#3 Dion Waiters
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6'4" 215 lbs Guard
HS: Life Center Academy Burlington, NJ
HS: South Kent School South Kent, CT
Born: 12/10/1991 Philadelphia, PA
Season Stats
Season Cl Pos G GS Min FG FGA % FT FTA % 3Pt 3PA % Asst Reb DReb OReb Fls DQ TO ST BS Pts PPG APG RPG
2010-11 Fr G 34 0 554 78 190
41.1%
39 48
81.3%
28 85
32.9%
50 53 41 12 46 0 30 38 4 223 6.6 1.5 1.6
2011-12 So G 37 0 891 170 357
47.6%
86 118
72.9%
41 113
36.3%
92 85 67 18 69 1 48 67 12 467 12.6 2.5 2.3
Career    
71
0
1445
248
547
45.3%
125
166
75.3%
69
198
34.8%
142
138
108
30
115
1
78
105
16
690
9.7
2.0
1.9

Dion Waiters was a guard for the Syracuse Orange basketball team for two seasons.

Dion Waiters - Syracuse OrangeWaiters was part of the regular rotation his freshman season. He was an explosive offensive player with a nice shooting touch and an aggressive move to the basket. He struggled on defense, which limited some of his playing time, but he showed several moments of exciting offense throughout the season. He got into a highly publicized shouting match with coach Jim Boeheim mid-season. He would be benched for a game, and see reduced playing time for a few game, but eventually worked his way back into his playing time. In the season ending loss to Marquette in the NCAA tournament, Waiters was the lone bright spot with 18 points.

Waiters was far more team oriented his sophomore season, and accepted his role as the sixth man on the team. Waiters would not start a game all season, but he would play about the same amount of time as Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine, and more importantly, Waiters was always on the court at the end of the game. He developed into Syracuse's best offensive weapon, with an nice combination of outside shooting and strong penetration to the basket.

Waiters defense improved dramatically too as he remained focused on it. He would lead the team in steals, and was an integral part of Syracuse's highly efficient fast break offense. He would be second on the team in scoring and had a career high 28 points in the Orange loss to Cincinnati in the Big East Tournament. Waiters played very well in the post season that season, but would be hampered with foul trouble in the NCAA Tournament against Ohio State, eventually fouling out, the only time in his career.

Waiters was named the Big East Sixth Man of the Year his sophomore season, and was also Third Team All Big East. He decided to leave school after his sophomore season to enter the NBA draft.

Waiters was the fourth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers, this despite the fact he never started a game at Syracuse.

NBA Career Statistics
Season Team Pos G Min FG FGA % FT FTA % 3FGA 3FGM % Asst Reb Fls DQ TO ST BS Pts PPG APG RPG
2012-13
Cleveland
G
61
1,756
336
815
41.2%
159
213
74.6%
63
203
31.0%
183
149
113
121
59
16
894
14.7
3.0
2.4
2013-14
Cleveland
G
70
2,072
430
993
43.3%
161
235
68.5%
92
250
36.8%
209
195
153
154
63
17
1,113
15.9
3.0
2.8
2014-15
Cle/OKC
G
80
2,208
375
946
39.6%
117
172
68.0%
73
246
29.7%
163
192
155
113
90
21
940
11.8
2.0
2.4
2015-16
Oklahoma City
G
78
2,152
282
706
39.9%
112
157
71.3%
86
241
35.7%
154
202
143
120
81
15
762
9.8
2.0
2.6
2016-17
Miami
G
46
1,384
281
664
42.3%
82
127
64.6%
85
216
39.4%
200
154
95
103
41
20
729
15.8
4.3
3.3
2017-18
Miami
G
30
918
163
410
39.7%
51
69
73.9%
52
170
30.6%
113
77
61
70
23
9
429
14.3
3.8
2.6
2018-19
Miami
G
44
1,138
198
478
41.4%
22
44
50.0%
109
289
37.7%
121
116
72
64
29
9
527
12.0
2.8
2.6
2019-20
Miami/LA Lakers
G
10
1,138
198
478
41.4%
22
44
50.0%
109
289
37.7%
121
116
72
64
29
9
527
11.1
2.0
2.4
Total
  G
419
11,835
2,106
5,110
41.2%
718
1,034
69.4%
575 1,660 34.6%
1,163
1,108
813
-
761
391
113
5,505
13.1
2.8
2.6

Waiters would have a solid rookie year for Cleveland, starting most the games, and averaging 14.7 ppg. He would make the NBA All Rookie Team.

Waiters would be traded to Oklahoma City in January 2015 in a three team deal involving the Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks. He would join the Miami Heat as a free agent in 2016. He struggled with injuries his first year with the Heat. He did put in an impressive performance for those games he was able to play. Injuries would plague him his first three years in Miami. He would have a series of team issues with Miami in the fall of 2019 and would be included in a three way trade that landed him in Memphis in February 2020. He would be released by the Grizzlies without playing any games. The Los Angeles Lakers signed him in March. Waiters would play early in the playoffs, but an injury kept him out of the later rounds of the post season, including the final. The Lakers would win the World Championship and Waiters would become only the second former Orangemen to win the NBA Championship.

Waiters was often referred to as the cousin of Scoop Jardine. The reality was they were not related, but that they grew up together and their grandmothers were stepsisters.

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