9. Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets
Spencer Dinwiddie has been in the NBA for four years, but it wasn’t until last season that he popped up on most people’s radars. He went from being a permanent fixture in Stan Van Gundy’s doghouse to the Brooklyn Nets‘ starting point guard, filling in admirably for an injured D’Angelo Russell.
Averaging 12.6 points, 6.6 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game, Dinwiddie was even better as a starter, posting 13.8 points, 7.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game in 58 starts. The problem is he’s one of those classic role players on the rise that’s hard to place on a good team. Is he a starting-caliber point guard waiting to break out? Or is he a high-end backup who’s probably too good to be a backup but not good enough to start?
Dinwiddie was a clutch performer for the Nets in crunch-time situations, but their backcourt is overflowing and he’ll be a free agent next summer. It remains to be seen if another team comes calling near the trade deadline or if someone’s willing to pay him like a starting-caliber point guard next summer, but this season will play a huge part in answering those questions.