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.
Next: Overall summation