Lakers' Spencer Dinwiddie's cryptic complaint shows he should've joined Mavericks

After the Dallas Mavericks traded Grant Williams, Richaun Holmes, and Seth Curry for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, they had a choice to make.

Dallas traded away three players while only acquiring two, meaning they had an open roster spot to fill for the remainder of the season.

Right when there were flurries that Spencer Dinwiddie could get bought out, the Mavs reportedly showed interest.

Lakers guard Spencer Dinwiddie's complaint shows he should've signed with Mavericks

Dinwiddie would choose to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers or the Mavs, and he ultimately signed with the Lakers despite Dallas being his favorite place he has ever played. He wanted to go somewhere where it was a bit of a tougher challenge, so he chose the Lakers.

After 15 games, it's clear that he made the wrong decision. Dinwiddie is averaging 4.6 points and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 35.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from downtown. His efficiency has been down since being in Los Angeles, and it doesn't sound like he has the role that he thought he was going to have.

When Dinwiddie was talking to reporters earlier this week, it seemed like his role may not have been as big as he once expected. In a story by Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, he dives into Dinwiddie's comments about his role and what exactly they mean. Woike never suggested he thought Dinwiddie was complaining, but you can be the judge of how he feels about his role in Los Angeles.

"As you see, some games it’s 0-for-3, some games it’s three-for-three," Dinwiddie said. "So, sometimes, in terms of the sexy stuff, it’s hard to glean anything from that."

Dinwiddie says that it's hard to pull anything from his games with these limited shots, but later explains that he makes his impact felt by doing the little things. He later compares himself to Reggie Bullock, and that puts things into perspective even more.

"Like I said, it is technically foreign for me from what I’ve done in my career," Dinwiddie said. "I feel so sometimes like I’m in a Reggie Bullock role getting graded on a Spencer scale sometimes. Where as on a Reggie Bullock scale — no shot, again, that’s my dog, like I said, he was great for us — I feel like I’m doing really well. On a Spencer scale, obviously, I’m doing [poor]. But like, I’m also not in that Spencer position either, you feel me?"

Dinwiddie stated that he knew he wouldn't be having as big of a role, but his next comment shows that he knows how good he can be, and it's obvious he can't be that type of player in Los Angeles with the current role he has. Bullock was a key piece for the Mavs during the 2022 Western Conference Finals run, but he and Dinwiddie are completely different players.

Dinwiddie obviously understands this, but says he is getting graded as if he is in a "Spencer role" when he is really in a role that Bullock would play. This is a harsh reality for someone as skilled as Dinwiddie.

"When I was co-starting with Luka, we were like the fourth, fifth seed in the West, you know," Dinwiddie said. "Like, I’m one of them guys. Let’s not get it twisted. But I also understand being a part of a bigger unit."

Dinwiddie is showing extreme confidence here, and if he had come to Dallas, things would have gone much differently. Lakers fans have already soured on him and he would have been much better off if he joined the Mavericks.

His role would have been much bigger, he'd be in a better spot to contend for a title, and he'd be coming into a situation that he was already familiar with. As he stated, he knows he was a great fit with Luka Doncic and this fit could have been utilized if he made the simple decision of coming to Dallas.

For the Mavs, Dinwiddie would likely be the lead guard off the bench, and he could have a chance to make a deep playoff run if they keep playing well. The Mavericks have won three games in a row, and with their new and improved defense, the sky is the limit.

Woike believes that Dinwiddie has been accepting of his smaller role in Los Angeles, but his comments that have been dissected above may say otherwise.

For all the latest on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks for the remainder of the season, stay tuned.

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