Getty Spencer Dinwiddie #26 of the Brooklyn Nets.
Playing in his ninth NBA season, Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has had plenty of former teammates and he sent one of them a tongue-in-cheek message.
“DJ knows I’ll whoop his a**,” Dinwiddie told reporters following the Nets’ come-from-behind victory over the Denver Nuggets on March 12 via the Nets’ channel on YouTube. The “DJ” in question was none other than Nuggets reserve – and former Nets – big man DeAndre Jordan who gave Dinwiddie a little pregame shove from behind.
Dinwiddie says he knew it was all in fun.
“I got a couple friends over there,” Dinwiddie said naming Jordan along with guard Ish Smith, Jeff Green, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. “So I figured it was somebody I knew…I figured it was friendly fire. But DJ knows I’ll whoop his a**, though. So, you an tell him that.”
Throw former Net Bruce Brown in that mix as well.
It was all in jest and surely much easier to smile about coming off a win over the Western Conference-leading (and suddenly slumping) Nuggets who have lost three straight. This was Brooklyn’s second win in a row and their fifth in the last six tries; a solid turnaround from their 2-6 start following the trade deadline on February 9.
Dinwiddie certainly did his part with a career-high 16 assists to go with 15 points, six rebounds, one block, and one steal.
“Unbelievable,” Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said of Dinwiddie’s assist total via the team’s YouTube channel. “He’s tuned in and he’s turned on…Every night, he’s producing for us, he’s learning how to play with this group. He’s learning when to be aggressive, when to get to the rim, how to manage this group. And he’s tuned in to each individual – whether that’s in the huddle, whether that’s the last play of the game, how are we going to cover that? And then he’s producing; he’s been turned on.”
Dinwiddie has averaged 20.6 points on 55.7% true shooting over his last eight appearances.
Dorian Finney-Smith: Spencer Dinwiddie ‘Could Have Had 18’ Assists
“16 assists,” teammate Dorian Finney-Smith marveled, via the team’s channel. “He could have had 18 if I didn’t turn down two threes. …He lives in the paint. He’s been making great decisions – I know he probably wants two of them threes. But he did a good job of finding everybody and keeping everybody together, especially as they were making their run.”
Brooklyn re-gained control after the break but Denver made one last push in an 33-24 Nuggets fourth quarter erasing a 15-point lead. It was during either that run that Dinwiddie, according to Finney-Smith, told the huddle, “whatever happens, we’re going to get a stop.”
Even after Mikal Bridges sunk what turned out to be the game-winning free throws, it took a miss on a tough shot from Nuggets’ star and MVP favorite Nikola Jokic to seal the victory.
Informed of Finney-Smith’s awe at his achievement, Dinwiddie retained his razor-sharp wit.
“The fact that he’s surprised kind of throws me off,” Dinwiddie said with a smile. “Who do you think was passing you the ball, bruh?”
Dinwiddie has been among the group encouraging Finney-Smith to shoot his way out of the doldrums that found him upon his arrival in Brooklyn. After averaging 6.1 points and shooting 22.8% from beyond the arc over the first eight games with the Nets, he has recorded back-to-back double-digit scoring performances for the first time as a Net while knocking down 7-of-12 triples.
Spencer Dinwiddie on Nic Claxton: ‘F*** the Assists’
The outspoken Dinwiddie was also asked his opinions of breakout big man Nic Claxton who had 20 points, six boards, and five assists of his own also tallying one block.
“He’s been big time. Obviously, a [Defensive Player of the Year] candidate. His activity is big time for us, especially being kind of a smaller group…To see him flourish offensively too like that is great. And we knew, again, he had to be a playmaker in a sense…I know there’s a couple that he sprayed out for threes. And then obviously being aggressive, attacking the lane, [and] scoring those points.”
Claxton even went into his bag offensively, much to Dinwiddie’s delight.
“For sure, 1000%,” Dinwiddie said when asked if the move and shot surprised him. “Now, that was the most surprising play of the game. F*** the assists. He did a one-dribble pull-up, and made it!”
Claxton was quick to point out that he used to do the same thing in college at the University of Georgia.
“People can be surprised I can do more than what I do offensively,” Claxton said during his turn via the team’s channel. “I’m just playing my role. Hopefully, in years to come, I’ll continue to expand my game.”
The defensive wunderkind also spoke of what it has been like adjusting to Dinwiddie.
“It’s been great figuring out…the spots that he wants me in and he’s been great for us,” Claxton said. “Just gotta keep on building. And the more pressure that he continues to put on the defensive end, teams have to overreact like they did tonight.”
