The Brooklyn Nets were already off to a disappointing 4-7 start prior to Saturday night's matchup against the Chicago Bulls. With one of the worst defensive units in basketball and a knee ailment plaguing All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn seemed to be in for another tough night in the Windy City.

Instead, Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie scored 24 points and made a number of buckets and free throws down the stretch to give Brooklyn an important win.

However, Dinwiddie acknowledges that he cannot replicate what Kyrie brings to the table (via Brian Lewis of the New York Post):

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“I’m not Kyrie: He’s going to continue to lead this team and do a great job,” Dinwiddie said. “The only focus really was winning. So I just tried to gauge what needed to be done to win the game. I’m not going to be Kyrie. Kyrie might win MVP this year.”

Maybe, but Saturday he was in street clothes, so everybody took up the slack. Harris handed out eight of the Nets’ 30 assists, and Dinwiddie — in his first start of the season — scored 20 points in the fourth quarter.

“He took over, his drives, how aggressive he was, understanding the mismatch, understanding when to get out of the blitz. He was just fantastic,” said Atkinson, who likened Dinwiddie to a fullback.

Dinwiddie had success in attacking Chicago's front line. He went 14-of-15 from the free-throw line, and exploited a late mismatch with Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr.

Sure, Irving still holds the keys to Brooklyn's success. But with Caris LeVert out and the Nets in need of a spark, Dinwiddie needs to continue to produce on both ends of the floor.