Spencer happy to be back, says Nets will love Finney-Smith
Spencer Dinwiddie says he and forward Dorian Finney-Smith might not be the most talented players the Nets could have gotten in exchange for Kyrie Irving.
“But we’re the best-looking,” he joked. “And the Nets needed some help in that department. They drew that line on Spence, and now we’re here.”
The pair of former Dallas Mavericks addressed the media on Tuesday for the first time since the blockbuster deal that sent Irving to Texas. Dinwiddie quickly touched on his five-year history in Brooklyn, followed by contentious offseason contract negotiations resulting in a sign-and-trade to the Washington Wizards.
“I was here five years and it’s the most fun I’ve had in my NBA career,” he said. “Even when I left, I wanted to have a contract here. That’s something I talked about.”
He frequently, however, referenced Finney-Smith as the highlight of the package.
Dinwiddie said the Nets called him and asked about the rugged 3-and-D forward ahead of agreeing to the trade.
“I said, ‘That’s not gonna be a guy you want to lose,’” he said. “He’s a guy who defends one through five, doesn’t care if he shoots one time as long as we win, picks up full court, can guard a big, shoots 40% from three in a normal year; rangy, athletic. I ain’t met a guy he can’t guard outside of me.
“You can argue that I’m the nostalgia play. You can argue that he’s the talent that’s coveted.”
The Nets believe this trade makes them a better and more well-rounded team. Dinwiddie is a 6-foot-5 guard capable of guarding one through three and creating offensively for himself and teammates. Finney-Smith is a known defensive stopper who doubles as a capable three-point shooter.
“I plan on guarding the best player on the court,” he said. “I take the challenge in that. I can guard multiple positions. I can play multiple positions. You ain’t gotta draw up a play for me. I’m gonna find ways to get involved and be aggressive. Just a winning mentality.
“I’m gonna bring that to the team.”
Both Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith were available to play Tuesday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns, but were held out due to a coach’s decision. Head coach Jacque Vaughn told the Daily News after his pregame press conference the team plans to open up it’s practice and shootaround schedule to get the new players acclimated to the game plan. In a season in which the Nets have scrapped shootaround, they plan to potentially bring them back specifically to get Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith up to speed.
“A big part of (holding them out of Tuesday’s game) is I want them to be successful when our fans see them on the floor,” he said. “Those guys go from being on the west coast to get into Dallas from Dallas to the east coast. Physicals yesterday, did physicals today also. So that’s just a lot in a short amount of time. We talked a little bit offense and defense, some terminology, but to throw them out there on the floor, I think that would be unfair.”
For Dinwiddie, this is his second go-round at an attempt to win a championship in Brooklyn.
He was part of the hodgepodge Nets roster built around Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden, but tore the ACL in his right knee three games into the season and missed the entire season. He was subsequently dealt to the Washington Wizards, a stop he said he didn’t enjoy because they weren’t playing winning basketball.
Dinwiddie has now been traded for max players twice: He was included in the deal that sent Russell Westbrook to the Lakers, was the highlight of the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to D.C., and has now been traded for Irving, who is in the final year of a fouryear max deal.
“The business is the business. A superstar is a superstar. He puts butts in the seats, you know what I mean?” he said of Irving. “He’s a great phenomenal player and talent.
“So if they’re saying we feel like this is best value got us now and for the future, that means we must be pretty good, too.”