In 14 appearances for the Los Angeles Lakers since joining the team as a free agent shortly after the trade deadline, Spencer Dinwiddie has averaged just 4.7 points and 2.7 assists per game. This is a far cry from his production rate with the Dallas Mavericks and the Brooklyn Nets last season where he put up 17.3 points and 6.5 assists per contest. As a matter of fact, we haven’t seen this type of numbers from Dinwiddie since his rookie year with the Detroit Pistons back in the 2014-15 season.
Needless to say, the 30-year-old has taken a significant dip in his production this season. According to Dinwiddie, it’s the Nets who are to blame for all this.
Los Angeles Lakers’ Spencer Dinwiddie Rips Nets
Dinwiddie started the season with the Nets. However, he was deemed surplus to requirements over in Brooklyn, and they decided to ship him off prior to the trade deadline. The Nets sent him to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Dennis Schroder and Thaddeus Young. The Raptors, in turn, had no intention of incorporating the 6-foot-5 combo guard into their rotation, and they opted to waive his contract shortly after the trade.
It was the Lakers who ended up claiming Dinwiddie off the waiver wire, and he has since settled for being a role player averaging 23.4 minutes off the bench. According to the former Colorado standout, he has no issue with his current role in LA. He does seem to have qualms, however, with how the Nets handled his situation earlier this season:
“Obviously, the way s**t shook out in Brooklyn kind of put me more so in this box than my game being in that box,” he said, via Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “It’s not like I’m 35 or coming off injury or washed or anything. … Like, I’m one of them guys. Let’s not get it twisted. But I also understand being a part of a bigger unit.”
Dinwiddie did not elaborate on what exactly his issue is with the Nets, but it appears that he’s blaming his situation in Brooklyn as the reason behind his slump. Needless to say, this man will be playing with a chip on his shoulder the rest of the way.
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