Detroit Pistons: Spencer Dinwiddie – Draft Sleeper?
By Adam McGee
Following the Detroit Pistons’ 38th pick last night, Stan Van Gundy no longer has the best mustache in the organization. That title now belongs to Spencer Dinwiddie, a 21-year-old guard coming out of the University of Colorado. The Pistons were expected to add a guard with a strong shooting pedigree, and with this second round pick Detroit didn’t disappoint.
As the draft grew more and more unpredictable from the mid-to-late first round onwards, the pool of talent for the Pistons to choose from grew more and more intriguing. Still it’s hard to argue against the pick of the bunch being Dinwiddie by the time No. 38 came around.
Having suffered a torn ACL back in January, Dinwiddie’s draft stock dropped from him being projected as a definite first-rounder to where he eventually fell one round later. That’s 29 other teams’ loss, and he could well prove to be the Pistons gain.
Dinwiddie has a combination of skill, length and quickness that could see him play anywhere between the one and three spots as a professional. At 6’6″, Dinwiddie isn’t your stereotypical point guard, but that is the position at which he has honed his skills and flourished as a player.
If he was to be tied down to just one position, Dinwiddie would probably fit best as a shooting guard in the NBA though. Alongside last year’s first round pick Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, can Dinwiddie help to revolutionize the Pistons recent wing history?
Dinwiddie’s skills seem to indicate that he is the perfect candidate to provide Detroit help where they most need it. First and foremost, Dinwiddie is an excellent shooter. Last year, he shot 41.3 percent from deep and 85.7 percent from the line, which is the kind of efficiency the Pistons are unfamiliar with in those two categories.
Aside from his ability to spot up and space the floor, Dinwiddie is an accomplished and varied finisher inside too. He’s got an eye for scoring in general, and that should help him to succeed in the NBA. Dinwiddie’s offensive contribution doesn’t just end with points though.
The California native is an unselfish player and has point guard instincts and abilities, if Detroit wanted to mold him into that position. Dinwiddie is a willing and capable passer with a strong eye for a pass, and can set up his teammates out of set plays or in transition. Dinwiddie’s 3.8 assists per game last season back this up.
The Colorado Buffalo is an all-round intelligent player who can grow into being a good defender too. Dinwiddie has strong fundamentals on that end due to his length, quickness and basketball IQ, but they need to be put into practice. He understands positioning, and movement within rotation on both ends, and his versatility of being able to cover three positions is a real asset.
The Pistons still have a long way to go if they are to make significant improvements for next year. Yet as trade rumors intensify, and free agent decisions loom, Detroit and Van Gundy could have had a much worse start to their new era than drafting Dinwiddie.