Spencer Dinwiddie Rumors | Hoops Rumors

New York Notes: Dinwiddie, LeVert, Knox, Ntilikina

March 1st, 2019 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets are looking forward to having three of their most productive players together for the stretch run, writes Mike Mazzeo of The New York Post. Spencer Dinwiddie will return to action tonight after thumb surgery sidelined him for about a month. The trio of Dinwiddie, D’Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert, who recently came back after missing three months with a dislocated right foot, have only been on the court together for 90 minutes all season.

“D’Lo is obviously playing at a high level. Caris is working his way back into form,” Dinwiddie said. “They’re going to do what they do, and our focus and our sights are set on the playoffs and trying to win as many games as possible, trying to be that team that not only makes it but strikes a little fear into some of those top seeds’ heart.”

Dinwiddie will be available for back-to-back games, coach Kenny Atkinson said, but his minutes will be limited at first and will gradually increase. The Nets were 6-8 while he was injured.

There’s more NBA news out of New York:

LeVert doesn’t want to blame the injury for the struggles he has encountered since returning, Mazzeo relays in a separate story. The Nets guard was off to a career-best start before getting hurt, averaging 18.4 PPG in his first 14 games. In the seven games since coming back, his scoring has dropped to 8.9 PPG. “Three months is a long time to be out, but I don’t want to put it all on the injury,” LeVert said. “I feel like I could have had better energy and defensively and maybe sparked something offensively. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it was.”
Knicks rookies Mitchell Robinson and Allonzo Trier continue to exceed expectations, but first-round pick Kevin Knox‘s shooting woes are concerning, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Knox has hit just 5-of-28 shots in his last two games, continuing a problem that caused him to lose a starting job in the preseason. “I want him to stay aggressive,” coach David Fizdale said. “We’re not going to get caught up in the percentages right now. He’s taking shots he can make. So keep taking them.’’
After missing more than a month with a strained groin, Frank Ntilikina may return during a three-game road trip, Berman adds in another story. Ntilikina could be cleared for practice tomorrow, which would mark the first time he has played alongside Dennis Smith Jr. Ntilikina had taken over the Knicks‘ starting point guard role before being sidelined, but that position now belongs to Smith.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/28/19

February 28th, 2019 at 9:33pm CST by JD Shaw

Here are Thursday’s assignments and recalls from across the NBA G League:

The Nets assigned Spencer Dinwiddie and Jared Dudley to their G League team in Long Island, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Dinwiddie (thumb) is expected to return tomorrow against the Hornets.
The Hornets have assigned guard Dwayne Bacon to the Greensboro Swarm, general manager Mitch Kupchak announced. Bacon has appeared in 25 games with Charlotte this season, holding per-game averages of 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 10.6 minutes.
The Grizzlies assigned Jevon Carter to the Memphis Hustle, G League affiliate of the team, according to a tweet from the club’s PR department. Carter was drafted by Memphis with the No. 32 pick last June.
The Hawks assigned guard Jordan Sibert to the Erie Bayhawks, the team announced in a press release. Sibert, 26, has yet to appear in a game with Atlanta this season.
The Jazz have assigned center Tony Bradley to the Salt Lake Stars, announcing the news in a press release today. Bradley has seen action in 17 games with the Stars this season, scoring 13.6 points per contest.

Atlantic Notes: Dinwiddie, C’s, Baynes, Knicks

February 28th, 2019 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

As they fight to hang onto the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, the Nets will get some rotation reinforcements this week. According to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (via Twitter), head coach Kenny Atkinson said today that injured guard Spencer Dinwiddie is set to return to the court for Brooklyn on Friday.

Dinwiddie, who last played for the Nets on January 23, underwent surgery a month ago to repair torn ligaments in his right thumb. At the time, the estimated timeline for his recovery was three to six weeks, so he’s ready to get back right in the middle of that window.

Dinwiddie and veteran forward Jared Dudley were assigned to the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, today in order to get some practice time in, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Both players are expected to suit up for the NBA club on Friday vs. Charlotte.

