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Miami Heat: Complete 2017 offseason grades

By Jordan Treske

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 23: Miami Heat President, Pat Riley and head coach, Erik Spoelstra introduce Bam Adebayo during a press conference at American Airlines Arena on June 23, 2017 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2017 (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - JUNE 23: Miami Heat President, Pat Riley and head coach, Erik Spoelstra introduce Bam Adebayo during a press conference at American Airlines Arena on June 23, 2017 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2017 (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images /

Re-signing Dion Waiters

After experiencing a career rejuvenating season in Miami last year, the Heat re-signed Dion Waiters to a four-year, $52 million deal four days into free agency.

Coming to Miami after the Oklahoma City Thunder unceremoniously rescinded his qualifying offer, which made him an unrestricted free agent during last year’s offseason, Waiters took a bet on himself by signing a two-year, $6 million deal. As we know, that bet paid off in a big way for Waiters, as he provided a jolt for the Heat midway through the season.

While his season was just limited to 46 appearances, Waiters was incredibly productive and surprisingly efficient with his play in a more featured role from the month of January onward. From Jan. 1 to the end of the season, Waiters averaged 16.7 points per game on a 53.4 percent true shooting percentage and 27.4 percent usage percentage.

The question on everyone’s mind is if this was just a good three-month stretch (Waiters’ season unofficially ended in mid-March due to injury) or a sign of things to come for the Syracuse product.

The Heat are certainly betting that it will be the latter and Waiters has obviously acclimated quite well since coming to South Beach. But it’s very valid to feel skeptical that his play can reach the same heights it did last year over the course of a full regular season.

Some things will never change with who Waiters is as a player, but if he can prove he can be an above-average scorer who hits shots at a reliable rate from the floor as well as downtown, it would do wonders for his individual ceiling and where the Heat could go in the future.

Grade: C+

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