Sports & Perspective
Jahlil Okafor wanted a new home with more playing time, the Brooklyn Nets said come on down.
Okafor got his wish on Thursday, when reports surfaced that the Philadelphia 76ers will trade Okafor, Nik Stauskas and a 2019 second-round pick to the Nets in exchange for forward Trevor Booker. Continue reading “Nets Do It Again With Impressive Trade for Jahlil Okafor”
Spencer Dinwiddie is writing one of those feel-good chapters which has become difficult to ignore around the NBA. He’s a key piece for the Brooklyn Nets in their rotation.
For a second consecutive season, the Nets’ backcourt has been ravaged by injuries. The news just broke that lead guard D’Angelo Russell will be out indefinitely after having arthroscopic surgery to his left knee.
Dinwiddie was already receiving more playing time with Jeremy Lin lost for the season to a knee injury. Now with Russell sidelined, the opportunity has widened for the 6’6, 24-year old to take advantage of an unexpected job opening for Brooklyn’s full-time point guard.
If there’s any doubt remaining that Dinwiddie’s up for the challenge, he’s doing his best to erase it one game at a time. He was masterful in a 25-point performance which lead the Nets to a 118-107 win over the Utah Jazz, Friday night at Barclays Center.
Besides the points, a career high, Dinwiddie was everything and more on this night. He also tallied eight assists, five rebounds, and brought a calm and poise to the game for the Nets.
But what stood out the most, in 31 minutes of play, is Dinwiddie registered zero turnovers. It’s another reason he’s earned the trust of his teammates and head coach Kenny Atkinson.
Especially when the Nets began to show signs of slippage in the third quarter. They allowed Utah to slice a 22-point lead down to nine heading into the fourth. That’s when Atkinson went back to his guy.
“That was huge,” Atkinson said afterwards, almost now at a loss for words on how well Dinwiddie’s performed for him. “We got Spencer back in the game to get us organized and stabilized. It’s good for our morale, good for our confidence, but it’s not a surprise. We’ve talked all year that Spencer has made a step in development.”
He’s also on pace for a career high in three-point percentage, he was 6 of 10 against the Jazz.
Dinwiddie’s work ethic and style of play have made him a fan favorite at Barclays. He can break his opponent down off the dribble, but picks his spots when to do so. He’s capable of making the flashy pass but puts an emphasis on making the right one. The team thrives with him on the court.
There’s no denying the improvement across the board in Dinwiddie’s game. When the Nets signed him last December there were plenty of unknowns for where he’d fit in the team’s plans. Give him credit for making his own way by putting in the work.
Dinwiddie isn’t an overnight success story. He’s been putting his time in since the Detroit Pistons used their second round draft pick in 2014 on him.
Through hard work and not giving up on himself, he’s earned every minute the Nets are now trusting him with to be their leader.
It was just two years ago D’Angelo Russell was the number two pick in the NBA draft. The Los Angeles Lakers had high hopes for a bright future with Russell, however it didn’t take long for those hopes to turn into faded pictures.
Inconsistent play, along with fallout from video of a private conversation with teammate Nick Young going public, only made it harder for the Lakers to justify Russell as a key to their future. The emergence of Lonzo Ball as an option for Magic Johnson’s first draft pick as team president sealed the deal for Russell’s departure.
While the Lakers were pinning their future on Russell two years ago, the Brooklyn Nets were finishing a 21-61 season. Players were let go, coaches were fired, and general managers were — reassigned. The Nets followed that up with another 62-loss campaign this past season.
The rebuild is in full swing for the Nets and, with limited options to upgrade, they have to remain creative in pursuing young talent to help build a new foundation. That means when a 21-year old talent, like Russell, becomes available you do your due diligence to bring him in.
Getting Russell, along with former Knick Timofey Mozgov, cost the Nets Brook Lopez and the 27th pick in this year’s draft. The Nets will miss Lopez, he was the face of their franchise, a class act, and the team’s all-time leading scorer. With all of that, it was time to part ways. Nets general manager Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson rolled the dice on Russell and the timing couldn’t have been better.
Johnson, while thanking Russell for his time and service, also emphasized he needs a team leader. It’s one thing when your employer calls you out in front of everyone, but it stings that much more when that employer also happens to be an NBA legend.
“I think he’s got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder,” Atkinson said about his new point guard. “I can see that already. I don’t think he’s boasting about that. He even said, ‘I’m not trying to prove people wrong. I’m trying to control my situation.’
“But it shows by being in the gym and his hunger to get better. I kind of like that there’s a little bit of a chip there.”
That chip on Russell’s shoulder should stay there for at least the next ten years. If that serves as fuel for the fire then so be it.
Russell has the right mindset in worrying only about what he can control. The Nets, in Atkinson, have one of the best developmental coaches in the game. It’ll be intriguing to see how he plans to use Russell in his up-tempo offense.
Opportunity is knocking for D’Angelo Russell to put the past behind him. He can start fresh with a team that’s ready to give him every tool necessary to succeed.