Miami Heat: Dion Waiters is ready to keep proving his worth

Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters can’t wait to return to the court, so he can silence his critics once and for all.

The Miami Heat are in desperate need of bodies.

But not just any player will do.

No, what they’re missing right now, is Dion Waiters.

Waiters, who signed a four-year, $52 million contract with the ball club in July 2017, has been sidelined due to an ankle injury for about a year now. He last saw time on the court in a win over the Dallas Mavericks on December 22, 2017, when he totaled four points in nine minutes of play, alongside one rebound and two assists.

Because of how long it’s been since the guard suited up for the team, many Heat fans have started to forget his value. And while this out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality is understandable, numbers don’t lie.

In his first season in Miami, the 27-year-old averaged 15.8 points over 46 games on 42.4 percent shooting from the field, and 39.5 percent from downtown. This, combined with averaging a career-high 3.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest, made his 2016-17 run, his best one yet.

He didn’t slow down last year either.

In 30 matchups, Waiters averaged 14.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, shooting 39.8 percent from the floor (and 30.6 percent from 3-point land).

If those stats alone aren’t enough of a reminder though, consider this.

It was the Philadelphia-native who sunk a 3-point buzzer-beater over the Golden State Warriors on January 23, 2017, earning the Heat a glorious 105-102 win. It was also Waiters who was then named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, thanks to his performances between January 23 and January 29, as he led the team to a 4-0 week, and averaged 23.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists a contest during that stretch.

And in case that particular accomplishment doesn’t ring a bell, soon after came Miami’s historic 30-11 run, bringing their season record to 41-41, after an abysmal 11-30 start.

So hopefully now it’s easy to see why the Heat are anxiously awaiting the return of No. 11.

When will that be?

Well, seemingly soon.

After 10 months of rehab, Waiters has finally been cleared for contact in practice, and has rejoined his teammates for the likes of drills; something that after a push from president Pat Riley, he’s now more prepared for than ever.

In mid-November, the injured star showed up to the team’s training facility, assuming he’d be going through a regular workout. Instead, he was graced with Riley’s presence, who led Waiters through “the most intense rehab workout” of his life.

This not only got the former Syracuse stud motivated to come back in the best shape possible, but also reinforced his self-worth, a trait that for better or worse, he’s well known for around the league.

"“My confidence is still there, it has to be,” Waiters said. “Only the strong survive. It’s still Philly Cheese… They can never break me. If anything, this makes me stronger.”"

While Waiters still isn’t quite ready to help Miami on the floor, his infectious energy is sure to fire up his teammates, as well as the coaching staff.

Just yesterday, he had the Twitterverse buzzing, with one of his classic bold statements.

The excitement over his bounce back is real.

Get ready, Miami Heat fans. The season is about to turn around.