ESPN NBA Rank 2022: Mavs' Spencer Dinwiddie Checks In
The Dallas Mavericks experienced a boost after acquiring Spencer Dinwiddie in a midseason trade with the Washington Wizards. He presented a third reliable guard in the rotation, a significant change from an option like Trey Burke.
Dinwiddie appeared in 23 regular season games with the Mavericks in 2021-22. He averaged 15.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 49.8 percent from the floor, 40.4 percent from 3-point range, and 72.5 percent on free throws.
While Dinwiddie sorely struggled on 2-point field goals in the playoffs (41.7 percent), he still averaged 14.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists with plenty of timely contributions. He still shot 41.7 percent from 3-point range, setting the tone as an off-ball contributor.
ESPN releases an annual ranking of the top 100 players in the NBA ahead of the upcoming season. For the 2022-23 season, Dinwiddie ranked No. 69 on the list. He dropped by just one spot compared to his ranking on the 2021 edition of this list.
With Jalen Brunson's free agency departure, Dinwiddie will be relied upon by the Mavericks as their clear-cut No. 2 guard. He will start in the backcourt next to Luka Doncic. As a result, Dinwiddie has plenty of opportunities headed his way.
"Was Dinwiddie's 3-point shooting for Dallas fluky or for real? He's a 32.2% career 3-point shooter who hit 40.4% after a midseason trade to the Mavericks," Tim MacMahon wrote. "His ability to make defenses pay on decent long-range looks is especially important when Dinwiddie, who will replace Jalen Brunson in the starting lineup, plays alongside Luka Doncic."
There is significant optimism from Dinwiddie and the Mavericks about what he will prove capable of achieving after having a full season and an offseason since recovering from a torn ACL.
As of writing this article, Doncic's specific rank has yet to be uncovered since the top 10 still has yet to be released. Christian Wood was the only other Mavericks player to make the cut and he ranked No. 92 overall ahead of his first campaign in Dallas.
Entering the 2021-22 season, the only two players the Mavericks had ranked on the list were Doncic and Kristaps Porzinigs. Now, they have three players who made the cut entering the upcoming season. While Brunson departed, they still are one of the more talented NBA teams.
You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.
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