Here are a few more items from around the Atlantic:

While Danny Ainge acknowledged during a Toucher & Rich radio appearance on Thursday that “everybody has some fault” in the Celtics‘ struggles this year, the club’s president of basketball operations offered a strong defense of his head coach. “There’s blame to share for everybody, but I will say this: He’s the least, by far, of anybody that there is to blame,” Ainge said of Brad Stevens (link via Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston).
Aron Baynes, who has been sidelined with a left foot injury since the start of February, appears to be almost ready to play, Stevens said on Wednesday, per Taylor Snow of Celtics.com. “I would say that Friday is unlikely,” Stevens said of Baynes’ return date. “But beyond that, I think he could play any time in the days after that depending on how he comes out of (Wednesday’s) workout.”
Knicks fans – including Spike Lee – may be happy to see the team embrace the tank and improve their draft lottery position, but losing games isn’t head coach David Fizdale‘s goal the rest of the way, as Steve Popper of Newsday writes. “I’m lucky because Steve [Mills] and Scott [Perry] and Mr. [James] Dolan have all said to me, you play every game to win and you don’t worry about where we land in the draft and all of that stuff,” Fizdale said.
Although the Sixers are missing a couple big men and have Justin Patton for Thursday’s game, the young center probably won’t play, head coach Brett Brown told reporters today (video link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). We had more on Patton and the 76ers in an earlier round-up.

Injury Updates: Howard, Capela, Dinwiddie, Hayward

February 20th, 2019 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards‘ big free agent signing of the 2018 offseason hasn’t worked out as planned so far, as health issues have limited Dwight Howard to just nine games this season. However, Howard – who underwent surgery on his spine in November, appears to be making progress toward a return.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter), Howard is scheduled to return to Washington today to begin on-court work. With the Wizards’ playoff hopes on life support, the team could use the veteran center back in its lineup to provide rebounding and low-post scoring down the stretch. As Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington notes though, it’s still not clear whether Howard is ready to participate in full practices or when he might be able to play in a game.

Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

Rockets center Clint Capela returned to practice on Tuesday after missing 15 games with a thumb injury, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. According to MacMahon, Capela is on track to get back in Houston’s lineup on Thursday, assuming he doesn’t have any setbacks this week.
Spencer Dinwiddie, who continues to recover from a thumb injury of his own, still doesn’t have a set timeline for his return, according to Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson. As Brian Lewis of The New York Post details, Atkinson wouldn’t confirm that he expects Dinwiddie back on the court for Brooklyn’s upcoming 17-day road trip, which begins on March 13.
Gordon Hayward twisted his ankle in a Tuesday workout, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said today to reporters, including Adam Kaufman of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter link). While that sounds like concerning news on the surface, particularly given Hayward’s strong recent play, Kaufman notes that the injury is to the forward’s right ankle, not his surgically repaired left ankle. He’s considered day-to-day.

Nets Notes: Russell, Kurucs, Musa, Marks

February 17th, 2019 at 9:02pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

As Brian Lewis points out for The New York Post, Nets GM Sean Marks didn’t offer D’Angelo Russell a contract extension in October mainly because he wanted to see if the young point guard could prove himself to be a go-to option and leader. So far, so good on that end as Russell has stayed healthy this season and is averaging career highs of 20.3 points and 6.6 assists per game going into his first All-Star game appearance.

Russell has been the leading force on a Nets team that is surpassing expectations, having already won more games (30) than they did all of last season (28). Russell’s improvements have coincided with steady improvement from Joe Harris, Jarrett Allen, and Spencer Dinwiddie, with veterans and rookies contributing in other spots as well.

The Nets will now look to build on their strong record and claim their first playoff spot since 2015, as Russell will look to lead the way and play his way into a big contract this summer.

There’s more on the Nets:

Although Dzanan Musa‘s rookie season has been impacted by several injuries, his agent expressed that the Nets have been pleased with his development, as NetsDaily reported earlier this week.
Amidst a strong rookie season, Rodions Kurucs spoke about how his game and style of play differs from that of his fellow Latvian Kristaps Porzingis, as Marc Berman detailed for The New York Post.
In a recent New York Notes post, we explored how Marks viewed the Nets’ trade deadline in which they acquired (and then subsequently waived) Greg Monroe, as well as how it impacted their roster.

