Dion Waiters is enjoying a hot streak.
Since returning to the Miami Heat’s starting five on Jan. 10, he’s averaging 19.5 points and 5.2 assists per game on 44.2 percent shooting, including a 42.9 percent clip from downtown. He has also hit a couple of game-winners, most notably the one against the Golden State Warriors.
And leave it to Waiters himself to put his recent stretch in perspective, per the South Florida Sun Sentinel‘s Shandel Richardson:
Dion Waiters says he is playing with that "philly cheese swag."
— Shandel Richardson (@ShandelRich) January 31, 2017
Wait, there’s more:
More Waiters: "I’d rather go 0 for 30 than 0 for 9 because you go 0 for 9 that means you stopped shooting.That means you lost confidence."
— Shandel Richardson (@ShandelRich) January 31, 2017
If Waiters keeps this up, it’ll be interesting to see how his latest foray into free agency shakes out. The Heat signed him to a two-year deal worth around $5.9 million over the summer, but he holds a player option for 2017-18. And you better believe he’s going to decline it.
Up until now, Waiters has been a tweener guard who at times stands out for his scoring ability, but who isn’t known for his defense or efficient three-point shooting. Should he ride this hot streak into the offseason, though, bank on their being at least two or three teams ready to bet this is his new normal.
