Dion Waiters
While Waiters landing in the All-Star Game would be sweet poetic justice for a guy who has been constantly overlooked throughout his career, even after receiving a big contract from the Miami Heat, there are also legitimate merits to his candidacy.
It’s no secret that Waiters will be helped by the exodus that occurred in the East this offseason. With the departures of Jimmy Butler to Minnesota, Paul George to Oklahoma City and Paul Millsap to Denver, that marks three open slots on the East roster and millions of potential votes that Waiters can now bid for.
If last season is proof of anything, its that the Heat need Waiters to win consistently. When he was in uniform during their 30-11 turnaround, the Heat were 21-4. Many argue that if Waiters stayed healthy at the end of the season, the Heat would’ve found themselves comfortably in the playoffs. If he can duplicate that type of impact earlier in the season, there is little doubt that Waiters becomes a fan favorite to make his first All-Star Game by leading the Heat to a respectable showing in the Eastern Conference.
Many fans admire Waiters for his gunslinger mentality and unhinged confidence. If he gets the Heat off to a fast start and creates a few highlights like he did late in the season, particularly against some of the league’s elite like Golden State, the desire to put him alongside former teammate LeBron James in an All-Star Game would be one of the most compelling stories in the entire league.