Washington Wizards guard Spencer Dinwiddie recorded his first career triple-double Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers. Dinwiddie had 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to help lead the Wizards to a 106-103 win over the 76ers.
The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Wizards, who won without its star guard Bradley Beal. Beal is out at least four games with a wrist injury.
Dinwiddie, who signed a three-year, $54 million deal this past offseason, has been unable to mesh with Beal on the court. Dinwiddie has also struggled on the court as he returned from a torn ACL suffered in 2020 while with the Brooklyn Nets.
There had been speculation about his struggles. Some attributed his struggles to his injury. Others pointed to his fit with Beal on the court. All of which spilled over recently.
A report surfaced that the Wizards wanted Dinwiddie to sit out the first 15 games to heal from his ACL tear. He refused. Saturday following a blowout loss, Dinwiddie ruffled feathers when he said his leadership wasn’t welcomed by some of his Wizards teammates.
A couple of days later, it was reported the Wizards are looking to trade Dinwiddie even before his first season is over. Teammates want him out of the locker room.
As the tension boils, Dinwiddie had his best game in two weeks. He did struggle shooting the ball. He made 4-of-16 shots from the field. But, he was active and showed the aggression on the floor that has been consistently absent throughout the season.
It’s been hard for Dinwiddie to be aggressive. He is coming back from a knee injury. Also with Beal on the floor with him, Dinwiddie doesn’t have the ball in his hands as much as he’d like or may need to be himself.
Wednesday’s performance in Philadelphia was at least a glimpse of what Dinwiddie can do. Now, how that shapes the Wizards’ plans remains to be seen. It at the very least improved his trade stock some.
