Miami Heat shooting guard Dion Waiters is still working his way back from a left ankle surgery and he’s hoping to start playing more consistently as the season progresses. More specifically, Waiters mentions the All-Star break as a point in time he’s keeping in mind.
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“I missed half the season,” Waiters said. “So this right here for me is like preseason, it’s like training camp, just building that up. So after All-Star [break], I’m able to just take off and get back to playing basketball and making sure it’s consistent.”
The guard went the entire year of 2018 without playing in a game as he slowly recovered from surgery. His first game back on the court came on Jan. 2, 2019. It’s no surprise that it’s taken Waiters extra time to develop his consistency.
With all the time he spent off the court, the Heat’s system has undergone changes. Adapting to those changes and a newfound bench role has made Waiters’ first month back challenging.
“Everything is different, as you can see,” Waiters said. “Everything is different about it. It’s about finding your niche, I guess, and just getting back to where you were before.
“It’s totally different than how we played when I first got here. When I first got here, it was more free. Now it’s more structured a little bit. So it’s just getting in certain sets and things like that. Things change.”
As the 27-year-old plays more, he should start to look more like the player who used to score in double figures on a nightly basis. The Heat and head coach Erik Spoelstra could use some of that production as they currently rank 22nd in offensive rating and 26th in points per game.
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