Spencer Dinwiddie deserving of All-Star consideration after filling in valiantly for injured Kyrie Irving
When Kyrie Irving went down November 14 with a shoulder injury, many had thought the Nets season was headed for certain disaster. The team sat at 4-7 and falling fast with Irving, Caris LeVert, and of course Kevin Durant out of the lineup.
Even in a wide open Eastern Conference, digging yourself an early season hole is not something the Nets want to do for a second consecutive year. After starting out 8-18 and finishing the final two thirds of the 34-22 to clinch the sixth seed in the East, it's not a feat many teams can duplicate.
After falling in a three games under. 500 hole, Brooklyn is 9-3 without Irving and with Spencer Dinwiddie leading the charge. On the season, Dinwiddie is averaging 20.6 points and 6.2 assists per game to keep the Nets afloat and now thriving over the last 12 contests.
Irving is out of the lineup again on Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets, but Nets fans won't fret. Dinwiddie has been the sparkplug the team so desperately needed and the impetus for this early season turnaround.
He's playing at an All-Star level and is certainly worthy of consideration on February 16 in Charlotte. Kenny Atkinson has a problem that many coaches wish they had-a plethora of talent at the point guard. The question now will Atkinson adjust the starting lineup for Dinwiddie and Irving to play together or stick with the plan at the start of the season for Dinwiddie to come off the bench?
It will be an interesting dynamic to see if and how Dinwiddie and Irving can coexist, but for the time being the Nets are getting All-Star caliber play from their point guard with another All-Star likely returning from injury soon.
