Isn’t It Ironic: Beal’s Wizards ‘Need Big Guards’ - After Trading Dinwiddie to Mavs
After signing Spencer Dinwiddie to a three-year, $54 million deal last offseason, the Washington Wizards essentially gave up on their new starting point guard after just 44 games. Dinwiddie was trying to work his way back into form after missing a year and a half to an ACL tear when the Wizards pulled the plug early and traded him, along with Davis Bertans, to the Dallas Mavericks at the deadline for Kristaps Porzingis.
Although the Mavs trading Porzingis came as a shock to many, Dinwiddie was expected to be moved due to his disappointing early-season play paired with the reports that his Washington teammates didn't want him around anymore.
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"I think that's what hurt the most, I've never bashed Washington," Dinwiddie told ESPN. "I've never said an ill thing about the team. In fact, I thank the owner or chairman Ted [Leonsis], I thank Tommy Sheppard the GM and I thank [Bradley Beal] for those three kind of collectively deciding to give me my contract. They didn't have to pay somebody coming off an ACL."
In his 14 games with the Mavs, Dinwiddie is averaging 17.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from deep. In six games as a starter – and he'll get another crack at starting tonight with Luka Doncic sitting out against the Houston Rockets – Dinwiddie's scoring production bumps up to 21.2 points. To add the cherry on top, Dinwiddie has also been incredible in clutch situations, as he's already hit two game-winners for Dallas.
In a recent postgame interview on NBC Sports Wizards, Bradley Beal joined the panel and made some interesting remarks on what his team's biggest needs are going forward.
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"We need bigger guards," said Beal. "We need more guys who can get in the paint for us."
Ironically, that description fits the player the Wizards ran out of town to a tee. Perhaps Beal, who is supposed to be the Wizards' leader in the locker room, should've tried harder to make things work with Dinwiddie in Washington. Perhaps the Wizards front office should’ve simply been more patient with Dinwiddie.
The Mavs have needed a big guard with long arms who is capable of creating his own shot and being a secondary ball-handler next to Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson for a while now, and they got just that with Dinwiddie. Things have gone as well as the Mavs could’ve hoped since the trade — fun basketball, no locker room drama, and no irony.
As Beal and the Wizards prepare for the lottery and search for other “big guards” this summer, the Mavs will be heading to the playoffs – possibly with home-court advantage – with Dinwiddie potentially being the biggest X-factor.
