Miami Heat: Grading every player at the midway point of the season
By Simon Smith
Dion Waiters
Considering he was signed under the NBA’s mid-level exception policy, Waiters has proven to be a worthwhile addition to the Heat. For the season, Waiters has averaged 13.0 points, 3.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 29.7 minutes per contest. He has only just recently returned to the lineup after missing 20 games with a groin injury.
However prior to his injury, Waiters enjoyed his best stretch as a member of the Heat, posting 18.8 points, 4.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 41.8 percent from the field. But as has been the case for the majority of his career, efficiency has not been Waiters’ strong suit. This season he is shooting 37.4 percent from the field and just 31.0 percent from the three-point line.
And further to this, Waiters is again showing his preference to possess the ball in high volumes. For the season, his usage rate of 24.9 per game only marginally trails the Heat’s starting point guard, Goran Dragic. As explained earlier, Dragic has flourished when Waiters has been off the floor. Therefore, it will be interesting as to what direction the Heat will heading when Waiters’ contract come up at the end of this season.
But despite his flaws, Waiters has consistently demonstrated he is highly proficient at getting to the rim and creating his own shot. Check out highlights below of his most impressive performance of the season, where Waiters registered 28 points, six assists and five rebounds against the Memphis Grizzlies.