Pistons happy with Dinwiddie, but he has to make shots

There's a lot to like about Detroit Pistons rookie point guard Spencer Dinwiddie. He takes good shots and makes decent decisions, he's just not making baskets.

Dinwiddie, the former Colorado star, has seen more minutes of late and played strongly in the second half of this week's games against Memphis and Philadelphia.

But his shooting is letting him down, says Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy.

"Shooting 29%, under 20% for three -- that's certainly not good enough to win games," Van Gundy said after practice today, in preparation for Saturday's game against the Chicago Bulls at the Palace of Auburn Hills (7:30 p.m., FSD).

Dinwiddie will play in the Orlando summer league, along with Quincy Miller, this off-season. He'll no doubt get plenty of time to work on his game, particularly shooting three-pointers.

Van Gundy can see progress in Dinwiddie, who is a big guard at 6-feet-6 and 200 pounds.

"His composure, his poise on the floor, his ability to handle pressure -- it's all been good," Van Gundy said. "But he's got to get the ball in the basket. You can do a lot of things well, but when you are shooting 29% and 18% for three, it's almost impossible to say you are playing well."

Dinwiddie believes he is getting better each time he plays.

"I think I'm going pretty well, for the most part," Dinwiddie said. "It's all about being comfortable. … For me, I start to feel the game as it goes on. It's all a learning experience."

Contact Mike Brudenell: mbrudenell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mikebrudenell.