The good and the bad of Dion Waiters

Dion Waiters is one of the more polarizing players in the NBA. What kind of player will he be for the Miami Heat?

Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Out with D-Wade, in with D-Wait! Although this wasn’t the headline, Dion Waiters does have enormous work in front in him to gain the adulation of the Miami Heat fan base.

With Heat legend Dwyane Wade departing, the shooting guard position represents some enormous shoes to fill. And with a potential replacement in Josh Richardson out for the short-term due to injury, Waiters has a tremendous opportunity.

Team President Pat Riley swooped on Waiters when he became available, after the player decided against taking up his player option in Oklahoma City. He instead signed in South Beach on a two-year, $6 million deal with the second year including a player option. Considering the jump in this seasons salary cap, the deal represents a bargain. 

As Riley stated upon his signing, “Dion is not a Room exception player”.  And as can be seen from the article, Riley is genuinely excited with Waiters’ potential.

Waiters is joining incumbent guards Goran Dragic, Tyler Johnson, Beno Udrih and Richardson. Wayne Ellington is another newcomer adding to this now-crowded backcourt. All possessing different skill sets, these players will clearly take time to mesh.

Waiters has his own skill-set in which the Heat are going to need to both develop and harness. With Dragic now in charge of the offence, Waiters will need to find his his footing and utilise his talents within the structure of the Heat moving forward.

Good Waiters

First of all, Waiters has talent. Being selected fourth overall in a draft consisting of Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Andre Drummond and Bradley Beal clearly demonstrates that you have ability. And considering he didn’t start a single game in his two-year college stint, the upside is clear.

This scouting report leading up to his draft could also be used now, after four seasons in the league. He is most certainly a great athlete, combined with great ball-handling and instant offence.

Waiters has a penchant for producing when presented with legitimate scoring opportunities. His last full season not surrounded by multiple superstars was the 2013-14 season. During that season, this is how he fared and without Kyrie Irving:

2013-14 Season Overall:

70 games; 24 starts; 15.9 points per game; 43.3 percent field goals; 29.6 minutes per game; 26.9 usage rate

Without Irving:

11 games; 8 starts; 21.2 points per game; 42.5 percent field goals; 38 minutes per game; 29.8 usage rate

His last two seasons, however, have seen a drop in his production. He remained with Cleveland for half a season whilst the team was acclimating itself with the return of LeBron James and the acquisition of Kevin Love. From there, he moved to Oklahoma City, where he found himself for the next season and a half playing along superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. To illustrate the drop off, compare last years stats with those listed above:

2015-16 overall

78 games; 15 starts; 9.8 points per game; 39.9 percent field goals; 27.6 minutes per game; 17.7 usage rate

To try and point out his most recent contributions, here is how he performed last season when able to attempt 10 or more field goals:

10 or more field goal attempts:

31 games; 7 starts; 13.9 points per game; 44.7 percent field goals; 31.1 minutes per game;

Most notably, the Oklahoma City were 26-5 during these 31 games.

The video above is a demonstration of Waiters’ capabilities: shooting range, driving to the rim, catch and shoot, running off screens.

The shots created by Westbrook in the video can certainly be re-created by Dragic this coming season. It certainly shows a high level of talent.

Bad Waiters

It is safe to say that Dion Waiters has been highly polarizing since entering the league. His talent, though, has never been in question.

It’s been the general perception that he is fairly immature and does not appear to have the best interests of his team as his priority. Some of the general queries include shot selection, dominating the ball and posturing when he doesn’t receive the ball when he feels he should.

Below is a clip of Waiters’ posturing when not receiving a pass:

Statistically, there are some causes for concern. 2013-14 represented the last season in which Waiters played a key roll throughout.

His usage rate overall that season was 26.9, which ranked 20th in the league. This increased in games played without Kyrie Irving to 29.9, good enough for eighth in the league. Last season, in 31 games when attempting 10 or more field goals, his usage rate was 21.4.

With the Heat looking to put the ball in the hands of Dragic and push the action, these high usage rates certainly raise some concerns. With Chris Bosh pushing for a possible return, and the continued emergence of center Hassan Whiteside, Waiters’ acclimation to the Heat’s offense will be vital.

Further, the fact that this will be Waiters’ third team in just his fifth season in the league gives further credence to the doubts surrounding his status in the league.

The above highlights many of the question marks that often arise with Waiters’ game: shot selection, decision making and poor body language.

Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Worthy acquisition?

Clearly there are some questions that need to be answered regarding Waiters. But he is certainly worth the risk. A short-term, low-cost deal for a player of his pedigree is really a no-brainer.

That being said, Waiters doesn’t represent the prototype of a Pat Riley player. Waiters, after all, is someone who had his teammates call him “Kobe Wade” in college. Having confidence is one thing. But comparing yourself two of the best players ever before even playing in the NBA can certainly be seen as delusional.

This signing is a case of Riley counting on the renowned Heat culture to bring out the best in Waiters. He is going to need to control his usage rate, which historically has been amongst the highest in the league. But it will also be the job of the Heat’s coaching staff to find a way to best utilize the creativity and athleticism that Waiters possesses. Whether this is starting or coming off the bench remains to be seen.

Also, there is a piece of motivation that is shared by both Waiters and the Heat–they were both given up on by LeBron James. Waiters was traded mid-season during James’ return season to Cleveland. James had his fingerprints all over the move, and we all know what happened between James and Miami.

It’s not impossible to think that Riley could have had this in the back of his mind upon signing Waiters. Here is a talented player that LeBron gave up on. Now, let’s see how far we can push him in South Beach, and if we can bring out the best in both player and team as LeBron and the Cavs look to repeat.

With that, both player and team certainly have common ground. It’s just one more interesting subplot to look forward to this season.

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