Miami Heat: Getting the utmost out of Dion Waiters

Considering their substantial woes at present, it can’t hurt for the Miami Heat to allow Dion Waiters to become a more featured part of the offense.

Having just shot a woeful 1-of-8 in the Miami Heat‘s latest loss, a 95-88 defeat against the Indiana Pacers, Dion Waiters was at a loss to explain his continued poor form:

"“I don’t know, bro. I don’t know. It’s tough. It’s tough right now, man. Just trying to find a rhythm out there. It’s tough….It’s a rhythm. It’s all about getting a feel, even if you don’t shoot the ball, it’s about being able to feel it and get comfortable.”"

Having missed the first 35 games of the season recovering from reconstructive ankle surgery, Waiters was always starting well behind the eight ball. However, the struggles he’s endured over the past five games (5.2 points per game, 24.4 percent shooting) are a clear sign that something needs to change as it pertains to Waiters and his role within the team.

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1087734130337632256

Despite being a shooting guard, Waiters operates at his best with the ball in his hands, where he’s able to break down the defense and either attack the rim or set up his teammates to score. However, as he alluded to following the Pacers game:

"“I’m a basketball player, man. I think we know that. I think we’ve seen what I’m able to do when I’ve got the ball and create things like that. But, you know, we’ve got a lot of guys that do the same things on the team. Sometimes I can be in the corner and things like that, but we’ve just got to figure it out. It’s tough right now.”"

To sum up his thoughts, Waiters is simply not being used in the manner in which he has been accustomed to up until this point of his career. Without question, most Heat followers will vividly remember the 30-11 finish to the 2016-17 season, in which Waiters played the best ball of his career. Over a 21-game span, Waiters averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game while shooting at an elite 46.4 percent clip from long range on 6.0 attempts per game.

However, it was the manner in which Waiters was utilized that most stood out. During this stretch, the now 27-year-old Waiters averaged 65.9 touches and 15.4 drives per game, which happened to rank sixth overall in the league during this time. Compare this to the latest game against the Pacers, where Waiters had 48 touches and just three drives in his 28 minutes on the floor.

Another interesting observation Waiters made related to the quality of the touches he was experiencing in the offense:

"“And sometimes, even though I can break guys down and things like that, I get the ball late in the shot clock a lot.”"

Despite possessing the ability to score in a variety of situations, Waiters is correct in that he has not been given the chance thus far to fully utilize his talents. Although having played in just 13 of the Heat’s 51 games thus far, Waiters ranks equal sixth on the team in total 3-point attempts with less than four seconds remaining on the shot clock.

Granted, the severe logjam at the shooting guard spot means there’s only so many minutes and touches that can around the team. Having said that, Dwyane Wade aside, there’s no one else on the roster who can score and attack the opposition in the manner Waiters can.  For those who may have forgotten, here’s a quick refresher of what Waiters is capable of producing:

Having lost seven of their past 10 games, the Heat should be open to all options as it pertains to increasing the optimism surrounding the team. At three games below .500, the team now embarks on a five-game, west coast road trip that could ultimately define the rest of their season.

With that in mind, and whether it means being reinserted into the starting lineup or simply getting more touches and scoring opportunities, there’s no greater time than now to try to fully utilize the sublime talents Dion Waiters possesses.