Will this be a return in a prominent role or just a cameo?
Spencer Dinwiddie is back for his second stint with the Dallas Mavericks. His arrival in Dallas two years ago was a case of “right time, right place” and he was hailed savior that season for helping pull the Mavericks out of mediocrity and into the Western Conference Finals. Dallas needed him and he needed the Mavericks, and few players in recent years have had as impactful a play in Dallas as Dinwiddie’s dunk on Rudy Gobert was (that was my phone background for quite some time).
Despite his breakout play in the spring of 2022, his time in Brooklyn and Los Angeles between shifts in Dallas was less than stellar. He shot around 40 percent from the field (32 percent from three) and did not look like the player Mavericks fans saw. His career has been up and down, and so far his best years have come on teams with good vibes and lower expectations. With the Mavericks poised to defend their Western Conference title, what version of Dinwiddie they get will be critical.
Big Question
Last season, Dallas was nearly 10 points per 100 possessions worse with Luka Doncic off the floor than when he was on, per PBPStats. Of course, scoring without your All-NBA player is harder, but Kyrie Irving was on the floor a lot of the time and still, the offense looked clunky. They did not have an effective backup point guard and it showed. Dante Exum was not enough of a threat to attack after his injury and often held the ball for too long. Irving cannot play point with that unit because he has to be the main scorer.
Can Spencer Dinwiddie step into the backup point guard role and run the offense efficiently? He averaged nearly five assists per game in his time with Dallas previously and has the skill set to do so. It just matters which version of him the Mavericks get.
Best Case Scenario
In an ideal world, Dinwiddie anchors the second unit and the Mavericks offense sees no fall-off with Luka Doncic on the bench. He already has a history with Daniel Gafford and Kyrie Irving so the chemistry will require less time than a new face. In this scenario, the Mavericks nurse his efficiency back to health and he becomes a nightmare for opposing bench units’ defenses.
Worst Case Scenario
On the flip side, Dinwiddie could just be bad. He could also make comments in the media as he has done in the past that stir things up and disrupt the locker room. One of Dallas’s strengths last year was their cohesiveness after the trade deadline, so any sort of square peg in a round hole could ruin the team’s togetherness.
Season goal
Dinwiddie’s number one goal should be to focus on shooting better. His role will be diminished compared to two years ago so he needs to be good in the minutes that he plays. The Mavericks, as a team, will be very efficient and if Dinwiddie is in the low-thirties again from outside the arc, it will stick out like a sore thumb.
Overall
Dinwiddie will be a key piece next season as the year rolls along. Jason Kidd trusts him and will certainly lean on him the way Rick Carlisle did with Dwight Powell. He is 31 now and leaving his physical prime but his playstyle hedges the dip in athleticism. If you watched him last season it is easy to say the Mavericks should have signed someone like Dennis Smith Jr. instead. However, as history has taught us, there is such a thing as the perfect situation. For Dinwiddie, that is playing for the Mavericks, and both he and the organization are hoping to capture lightning in a bottle once more.