Kyrie Irving put up some outstanding numbers in 2019-20 — when he played, of course. As much as his averages of 27.4 points, 6.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game altogether made for an impressive line, the Brooklyn Nets point guard only played in 20 games throughout this unfinished NBA season.
Spencer Dinwiddie, on the other hand, played in every game throughout 2019-20. Even though he averaged fewer points (20.6), rebounds (3.5) and steals (0.6) per game — he averaged 6.8 assists per game, edging out Irving — Dinwiddie had to show up every single night and maintain his level of play.
Even though Irving is the better player, Dinwiddie was asked to do more this year while the superstar guard battled a shoulder injury that eventually led to surgery.
All of this is why Bleacher Report‘s list of the top 15 point guards in the NBA in 2019-20 (who had to log at least 500 minutes) seemed a bit off. Both Nets point guards made the list, but Dinwiddie crept in at No. 15, whereas Irving was ranked No. 5 because.
Why was Irving so high? Here’s the start of Andy Bailey and Dan Favale‘s explanation:
The benefit of the doubt has assured Kyrie Irving a relatively high finish. And yes, he deserves it.
Meanwhile, Dinwiddie had “an offensive rating swing that ranked in the 97th percentile,” which somehow landed him 11 spots behind Irving.