Dion Waiters cashed in, now it’s time for him to become an All-Star
By Cory Sanning
Dion Waiters just cashed in, signing the largest deal of his career with the Miami Heat. Yet, this could just be the beginning of him reaching his peak.
Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters is coming off of perhaps the most successful season of his young career. While the five-year veteran appeared in just 46 games last year, he put up averages of 15.8 points, 4.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds while knocking down nearly 40 percent of his 3-point attempts.
During Miami’s impressive second-half stretch, Waiters was the unquestioned, undisputed closer on a team that struggled early in the season to find that, post-Dwyane Wade.
Remember when Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors came to town?
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The Heat had just fallen to the Warriors in Oakland by 12 points less than two weeks prior, and it’s safe to assume most of Las Vegas was riding with Durant and company to take this one relatively easy, as well.
Then 33 points (11 in the fourth quarter) and a game winning 3-pointer from Waiters, and Miami walks away victorious for the fourth-consecutive outing, a streak that extended all the way to 13.
What about sparking an 18-point fourth quarter comeback on the road against the Brooklyn Nets, capped off by a clutch dagger with just six seconds to play?
Or, of course, the shot heard around the world in Cleveland:
Despite all this, Waiters certainly has room for improvement, and if cards are in play, could make a push for a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Let’s take a look at several factors on his side.