WASHINGTON -- Spencer Dinwiddie, the Washington Wizards' point guard, is following in the footsteps of some very talented players. This is a position that has been occupied for most of the last two decades by Russell Westbrook and John Wall. Gilbert Arenas also played this role."I'm not Gilbert John Russ. "Those are all very interesting people," Dinwiddie stated Monday. "You have some of the most talented players, Russ is one of the greatest players ever to play triple-doubles. Gilbert is one of the greatest scorers of all-time. John is another great point guard. He had a long run that you could argue was his best.While Dinwiddie admitted that he has not yet reached the NBA's superstar level, he is excited to work with Bradley Beal to help the Wizards continue their journey after Westbrook was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Dinwiddie signed terms with Washington, and was eventually traded to the Wizards as part of the same huge trade that sent Westbrook to Los Angeles.Dinwiddie, a second-round draft selection who worked his way up the NBA ranks, now faces major expectations. Even though he insists that he will be a different player from Westbrook, Wall, and Arenas,"I believe I'll be D.C.'s first point guard to lobby senators for Bitcoin. Dinwiddie stated that we can agree with that. But in all seriousness, my style of play differs from theirs. As I mentioned, I appreciate everything they did. But what I want to be remembered for is winning. That's what my goal is to bring to the franchise.Last season, Dinwiddie, 6'5" and 5 1/2 inches tall, played in just three games for the Brooklyn Nets. In December, he was injured in a partially torn right anterior cruciate ligament. However, he stated that he expected to return to the starting line-up for the upcoming season. He averaged 20.6 points per game for the Nets in the 2019-20 season. This was a record-setting performance.Dinwiddie's move was part a busy offseason of point guards. Kyle Lowry was traded to the Miami Heat and Lonzo Ball joined the Chicago Bulls.Dinwiddie stated that Russ was Washington's domino. "I felt that I should be second on the board. Kyle has won a championship and I knew I was going to get a near-max contract. It was a good decision. It seemed that it was obvious that I was third because Lonzo went on to Chicago.The Wizards now have Dinwiddie and Beal in their backcourt -- though Beal's future has been the subject of much speculation."Obviously, I spoke with him, but obviously he is his own man, and his decisions and actions are his own. Dinwiddie stated that he cannot talk about his plans and what he will do. "I believe that we are both open to taking a small bet on one another and trying to achieve something special right now. We can only focus on the present, and plans may change. But we are here now and have a very special chance.
