Spencer Dinwiddie will be sidelined for the next month and a half. Brooklyn’s sixth-man will require surgery on his injured right thumb.
The Brooklyn Nets season continues to be challenged by injuries.
Spencer Dinwiddie has been battling pain in his right thumb for the last two weeks. After some debate over next steps between Dinwiddie and his team, it appears that a decision has been made.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski, Dinwiddie will be shut down for the foreseeable future to repair multiple torn ligaments in that right thumb. Dinwiddie visited two specialists; both of whom recommended the surgery.
Dinwiddie was in the midst of a breakout season. He was a 6th Man of the Year candidate thanks to his leading reserve statistics.
Most recently, Dinwiddie dropped 29 points off the bench during Wednesday’s 114-110 victory against the Orlando Magic. Dinwiddie looked his normal self. He hit tough, off-balance runners as well as some scorching heat-check three-pointers.
However, over the last month, Dinwiddie has been in a bit of a slump. He’s shot well below his normal average from around the rim and has seemed out of sorts.
Originally, I theorized that his decline in play was a result of Kenny Atkinson’s changing rotations. However, the evidence of this thumb injury offers a more realistic cause for the slip in numbers.
Brooklyn will be forced to rely upon third-string guard, Shabazz Napier, to replace Dinwiddie’s scoring.
They may continue to invest playing time in recent G-League call-up, Theo Pinson, who dropped 19 points against the New York Knicks on Friday.
