Brunson’s departure presents huge opportunity for Dinwiddie

The writing had been on the wall for months — Jalen Brunson was destined to ditch the Dallas Mavericks for Madison Square Garden. A family reunion to the tune of $104 million was hard to turn down, even if it meant giving up a chance to compete for a title alongside one of this generation’s basketball megastars in Luka Doncic.

Although his presence will be missed, the Mavericks are the deepest they’ve been since Doncic was drafted, lining a roster with 3-point marksmen, athletic bigs and defense-oriented role players. Dallas was active through the offseason, acquiring Houston’s Christian Wood for pennies on the dollar and three-time champion JaVale McGee to shore up the frontcourt.

Still, the second guard position next to Doncic is up for grabs and there’s one man who’s best positioned to take a step forward in his first full year with the franchise.

Spencer Dinwiddie is the Mavericks’ key to overcoming the Brunson loss.

Smooth as silk with the ball in his hands, 29-year-old combo guard Spencer Dinwiddie knows how to make his presence felt. A rangy guard with excellent passing accuracy and a buttery jumper, Dinwiddie has made an instant impact whenever healthy through the last five seasons of his career. Somewhat of a late bloomer in the league, Dinwiddie is far from a household name, but he’s also the type of player who teammates feel comfortable going to war with in the postseason.

With the Mavericks, Brunson was primarily a secondary facilitator and shot creator next to Doncic, but when the star headed to the bench for some rest, it was Brunson’s show. That’s when his pick-and-roll reps went through the roof, clearing the way for some impressive finishing or passing out to rotating shooters and rolling big men. It’s a function that perfectly fits his ability and empowered him as a shot creator to such a degree that he earned a historic contract for a second-round draft pick.

This job now turns over to Dinwiddie, who is perfectly suited to link the bench and starters as a high-usage facilitator and shot creator. His career percentages may not show it, but Dinwiddie is a skilled scorer at all three levels who can…