Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie will have the important role of backing up All-Star floor general Kyrie Irving next season, and he is gearing up for it.
Dinwiddie's trainer, Olin Simplis, confirmed to Ian Begley of SNY that the 26-year-old is working a lot on his offense this offseason. Besides shooting 3-pointers, Dinwiddie is apparently trying to play through contact and improve his finishing at the rim.
“A lot of 3-pointers, playing through contact, and adding a couple more finishes to his game,” Simplis said. “Last summer, we did the one-leg, one-hand scoop right off the dribble that he was pretty successful with last season. This year, we're adding a lot of two-foot finishes a la Tony Parker because I like guards to get in the paint and finish off two (feet). You have so many different options. And a couple of hooks, we're working on hooks as well. Because he's going to be keyed in on a lot more this year.
“He's had two good seasons, back-to-back, and his game keeps evolving…. He's definitely going to draw more attention. So, we're working on creating more space off the dribble, being more efficient with sidesteps and cross step separations.”
Dinwiddie is entering his fourth season with the Nets in 2019-20 and his sixth overall in the NBA after being selected in the second round of the 2014 draft by the Detroit Pistons. He averaged 16.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game in 68 appearances — and only four starts — for the Nets last season. Dinwiddie is a career 32.3 percent 3-point shooter and shot 5.2 free throw attempts in 2018-19.
Simplis also adds that Dinwiddie has been working out with fourth-year forward Caris LeVert, and that he views Dinwiddie and LeVert as complementary pieces around Irving in the Nets' backcourt.
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