Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie is no stranger to run-ins with referees during his career. The veteran has developed a reputation for jawing at officials throughout nine NBA seasons. His rocky relationship with the league's refs made headlines early this season when Tony Brothers referred to Dinwiddie as a “b***h-a*s mother f****er” to one of his Mavericks teammates after slapping him with a technical foul.
The league suspended Brothers for one game, but the altercation illustrates how Dinwiddie's incessant complaining can wear on officials. Those complaints have persisted during his second stint in Brooklyn. Whether they are justified or not, one thing has been certain: his concerns with officiating are affecting his team.
During the second quarter of Thursday's 101-96 loss to the Kings, Dinwiddie was at the center of a momentum-shifting sequence. After missing a layup, he complained to the referee instead of hustling back in transition. He then fouled Harrison Barnes in the backcourt with Sacramento in the bonus before picking up a technical. The five-point swing gave Sacramento control going into the half from which they would never look back.
Following the loss, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn was asked if he felt Spencer Dinwiddie's complaints to officials can be counterproductive:
“I think he’s cognizant of the impact that he has on our team. We need every point, so whether he gets a technical or not, we still need every point,” Vaughn said. “I’ll say that to him, which I have before. I think he’s smart enough to know what to say to the referees at the time of the game, so I’m gonna support him. I want him to continue to put himself in a position to be aggressive for us, and hopefully, we’ll be on the good side of the referees moving forward.”
Thursday was not the first time Dinwiddie's emotions have gotten the best of him. During a Feb. 16 loss at Atlanta, he picked up a late-game technical after what should have been a momentum-shifting dunk. Following the game, Dinwiddie said superstars receive preferential treatment from referees, something he claimed hurts himself and Brooklyn late in games.
While leading by two in the final minute of Sunday's win at Denver, Dinwiddie drove and had his shot blocked. He proceeded to look toward the official before committing a head-scratching foul on Nikola Jokic with the Nuggets in the bonus.
Despite his noticeable focus on attacking the rim during Tuesday's loss at Oklahoma City, Dinwiddie attempted just six free throws. He had to restrain himself after an official called a jump ball on what should have been a foul on Thunder guard Josh Giddey, walking away and letting out a scream at halfcourt. Vaughn shared Dinwiddie's frustrations with the officiating:
“I’m surprised at only six free-throw attempts with the amount of times that he drove to the rim tonight,” he said. “Spencer Dinwiddie (had) six free throws, I thought he should have had 16.”
The coach stood by that assessment when speaking pregame Thursday:
“That was probably my more cryptic way of saying the fouls should have been called on him,” Vaughn said. “He had the six free throws. I rewatched the film and I'm still thinking it (should've been) 16. So we want him to continue to drive the basketball. Sometimes he's going to get the call. Sometimes he's not going to get the call. But it's so important for him to put pressure on the rim and to get into the paint.”
Spencer Dinwiddie has shouldered a massive load as the Nets' lead ball-handler following the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, averaging 18.1 points and 7.8 assists on 41/30/80 shooting splits. While that production has been up and down, it has been evident that Brooklyn could not function offensively without Dinwiddie's playmaking and shot creation. He led the Nets to victory in Minnesota, scoring or assisting on all 10 of Brooklyn's points in overtime before recording a career-high 16 assists in the win over Denver.
Nearly a decade into the league, Dinwiddie's viewpoints toward referees have grown more contentious. Now positioned as the veteran floor general of a young team for the first time in his career, the impact of that focus on officiating is being felt more than ever before.
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