Who wants a celebrity nearer when you might have Spencer Dinwiddie in your roster?
Speaking to a small group of reporters after Nets observe on Thursday, Dinwiddie issued a reminder to those that consider the shortage of star energy will price the Nets in buzzer-beating, crunch-time possessions.
“If we’re talking about just hitting game winners, like the actual shot itself? Oh, I’ve got the most in the league,” he stated. “Aye, most in the league, so you tee me up, it’s a bucket.”
It’s troublesome to confirm the validity of Dinwiddie’s declare as a result of there are not any central NBA database monitoring gamers who hit game-winning pictures.
There’s loads of proof, nevertheless, to recommend Dinwiddie has a robust case.
As lately because the Nets’ Feb. 11 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, a recreation the place Mikal Bridges missed a driving layup that would have despatched the sport into time beyond regulation, Dinwiddie nailed a halfcourt shot that tied the sport at 101 proper up till officers waved off his shot, ruling fractions of a second after the ultimate buzzer sounded.
There are additionally the back-to-back game-winners he hit for the Dallas Mavericks final March — together with one buzzer-beater to sink the Nets.
And then, after all, there are myriad crunch-time pictures Dinwiddie knocked down throughout his first stint with the Nets. He hit a game-winner towards the Los Angeles Lakers two days earlier than the NBA shut down and went on hiatus because of the COVID-19 outbreak. He hit quite a lot of recreation winners towards his former Detroit Pistons crew and got here up massive for the Nets throughout the 2018-19 season in stretches the place each D’Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert missed time attributable to harm.
“You’ve gotta remember, man: I’ve probably seen all phases of the Nets,” he reminisced. “I’ve seen really bad, I’ve seen D-League development, I’ve seen like kinda good, superstars, championship expectations, back to like playoff expectations, gelling group, we’ll see what happens next. Do you go young? Do you stay trying to win now. Like, aye man, any form of the Nets you ask for, I’ve lived it, and I think it’s a pleasure to be back because of that.”
Dinwiddie, nevertheless, is aware of he’s not an NBA celebrity. Why? Because he doesn’t get the respect from officers that stars historically garner constantly.
“I think where you miss the stars is you get the benefit of the doubt, you get calls, you get a little preferential treatment. Stuff like that,” he stated. “Same sort of factor in Dallas: It’s sort of possibly the final 4 or 5 minutes the place you’re gonna miss a star as a result of any bang-bang play or questionable name, a star’s gonna get it each single time simply primarily based off popularity, respect, all that stuff, in order that’s the place we’re gonna must be tremendous sharp.
“But in terms of the ability to make the last shot, I have confidence in most of the guys on this team. Joe [Harris], Cam [Thomas], Cam [Johnson] Mikal [Bridges] — and like I said, most in the league, so tee me up and it’s a bucket.”
Was Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn conscious of Dinwiddie’s title?
“I did not know that,” he stated. “I feel on the finish of the day, it’s going to be a collective group attempting to get us into place to be in a ball recreation within the fourth quarter. And like the opposite night time, Mikal in all probability deserved to shoot the final ball if we wanted one to be shot.
“I’m quite sure Spencer is going to be on that list. We’ve seen Cam Thomas on that list, so it’ll be collective. I don’t know if we can pinpoint–say Spencer is going to shoot every game-winner for us. But it’s good to know he has some stats to back up having his name called.”
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com