The Enigma That Is Shooting Guard Dion Waiters

When you look up the definition of an enigma, the first one you may read is “someone or something that is puzzling, mysterious, or inexplicable.” Many people have something enigmatic about them, whether it’s related to their beliefs, background, morality or something we cannot even begin to imagine. Typically what makes a person an enigma isn’t out in the open, let alone obvious to thousands of people every night. Then again most people aren’t Dion Waiters.

The intent of the piece isn’t to bash Dion Waiters, just to take a look into the study of contrasts that is the man himself. This trend goes back to when he was drafted fourth overall by the Cavaliers in the 2012 NBA Draft. Waiters was a late riser in the draft process after making his mark as a sixth man for the Syracuse Orange. Despite being successful as a sixth man in college, he has shunned that role multiple times during his two-plus years in the NBA, preferring to start. While it’s natural for any player to want to be a starter, Waiters has been more effective off the bench. Much of this is due to the fact that he has yet to display much chemistry on the court with point guard (and All-Star) Kyrie Irving, and Irving will start every game he plays.

When you watch Dion Waitesr closely, you can see the contradictions in nearly every aspect of his game. Many people consider his explosiveness toward the rim to be one of Waiters’ greatest strengths, yet he shot just 47 percent at the basket last season, well below league average. Part of this is due to the fact that while Waiters attacks off the dribble with both hands, he simply cannot finish with his left hand. When he does go left, he often tries to finish with his right hand, which means he isn’t using his body to protect his shot, allowing it to be stripped, knocked away or blocked fairly easily. Waiters was also a terrific catch-and-shoot player last season, shooting over 41 percent on three pointers in those situations. However, he still took 73 three-pointers using pull-ups off the dribble and shot just 26 percent on those shots and is well known for taking contested long twos off the dribble. He is also a gifted passer who can set up teammates, but actually is rated as one of the biggest black holes in the NBA last season. Even Waiters’ defensive potential is seen with contrasting views. Some look at his strong build and quickness and feel those traits should make him a bulldog of a defender in the Kyle Lowry mold. Others see him as an undersized two guard who simply isn’t big enough to guard his own position. What isn’t debatable is that he’s been an underwhelming defender up to this point in his career.

These contradictions flow into Dion Waiters’ behavior off the court as well. Waiters has talked about having LeBron James as a mentor, and by all accounts has been attached to him all of training camp. Yet less than a day after James talked about Waiters needing to ignore critics and focus on the team, Waiters got involved in a verbal sparring match through the media with the Washington Wizards’ John Wall over which team had the best backcourt in the NBA (neither team does, but that is another discussion for another time). There was further irony in this argument as Waiters’ problems coexisting with Irving are well-documented.

On this Cavaliers roster, Dion Waiters would best serve the team as a player who gets his points by spotting up behind the arc and cutting to the basket. He should be able to use his passing to keep the ball moving and his ability to attack off the dribble when an opponent attempts to close out on him. While he has done those things with greater frequency this preseason, he still spends too many possessions short-circuiting the offense by attacking off the dribble to take an inefficient shot after the opposing defense has been able to set up for him. This season will be critical for Waiters. If he can learn to play to his strengths and fit with his teammates into coach David Blatt’s systems on both sides of the ball, then he could be a major piece for the Cavaliers as they contend for the NBA title. However, if he continues to play the inefficient style for which he has become known, then it would be no surprise to see the Cleveland Cavaliers go in another direction for the shooting guard position.