Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie finally got the contract extension he had long awaited, and head coach Kenny Atkinson can't be any happier for him. Atkinson had coached Dinwiddie throughout his growth in the NBA after being sent down to the G League to refine his game, making him one of the best success stories as a developmental wonder.
“One thing about Spencer, he's impeccable with his habits,” Atkinson said earlier this season, according to Tom Dowd of Nets.com. “Even when we have a day off, he comes in here and he gets a lift. He's seven days. There's really no days off, and we know this, because we hear, ‘Spencer's in the gym, Spencer's in the gym.' It's his preparation.”
Atkinson has always had faith in Dinwiddie, even recently, when he encouraged him greatly after a successful 25-point performance against the New York Knicks last Saturday.
“I keep telling him, ‘Your elite skill is you’re one of the best drivers in the league and the best finishers in the league.’ When he’s really good, he’s doing that,” Atkinson had told Dinwiddie then. “Whether it’s finishing at the rim or spraying the ball to the other guys, I can’t emphasize enough that we want him to keep doing that.”
Dinwiddie earned a three-year extension worth $34 million with a player option for the third year, despite being eligible for an extension up to four years and $47.5 million. A shorter extension gave the Nets more salary flexibility and Dinwiddie the opportunity to make more in the near future by being able to opt out of his deal in two years, instead of three.
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