Dion Waiters hasn’t been himself lately and that’s a tough pill to swallow if you’re a Miami Heat fan. Was last year a fluke?
When Dion Waiters first arrived to Biscayne Bay, many observant Miami Heat fans were disappointed in the team’s effort, or lack of, in securing a top-notch All-Star. It took a while to acclimate to the change, but fans eventually started to look forward to progress in the post-Big Three era.
Yes, Dion was not Kevin Durant, but on a two-year deal worth $2.9 million, he was worth a gamble. What else did they have to lose after missing out big in free agency?
A strong afterthought was that this new, reinvigorated guard taking on this third attempt at redemption with a new squad wouldn’t succumb to a sophomore slump after a great first season.
Well it’s been exactly that. After witnessing a contract year from Waiters in 2016-17, it’s been a cruising year for him and the frustration is seeping in. His inconsistency has been off the charts to say the least. The Syracuse standout is supposed to be Miami’s replacement for Dwyane Wade, but he hasn’t lived up to the hype.
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So far this season, Waiters is averaging 14.6 points, 3.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game — decreases from last year’s 15.8 points, 4.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. Even worse, he’s shooting just 39.8 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from 3-point range after posting .424/.395/.646 shooting splits last season.
Not to take too much away from the clutch gene that was Miami’s savior many times last year, but his slump is hurting the team and on a four-year, $52 million contract, the Heat need to see a significant change and fast.
In the month of December alone, he is shooting 20-of-51 from the field in five games with a combination of 16 assists and six rebounds. Consistency is hitting an all-time low here.
He is a savvy player that screams confidence when he hits the floor, but he needs production to be able to back it up and unfortunately that is definitely not the case right now. The other major issue remains that injuries are the main cause for his dip statistically. If that’s the case, Miami needs to adjust and tend to that as soon as possible. They need Dion at his best if they want to make a run for a top seed.
The best solution would have been ankle surgery this past summer. That was crucial and would have given Miami with enough time and opportunity to adapt and prepare for this season. Instead Dion forewent surgery and decided to play through the pain. Now he has a shoulder tendon issue to add to that injury list. It’s a never-ending cycle and Heat fans are paying for that decision.
Dion needs to take a step back, focus on rehabbing his injuries and limit his minutes from his average of 30 minutes to 20 minutes. He was benched in last game’s fourth quarter and we might continue to see a pattern. While Miami’s young guns get a run at it, the Heat need to let Hassan Whiteside and Dion work on those injuries to regain that consistency down the line.
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With Miami only one game behind the eighth seed, it might not be a bad idea while the injured starters heal up in time for the playoff hunt.