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When the Mavericks and Suns met in the Western Conference semifinals last year, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dallas wanted to make sure their matchups stayed away from Mikal Bridges. They tried to get Phoenix’s star away from primary ball-handlers and switched onto other players.
That experience playing against Bridges makes Dinwiddie, as well as former Mavericks and current Nets teammate Dorian Finney-Smith, eager to see how all of that talent can translate onto the same court now that Bridges has joined them in Brooklyn. The Nets’ offense might not have the same firepower it did before the NBA trade deadline, but their defense — at least on paper — has the potential to be a deeper and stronger unit than it was as recently as last week.
The Nets already have added Finney-Smith and Dinwiddie. Bridges, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, could join the rotation Saturday. Head coach Jacque Vaughn doesn’t know what the defensive ceiling will be yet, and Dinwiddie knows there’s still a lot to wait and see about.
