The Detroit Pistons finally got back in the win column on Tuesday night when they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-99. Before this win the Pistons had lost four straight and things were looking down in Detroit but now they are 6-5 and look to keep the momentum going. One area where the Pistons have struggled mightily this season is at the backup point guard spot which was Steve Blake's job but it seems like Spencer Dinwiddie may be taking that away from him, according to Terry Foster of The Detroit News.
The Pistons drafted Dinwiddie in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft and they liked his size and ability but Stan Van Gundy wasn't sure if he was ready for the backup point guard role. Because of that the Pistons brought in Steve Blake to at the very least compete with Dinwiddie but Van Gundy handed him the spot after playing in just one preseason game because of his experience.
Blake was the backup behind Reggie Jackson for the first nine games but he played terribly (6.0 PER) and Van Gundy knew a change was necessary. Blake's shooting percentages are 28 percent from the field and 24 percent from three and that is not going to cut it. Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers Van Gundy decided to change things up and insert Dinwiddie for a struggling Jackson and he came through. The Pistons lost the game but Dinwiddie scored 17 points and added four assists in 24 minutes.
What Van Gundy has said he wants from his backup point guard is somebody who can initiate the offense and get the ball moving and he was impressed by Dinwiddie's ability to do that in Los Angeles. Dinwiddie also played over Blake on Tuesday night against Cleveland and although he didn't play great in that game he seems to clearly be the better option right now. The 22 year old out of Colorado has appeared in three games so far this season and his PER is more than double Blake's and he is averaging 7.3 points per game.
Van Gundy still has not named Dinwiddie his backup point guard officially saying "we'll see how it goes, we'll see how guys are playing," but based on the way he's been using him recently it would seem as though it is Dinwiddie's job. At 6 foot-6 Dinwiddie has great size which is a big plus for him and his upside is much bigger than Blake's. This might just be temporary for Dinwiddie as Brandon Jennings is working his way back from injury but at least now it seems like he has a shot to impress the coaches and give them no choice but to find him minutes.