Atlantic Notes: Brand, Nets, Atkinson, Irving

February 10th, 2019 at 5:45pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

After years and years of asset collection and patience being the primary focus of the Sixers‘ plans, Elton Brand has dramatically changed the team’s course of action in a few months. First it was trading for Jimmy Butler. Then this past week, Brand took it to another level by trading several future assets for Tobias Harris, effectively creating a “big four” in Philadelphia.

These moves were made because Brand’s mindset is that the Sixers are in a position to contend for a championship right now. As Brian Seltzer writes for the 76ers’ team website, Brand is acting with a sense of urgency and focus on building a true championship team this season.

Should the 76ers re-sign both Harris and Butler, the team would instantly become one of the more expensive in the league, but Brand should be satisfied with the group of talent he has assembled for the foreseeable future.

There’s more from the Atlantic division:

The Nets are finally getting healthy. While Spencer Dinwiddie will remain out for several weeks, the team has recently added Allen Crabbe and Caris LeVert back into the mix, which means there are new challenges to figure out when it comes to playing time and opportunities, as Brian Lewis analyzes for The New York Post.
A key reason for the Nets‘ success this season has been the development of D’Angelo Russell. Brian Lewis of The New York Post details the relationship that Russell has developed with head coach Kenny Atkinson.
The Celtics received some good news regarding Kyrie Irving, as the team announced (via Twitter) that he is only day-to-day with a strained right knee.

Nets Notes: Napier, A. Davis, Creek

January 30th, 2019 at 5:24pm CST by Austin Kent

The Nets have a big vacancy to fill until Spencer Dinwiddie gets back from a thumb injury in March and will give third-string point guard Shabazz Napier the opportunity to do so. As Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes, Napier has already seen his role increase.

Napier has scored over 18 points in each of his last three matchups and established himself as a potent downhill threat that Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson plans on utilizing in pick-and-roll situations.

Another option for Atkinson with Dinwiddie sidelined is two-way guard Theo Pinson. Pinson made a splash in his first taste of extensive action but will need to polish his jump shot if he hopes to be more than a glue guy.

There’s more out of Brooklyn:

The Nets are quietly confident that they could convince Anthony Davis to re-sign should they end up with him on their roster ahead of his 2020 free agency, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes, but that doesn’t mean going out and acquiring him is the franchise’s best move. The Nets, Lewis says, wouldn’t likely be able to trade for Davis without decimating their young core.
After playing professionally in Australia since 2010, Mitch Creek decided to sign a G League contract in hopes of earning himself an an NBA contract. That gamble paid off this week when the 26-year-old made his debut with the Nets after signing a 10-day contract. “If I played this entire G League season and didn’t get a call up then nothing changes. I’d be proud and I could go home with my head held high. Now it’s just the icing on the cake right now,” Creek told Tom Dowd of the Nets’ official site.
It’s been a breakout fourth season for Nets guard D’Angelo Russell and much of the credit for that goes to Brooklyn’s head coach Kenny Atkinson. “I give him a lot of credit for the teaching moments,” Russel said, per an Associated Press report. “My knowledge and IQ has really rose to another level just from learning from my mistakes and him breaking it down and us [dissecting] the film together.” Russell is averaging a career best 19.5 points per game and has put himself firmly in the All-Star reserve conversation.

Spencer Dinwiddie Undergoes Thumb Surgery

January 28th, 2019 at 6:15pm CST by marksuleymanov

JANUARY 28th, 6:15pm: Dinwiddie underwent surgery on Monday, according to a team press release.

JANUARY 26th, 4:25pm: Dinwiddie is expected to miss three to six weeks after the operation, Wojnarowski writes in a full story. Shabazz Napier will take over most of the minutes while Dinwiddie is sidelined.

10:30am: Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie will undergo surgery on Monday to repair torn ligaments in his right thumb, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. After meeting with a pair of specialists, the surgical route was recommended and Dinwiddie will be sidelined for three to six weeks, per Wojnarowski.

