Spencer Dinwiddie: Why Guard Was Right Choice For Nets

The Brooklyn Nets cut bait with point guard Yogi Ferrell on Dec. 8, paving the way for them to sign Spencer Dinwiddie. Why that was the right decision for the Nets long-term.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Yogi Ferrell was taken by the Brooklyn Nets immediately following the conclusion of the NBA Draft.

While the Indiana prospect wanted his name called by Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, it wasn’t long before the Nets swooped in and gave Ferrell a chance in Summer League.

Nets management was impressed, seeing the 6′ 0″ (listed) guard show some flashes during the Las Vegas Summer League, and decided to give him a shot with the season around the corner.

With the inaugural season of the Nets D-League team, the Long Island Nets, now entering the league, this was the perfect situation to develop Ferrell into a savvy, quick and explosive guard that could bring some “diamond in the rough” value for general manager Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson.

Related Story: Brooklyn Nets--25 Best Players

But, while having solid outings in the D-League for Long Island, averaging 18.7 points and 5.8 assists in 18 games, the Nets ended up waiving the Indiana product, as his stint with Brooklyn at the NBA level wasn’t translating the way Atkinson wanted to.

Having an affinity for taller guards that have length on the perimeter, the Nets quickly signed Spencer Dinwiddie, a 6′ 6″ point guard whose last stint was with the Detroit Pistons.

Dinwiddie played in 12 games for the Pistons during the 2015-16 season, averaging 4.8 points and 1.8 assists in just less than14 minutes of action per game.

The 23-year-old guard from Colorado has been seen by many as a facilitator, someone who can use his length and strides to quick get to the basket, drawing attention in the paint, then dishing it out to his wing players for open jumpers.

Dinwiddie’s success as a Piston came the season prior, as his eight assists seem to be the more impressive stat against the Washington Wizards.

What also is most impressive to me about Dinwiddie’s game is his use of athleticism, rising up on defenders to get his shot off, and his knack for cross-court vision, finding the open Caron Butler (2:53) for the wing jumper.

Despite the solid play from Dinwiddie, many Nets fans were upset by the waiving of Ferrell, mainly in reaction to his upcoming play than anything they’ve seen in the past.

While the Dallas Mavericks picked him up after the Nets re-assigned him to the D-League, Ferrell shined, netting 32 points on 11-for-17 from the field in a February affair against the Portland Trail Blazers.

However, many Nets fans quickly jumped the gun, saying Ferrell’s recent play starting for the Mavericks was the wrong decision by Marks and the front office.

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets community heard things such as, “our front office can’t scout,” to “he could be the next Isaiah Thomas,” but, Marks remained calm, never being one to react to a disgruntled fan base.

As the sample size got bigger, the Yogi-hype came simmering down, with Ferrell now averaging 12.3 points and 4.8 assists in just less than 32 minutes per game.

While Ferrell has seen more opportunities to run the offense ever since the Mavericks cut ties with Deron Williams, his productivity has certainly come back down to earth.

So, why was this the right move for Marks and the Nets as the team looks to develop its young core? For starters, Dinwiddie, already in his third year in the NBA, is the same age (23) as Ferrell, proving to have more in-game experience as he turns 24 next month.

Dinwiddie has also begun to develop his outside shot, knocking down a career-high four three-pointers in a Feb. 13 matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.

While the majority of his scoring comes from inside the paint (32.5 percent), Dinwiddie has really improved his outside shot, knocking down 45.5 percent of his shots within 20-24 feet of the basket, and 40.6 percent of his shots within 25-29 feet from the basket.

"“He’s steadily getting better,” Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said when speaking about his 6′ 6″ guard. “He played pretty well before the All-Star break, started shooting it better and getting to the rim. We like his defense. He’s been a pleasant surprise, quite honestly. We’re looking forward to seeing more of the same.”"

Now with the return of Jeremy Lin on the court, Dinwiddie slips back to his role of running with the Nets second unit. As we’ve continued to see Seton Hall rookie Isaiah Whitehead play more of the off-guard, Dinwiddie’s pass-first mentality works perfectly.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

While the two are on the court (roughly 190 minutes this season), the tandem is averaging 48.1 percent from the field and a shocking +/- of plus-27.

While the assist-to-turnover ratio is a bit low (1.35), the beneficiary of their play has been Trevor Booker, who in 121 minutes on the court with the two, shoots 50 percent from the field (23-for-46).

Dinwiddie’s ability to run the second unit has proven valuable to the Nets, as only Jeremy Lin and Randy Foye have a negative +/- (minus-2 and minus-5, respectively) while on the court.

I had a chance to sit down with Founder & Editor of BrooklynsBeat.com Justin Salkin, who has been telling fans via Twitter that the Nets, indeed, made the right move bringing in Dinwiddie, despite the small flashes of 20-plus point outings from his predecessor in Ferrell.

"The Nets gave Yogi a look, and he struggled.  Fans feel he did not play enough, but the Nets saw Yogi through camp and had plenty to judge.  Yogi, as a tiny shooter, figures to be at best a streak scorer, whereas Dinwiddie is better at probing defenses, and can guard multiple positions: two keys to Marks’ vision. And while Yogi got off to a great start in Dallas, that does not make him better than Dinwiddie – careers are judged by years, not days or weeks.  Little if anything has separated the players since."

Dinwiddie, while still young and raw, is in the perfect situation with the Nets. As a player that needs minutes, Dinwiddie has shown to be productive, using his length, athleticism and passing ability to run the Nets’ second unit.

Next: 50 Greatest Players of All-Time

As Marks evaluates his options this summer, Dinwiddie is sure to be one player that could be in the Nets’ long-term plans.