Dinwiddie gets the start ... That’s the good news

With D’Angelo Russell out, Spencer Dinwiddie is set to start his first game of the 2017-18 NBA season …Against LeBron James, who started at point guard for the first time on Tuesday. The Cavaliers came away with a win. The King finished with 34 points and 13 assists.

Does it matter that James is lining-up at point guard as opposed to one of the forward slots?

Nope, according to head coach Kenny Atkinson.

“He can start at any position and it will impact us defensively,” said Atkinson.

Atkinson said on multiple occasions that the injury to Russell isn’t serious, and he is day-to-day, opening the door for Dinwiddie for the time being.

The Nets will begin with Dinwiddie, but perhaps others, like Isaiah Whitehead or even Caris LeVert, will see some action at point.

“We can handle it with different guys. We’ll have to do it more by committee,” said Atkinson, pre-game.

So far this season, Dinwiddie has filled the back-up point guard slot well, averaging 7.3 points, 4.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game.

Although he’s been noticeably more aggressive offensively, he is only shooting 35.5% from the field, and 30% from three.

Dinwiddie is coming off a 6-point, 4-assist performance in Orlando, where the Nets barely lost on Tuesday night, and his signature performance this season came against the same club four days earlier, a 16-point, 5-assist and 2-steal outing in the Nets’ first victory of the season.

Last year, when the Nets played point guard by committee, Dinwiddie started in 18 of his 59 appearances. In those 18 starts, Dinwiddie put up 8.2 points and 3.6 assists per contest.

But none were against LeBron.

A few weeks ago, Atkinson had told reporters that he expects a break-out season from Dinwiddie.

Tonight will serve as a good challenge for that proclamation.