"He’s got the entire package" - Spencer Dinwiddie on Kevin Durant’s exceptional scoring versatility and skills as a 7'2" guard
Spencer Dinwiddie, who played for the Brooklyn Nets alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving during the 2020-21 season, spoke highly about the duo in a recent interview. Quentin Richardson of the Knuckleheads podcast, picked the right person to get an inside scoop on practicing with the duo.
Dinwiddie, by virtue of previously being on the Brooklyn Nets' roster, had a lot of time to scrimmage and play one-on-ones with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
What is it like playing @KDTrey5 & @KyrieIrving in games of 1-on-1? @SDinwiddie_25 breaks it down from 1st hand experience. Ep is live now! @PlayersTribune #KnuckleHeadsPodcast ✊🏾😎✊🏾 https://t.co/PAOWDv22XN
Spence Dinwiddie currently plays with the Washington Wizards after being traded by the Brooklyn Nets in the off-season. He had a short 2020-21 season in which he played only three games, after partially tearing the ACL in his right knee.
Quentin Richardson posed a question to Dinwiddie, asking him about playing one-on-ones with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, to which he was quick to respond. He first spoke about Kyrie, saying:
“Kyrie’s probably the most skilled basketball player that I’ve ever seen. You got to use certain advantages that you have at the time. As long as you stay a little solid, make sure he don’t put you on skates, which is a hard thing to do – cause best handles ever. You contest high, you contest a little late and hope he miss.”
Kyrie Irving arrived at the Brooklyn Nets for the 2019-20 season when his co-star Kevin Durant was out with an Achilles injury. After returning, Kevin Durant looked as though he had never suffered one of the most devastating injuries possible for an athlete.
In his first season back from injury, Durant averaged 26.9 points and played 33 minutes per game. Spencer Dinwiddie, when asked about the one-on-one match-up with Kevin Durant, said:
“So, that’s the difficult one. Especially like with the way he shoots. If you really look closely, it’s almost like – obviously Lonzo was supper exaggerated right? But he does kind of bring it to the left and then brings it over his head and obviously he’s 7-foot. So, I mean shoot, you try your best.”
One year ago today, @KDTrey5 & Chuck broke the internet 😂
https://t.co/VW2zg4NnYw
Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets have enjoyed a strong start to the 2021-22 NBA season
Kevin Durant is hands-down one of the best shooters in the league. He can score from anywhere on the field and is almost un-guardable. Kevin Durant leads the league in scoring with 29.7 points per game in the 2021-22 season.
He recorded a season-high 51 points in a win against the Detroit Pistons, making 16 field goals. Spencer Dinwiddie added to Kevin Durant's praise, saying:
"Depending on how you view basketball, in terms of scoring versatility from like paint, mid-range, three, deep threes, etc., like nah, like he's [Kevin Durant] got the entire package and he's really a 7-foot two guard."
Quentin Richardson then points out how Kevin Durant might not even see Dinwiddie while taking a jumper, to which Dinwiddie replied saying:
“No, and the other cold part about this is he [Kevin Durant] kicks his leg out. So like you talking about seven-foot, slight fake, kick the leg – no, you’re not even there. You gotta try to do your work early, because once he gets to his shot, if you can’t stop it, then he don’t see you. So that’s how I took my only one on one loss.”
Kevin Durant missed the last Brooklyn Nets fixture after being placed in the league’s COVID-19 protocols. His performances so far this season have rightfully put him in the MVP discussion, alongside former teammate Stephen Curry.
Kevin Durant has played the biggest role in the Brooklyn Nets’ strong start to the campaign and will be waiting to get back on the court.