Brooklyn Nets: Who is the third-best player on the Nets’ roster?
By Zach Wilson
Spencer Dinwiddie
Spencer Dinwiddie has become the de facto leader and best player of the Brooklyn Nets while Irving and Durant sit out with injuries. Dinwiddie was close to earning himself a spot on the All-Star team this year and has put up his first season averaging over 20 points per game in one of his most efficient seasons.
This has to be an easy decision then. If Dinwiddie has earned the title as the best player outside of Irving and Durant, then why is he not the clear choice for the third-best player on the team? The answer, there is only one ball.
This isn’t a shot thrown at Dinwiddie, because he has proven himself playing alongside D’Angelo Russell, and in his limited games playing with Kyrie Irving, that he is capable of playing a little more off-ball. However, his most productive minutes come when he is running the offense, and controlling the ball.
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The one thing that helps Dinwiddie is the fact that he is a combo-guard, meaning he can play productive minutes at point guard, or shooting guard. His 6’5″ frame helps him as well, he can be the primary defender on either guard, which is especially beneficial playing next to Kyrie Irving. While he’s a great offensive player, Irving struggles on the defensive end.
As a coach of the Brooklyn Nets, I would want Irving and Durant controlling the offense as much as possible, and that would mean taking the ball out of the third option’s hands and turning them basically into a 3-and-D option.
Dinwiddie does not have the greatest reputation as a 3-point shooter. He’s not bad, and he’s had some clutch long-range shots, but a career 31.8 percent 3-point shooter, and shooting even below that this season, Dinwiddie probably wouldn’t thrive in a third-fiddle role.
Dinwiddie, unlike Allen, is likely the most skilled of the three options, but does he provide the necessary tools to be the third-best player alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant? I’m not too confident in that. Based on everything I’ve seen of Dinwiddie, it seems as if he could mentally place himself in that role, and would be willing to do anything for the betterment of the team. On the other side of things, his most productive minutes would likely come during rest times for Irving and Durant.
The player and role comparison which I think would suit Dinwiddie best is Lou Williams. A guy who can control the bench unit, and be the lead offensive player, while the starters take a rest, but then also a guy who can play spot minutes alongside the stars. The one thing Lou has on him is that he is a much better 3-point shooter. If Dinwiddie can adapt to an off-ball role, and improve his shooting, he has more than enough capability to become the Nets’ third-best player.