INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- When a report surfaced Saturday about a confrontational players-only meeting involving the Cavaliers, all fingers pointed at Dion Waiters.
After all, Waiters had missed both weekend games. The Cavs said it was because of an illness. The world said it must have been because of something else.
Of course, the world couldn’t be too sure. After all, no one who sat in on the players meeting reported the story.
So one of the guys who was actually in the room tried to clarify things Monday from the Cavs’ practice facility.
“I know what happened,” Waiters said. “That's some people's job just to think stuff happened that didn't.”
Waiters said he suffered a cold last week but was feeling better. He went through a full practice Monday and joked with teammate Alonzo Gee while the two took part in shooting drills. Waiters will be available for Wednesday’s home game against Washington.
The players-only meeting took place after the Cavs’ 29-point loss at Minnesota. Kyrie Irving called the meeting, and according to Waiters, it gave the Cavs an opportunity to do a little venting. Irving, Waiters, C.J. Miles and Tristan Thompson all got the chance to speak, Waiters said.
“Nobody got into no altercations or anything like that,” Waiters said. “We got everything off our chests that we needed to. That's that. All the other rumors, man, are rumors. Don't believe it. It's not true. We talked. Everybody talked. Nobody put their hands on nobody.”
Waiters is in his second NBA season. He played in the Cavs’ first nine games and is averaging 13.3 points on 40 percent shooting, along with 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
The only real news involving Waiters to emerge is he may come off the bench (behind Miles) when the Cavs return to action.
“I’m not sure,” Cavs coach Mike Brown. “I’ve put guys in and out of the lineup. I may start him, I may not. I’m still searching.”
Like most anyone, Waiters would probably prefer to start. Especially since it's been his role for most of his two seasons.
“That's out of my hands,” he said. “The only thing I can do is come prepared … start, coming off the bench, whatever it is, whatever I've got to do to help this team win.”
And the only time Waiters will become confrontational in the NBA, he said, is if someone messes with someone in a Cavs uniform -- and not in meetings with his comrades.
“I'd rather fight somebody else on the other team than one of my teammates,” he said. “That's the way it is. That's the way I was brought up. I feel as (if) we say we're family, then we're a family and I'm going to look out for you to the best of my abilities. All the other stuff is foolishness.”
Cavs Notes
• Irving leads the Cavs (4-7) in scoring at 21.3 points per game. He has scored at least 20 in four of the last seven. Waiters is second in scoring, followed by Thompson (13.1) and Miles (10.9). No one else is averaging double figures.
• The Cavs have held opponents to less than 42 percent shooting in three of their last four games. Only one of those resulted in victory, however.
• Thompson has recorded a double-double in five of the Cavs’ previous six games. He has seven on the season, tying him for most in the Eastern Conference and third in the league.
• Following Wednesday’s rematch with the Wizards, the Cavs head to New Orleans on Friday. They play at San Antonio on Saturday, before returning home a week from Wednesday (the night before Thanksgiving) to face defending back-to-back champion Miami.
Twitter: @SamAmicoFSO
