Ok, so what does Dion Waiters need to do this upcoming season to prove worthy of his contract?
Tachauer: I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve always been skeptical of Dion Waiters. It took me some time to fully embrace him as part of the team when he first came aboard, and then once I finally bought real estate on Waiters Island, he was sidelined for almost the entirety of last season (#ofcourse). Still, at the end of the day, numbers don’t lie. And if you look at the success Waiters did have while active this past year, he was clearly a major asset to the team. So I think as long as he delivers in the same manner and is able to comfortably find a role among the numerous shooting guards on the roster, he’ll continue to make both the organization and its fans, happy.
Johnson: Here’s the thing with Waiters, Rodney McGruder, and the entirety of the Heat: as soon as you feel like something is not right, see the training staff. It was well documented that Waiter’s ankle injury wasn’t some new issue that sprung up out of nowhere. That injury was the primary agent that held his 2016-17 campaign hostage. Unfortunately, Waiters played up his namesake and ended up choosing surgery mid-season, which partially discombobulated Miami’s game plan after December. The same can be said about McGruder, who played on a left leg stress fracture despite feeling pain through the preseason. Catching injuries prematurely should be the theme for Miami next season. More specifically, Waiters will have to figure out exactly where he fits in with Miami. Before the injury, he was the go-to guy. Now, Wade’s back. Josh Richardson is another year stronger, Justise Winslow still has another chance to hit the ground running. Waiters will have to understand that he might not be the only face to drill a long 3 and “hit ‘em with the pose” next season.