That saying about a change of scenery seems to have hit home for Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie. Since Dinwiddie was traded to the Mavs last month, he’s looked like a new man and seems to fit in with this roster.
The Mavericks are 6-1 with Dinwiddie since the 28-year-old arrived from Washington. Since he was traded, his shooting numbers are up almost across the board. Dinwiddie’s scoring five more points per game (17.6) than he did in Washington, his field goal percentage is up by nearly 20 (56.3 percent), and he’s shooting over 41 percent on three-point attempts. Not only is the grass greener now for Dinwiddie, but it’s growing at a more rapid pace in Dallas than in the nation’s capital.
Dinwiddie adds another veteran presence to this Mavs team and is another player that can average 20 ppg, as he did a couple of years ago in Brooklyn. He’s already averaging 17 per game for the Mavs since he joined the organization. Dinwiddie also brings a calming presence to the locker room, as he’s a guy who isn’t afraid of taking on a leadership role. He brings a take-charge attitude that wasn’t exactly welcome in Washington. Dinwiddie understands his role with the Mavs and knows when to be aggressive and go get his.
“I do what I do, and I don’t do what I’m not supposed to do,” Dinwiddie said. “That goes one through 15. Everybody here follows that type of mentality because we understand to win basketball games not just in the regular season but to win in the playoffs, you need that.”
Everyone knows Luka Dončić is the man in Dallas, but even Batman needs Robin, and after the Kristaps Porziņģis debacle, Dinwiddie may be in line to fill that sidekick role. Even if he isn’t the full-time second option, there will be plenty of opportunities for Dinwiddie to prove his worth heading into the postseason. Thus far, Dinwiddie has stepped up his game since joining the Mavs, scoring more points while taking the same number of shot attempts.
The Mavs are firmly planted in the Western Conference playoff picture, and barring some crazy collapse, they should avoid the play-in tournament. With 18 games remaining on the schedule, they even have an outside shot at catching the Jazz for the No. 4 seed. So Dinwiddie’s production couldn’t have come at a better time for Dallas. Hopefully, for the Mavs and their fans, he can keep this pace up because, in the postseason, teams are going to look to get the ball out of Luka’s hands, and that’ll be the time when Dinwiddie needs to shine his brightest.