The Miami Heat are looking forward to having Dion Waiters back in the lineup once again. Waiters is still making his way back from ankle surgery, but according to head coach Erik Spoelstra, Waiters is close to being back to where he was a few years ago.
The dynamic shooting guard recently passed a conditioning test, a good sign for his eventual return.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”HN-300×250-Image”]
Spoelstra said Dion Waiters "recently" passed his conditioning test.
“Very close," Spoelstra said when asked if Waiters is back to where he was a few years ago. "In terms of his weight and body fat. He’s passed virtually everything up to this point."
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) December 22, 2018
This is excellent news for the Heat who could use some help after losing point guard Goran Dragic to knee surgery. Waiters can help solidify the backcourt and if he becomes the player he was a few years ago, he will definitely be an integral part of Spoelstra’s rotation.
Waiters has played the best basketball of his career with Miami, but he’s failed to stay healthy. During the 2016-17 season, Waiters averaged 15.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. These were all career highs for the Syracuse University product. If Waiters can return to that type of player, he will assume a major role for Spoelstra.
The long road to recovery appears to be approaching the finish line. This has to be a relief for Waiters, who is looking to prove his doubters wrong. Waiters is looking to put his injury-riddled past behind him and according to his coach, he’s looking more and more like the player he was a few years ago.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”HN-300×250-TextnImage”]