comprised of shooting threats like Maxi Kleber, Davis Bertans, and eventually Tim Hardaway Jr., that's an important attribute for the initiator to bring to the table.
Some teams, like the Clippers, will deploy a switching scheme even when the opposing bench unit is on the floor. At that point, it's important for the initiator of the offense to be a threat in isolation situations. Drawing the favorable matchup on the switch has consistently end in a positive result.
Brunson will still spend time in plug-and-play units with the bench, but when there are lineups with one player that can dribble a basketball and make a meaningful play, there's going to be limitations. When that comes against a switching scheme, it's vital to have multiple threats that can break down a defender off the bounce.
Dinwiddie's isolation game is a mixed bag. He struggles mightily as a perimeter shot creator, and while his field goal percentage is low when he gets downhill, he draws fouls at a very high rate. He can get to the rim against favorable matchups and switches consistently, something the Mavericks tend to get only from Doncic and Brunson.
The upside of Dinwiddie managing to recover to his previous form is enticing enough to take a risk on a deal that has one additional fully guaranteed year. He will earn $18 million 2022-23 but has $10 million of his $18.9 million salary guaranteed in 2023-24. If he manages to provide solid results in a bench role, he not only will help the Mavs on the court, but he becomes much more trade-able as well.
The importance of Dinwiddie also significantly grows in the unlikely event the Mavericks are unable to retain Brunson in free agency. Having limited means to find a competent secondary ball-handler replacement would have been a risk.
In the meantime, the Mavericks will get a look at how Dinwiddie can perform in a bench role in the midst of needing a boost in their second unit. If all goes well, that first look could come Tuesday night when the Mavs start a five-game road-trip against the Miami Heat.
