Ranking 15 worst starters of the Dwyane Wade era

14. Rafer Alston

Alston had two separate stints with the Miami Heat. He was a second-round pick in 1998 but struggled to find a consistent NBA role. The 6’2 guard was a streetball legend and his trademark handles earned him the nickname “Skip to My Lou”.

It was not until 2003 with the Raptors that Alston earned 20 minutes per game for an extended stretch in the NBA, and that was enough for the Heat to sign him in the 2003 offseason.

Miami was coming off a 25-win season but had just drafted Dwyane Wade out of Marquette. Alston played 30 minutes per game for the first time and broke out. He averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. He shot just 37.6 percent from the field, but the Heat won 42 games and reached the second round of the playoffs.

The 6’2 guard came off the bench and played just 22.7 minutes each night in the postseason, but he joined Wade as a key part of their turnaround.

Alston returned to Toronto in the 2004 offseason and had stops in Houston, Orlando, and New Jersey before coming back to South Beach in 2010. He was waived by the Nets in January and signed with the Heat two days later.

Alston started all 25 games he appeared in but was leaving plenty to desire. Head coach Erik Spoelstra decided to drop him for the rotation entirely, so Alston left the team. The 6’2 guard never played in the NBA again. His efficiency was a drag, and his abrupt departure in 2010 that ended his career earned him a place as one of the Heat’s worst starters next to D-Wade.