Spencer Dinwiddie Knows His Impact On Our Team

NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn has known guard Spencer Dinwiddie since the two started their first season with the Nets in the 2016-2017 season when Dinwiddie was in his third season in the NBA and Vaughn was in his sixth season as a coach. Both guys developed a relationship during Dinwiddie’s first stint in Brooklyn that lasted five seasons before he became a member of the Washington Wizards. There’s one thing that Vaughn is sure of when it comes to his lead guard.

“I think he’s cognizant of the impact that he has on our team,” Vaughn said after Thursday’s 101-96 loss to the Sacramento Kings when asked if Dinwiddie’s frustration with the officials can be distracting for the team at times. Thursday was another example of Dinwiddie being frustrated with the referees for what he feels is fouls that should have been called so that he can get to the free-throw line. “And, we need every point. So, whether he gets a technical or not, we still need every point,” Vaughn said. Dinwiddie has seven technical fouls this season as he is a player who knows how much to push the officials without getting punished.

Dinwiddie has previously spoken about not getting enough fouls called for as often as he drives the basketball which is 11.7 times per game. “So, I’ll say that to him, which I had before. And, I think he’s smart enough to know what to say to the referees at the time of the game also. So, I’m gonna support him. I want him to continue to put himself in the position to be aggressive for us. And hopefully, we’ll continue to be on the good side of the referees going forward,” Vaughn continued. Dinwiddie has been trying to put pressure on the rim as often as possible so that he can create opportunities for his teammates. He’ll try to do so again against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.