When Kyrie Irving missed 26 straight games from November to January due to injury, fellow guard Spencer Dinwiddie stepped up for the Brooklyn Nets. When Irving returned from injury this month, Dinwiddie's role was reduced.
However, Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson decided to play the two-point guards together in the starting lineup and in five of the team's last games, Dinwiddie and Irving have been the team's starting backcourt.
On their January 25th game against the Detroit Pistons, Dinwiddie would come off the bench and as Irving continues to get back to full health, the belief is that Dinwiddie will be relegated to a bench role.
On the other hand, according to Atkinson, Dinwiddie coming off the bench is not set in stone and that the team may use both guards in the starting lineup in the future per Alex Schiffer of The Athletic.
Regardless, Dinwiddie is enjoying a career-year. Partly due to Irving's absence, Dinwiddie is putting up a career-high 21.2 points, 6.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 29.9 percent from deep.
The 26-year-old guard also recently changed his jersey number from eight to 26 in honor of Kobe Bryant who passed away in a helicopter crash this past weekend.
Despite Dinwiddie's excellent season, the Nets as a whole have fallen short of expectations. Injuries to key players have hindered Brooklyn's potential and the team currently sits as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 19-26 record.
With Dinwiddie coming off the bench, the Nets could look for journeyman Garrett Temple or Caris LeVert to pair along with Irving in the starting lineup.
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