We relayed on Thursday that Dinwiddie suffered the thumb injury and was evaluating the need for surgery. Head coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters Friday that Dinwiddie needed surgery but did not rule out the possibility of the veteran guard playing through the injury. However, Atkinson noted the injury occurred two months ago and became progressively worse.

Dinwiddie, 25, had been a prime contender for the Sixth Man of the Year award thus far. In 49 games (four starts), he has averaged 17.2 PPG, 5.0 APG and 2.5 RPG over 28.6 minutes.

Brooklyn signed Dinwiddie to a three-year extension last month amid a torrid stretch for the Nets. After winning their past six games, the Nets (27-23) occupy sixth place in the Eastern Conference are one win shy of tying their total from last season. Barring any setbacks, Dinwiddie should return before the end of the regular season and help Brooklyn solidify a playoff spot.

Spencer Dinwiddie Needs Thumb Surgery

January 25th, 2019 at 6:31pm CST by JD Shaw

JANUARY 25th, 6:31pm: Dinwiddie will require surgery but it’s unknown when it will occur and how long he’ll be out, according to an Associated Press report.

JANUARY 24th, 4:46pm: Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has suffered torn ligaments in his right thumb and is evaluating the need for surgery, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link).

The team is listing Dinwiddie as questionable to play against New York on Friday, confirming that he’s being evaluated for a thumb injury on social media. It’s unclear when he suffered the injury, with the 25-year-old currently in the best season of his career.

Brooklyn is dealing with several key injuries as they look to keep their five-game win streak alive, including Caris LeVert (right foot), Jared Dudley (right hamstring strain), Allen Crabbe (sore right knee) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (left shoulder strain). Hollis-Jefferson joins Dinwiddie as questionable to play in Friday’s game.

Dinwiddie, a top candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award, has averaged 17.2 points, five assists and 28.6 minutes with the Nets this season. At 26-23, Brooklyn holds the No. 6 seed in the East nearly three weeks ahead of All-Star Weekend.

Nets Notes: Russell, Dinwiddie, Durant, LeVert

January 19th, 2019 at 7:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets started winning when D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie figured out how to work together, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn’s point guards had an uneasy relationship early in the season, which left coach Kenny Atkinson reluctant to put them on the court at the same time. But with them working in tandem, the Nets have the league’s best record since December 7 at 16-5.

“Now they’re accepting their roles,” DeMarre Carroll said. “Those two are the head of the snake; they’re going to take us as far as we go. They finally realized that and understand they’re not in competition with each other anymore. They can do it collectively. One guy can have one night, and the other guy can have the other night. Or they can do it both together. But that’s maturity. They’re finally growing up, and you can see them maturing on and off the court.”

There may have been a financial component to their competitiveness. Russell is headed toward restricted free agency this summer after not getting an extension in the fall, while Dinwiddie signed a three-year, $34MM extension last month.

There’s more news from Brooklyn:

Dinwiddie plans to appeal to Kevin Durant to join the Nets in free agency this summer, relays Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Brooklyn will have enough cap space to offer Durant a maximum contract and could get close to two max offers by trading Allen Crabbe for an expiring deal and renouncing the rights to Russell.
Caris LeVert had a promising workout yesterday, but team officials are refusing to comment on when he might return, Lewis relays in another story. LeVert hasn’t played since suffering a dislocation in his right foot on November 12. “I’m not going to speculate,” Atkinson said. “I don’t want to give you something and be wrong. That’s the last thing I want to do. No specific update. [He’s] progressing. I know he had another great workout [Friday]. That’s as far as my medical background goes, but progressing nicely.”
Kenneth Faried was waived this morning after agreeing to a buyout, just three weeks after Atkinson complimented him on the way he has handled minimal playing time. “He’s been fantastic,” Atkinson said at the time. “It’s weird, some guys, they check out. He hasn’t.” Acquired from Denver in an offseason trade, Faried appeared in just 12 games for the Nets, averaging 9.8 minutes per night.