Pathway to Success Is Clear for Dion Waiters with Oklahoma City Thunder
Dion Waiters may be a scorned target in heated debates regarding inefficient volume scoring practices, but the Oklahoma City Thunder can provide their most recent acquisition with an environment and role conducive to prosperity in the months ahead.
Although his first two appearances for the Thunder have been cold and hot, respectively, Waiters flashed the potential Kevin Durant previously raved about in Oklahoma City's 99-94 come-from-behind victory over the Utah Jazz Friday night.
"He's not just any other player," Durant said of Waiters prior to the newcomer's debut, according to Yahoo Sports' Marc Spears. "He can play. A lot of people overlooked that. He can play basketball, man, and he's had some huge games in this league. He is definitely somebody that is going to help us out. I'm excited to get him over here now."
With an early vote of confidence from Brooks and respected Thunder veterans, it's no wonder Waiters is already feeling at home in the Midwest, according to ESPN.com's Royce Young:
In helping Oklahoma City snap a two-game losing skid, Waiters racked up a team-high 27 bench minutes while totaling 15 points (7-of-14 shooting, 1-of-4 from three), four steals, three rebounds and an assist.
Comparatively, consensus sixth man Reggie Jackson managed just five points and was a team-worst minus-15 in 15 minutes off the pine. Nick Collison was the only reserve to play fewer minutes against Utah. Grantland's Zach Lowe pointed out just how frustrated Durant appeared to be with Jackson against an inferior opponent:
On the other side of the coin, Durant was quick to encourage Waiters during crunch time, according to Young:
And as Young pointed out, Jackson has rarely been marginalized like that in head coach Scott Brooks' rotation this season:
Considering Waiters is under team control for one more year at $5.1 million, per HoopsHype.com, and Jackson is due a qualifying offer worth $3.2 million before he enters restricted free agency this summer, speculation regarding Jackson's future with the club has justifiably grown louder with each passing game.
However, all we have from the man himself are cryptic responses regarding a long-term partnership with Oklahoma City that appears to be in doubt now that Waiters is in tow, per Young:
With Jackson all but acknowledging that he's slowly being pushed out the door in favor of Waiters, an opportunity is arising for the Thunder's new reserve cog to quickly assimilate to life in a prosperous offense.
Like the 6'3'' backup floor general, Waiters is most impactful working off the dribble. Although weak-side attempts from the corners will undoubtedly be open as defenses throw waves of bodies at Durant and Russell Westbrook, Waiters has proved time and again this year that he's in the business of carving out operating room inside of the arc.
Against Utah, Waiters shot 5-of-7 from mid-range, doing steady damage by putting the ball on the deck and flashing a slightly steadier stroke in catch-and-shoot situations.
While Waiters has been generally putrid as a catch-and-shoot weapon this season—27.6 percent, according to SportVU player tracking data—the natural space created by Oklahoma City's offense can help return his efficiency rating (12.1) to a more respectable realm.
Waiters' ability to overtake Jackson for good may be about more than offense, though. Considering the two possess fairly redundant skill sets, it's defense that may wind up separating the pair in Brooks' mind.
"Dion was playing solid defense and competing and pressuring the ball and not giving them anything easy," Brooks said, according to The Oklahoman's Anthony Slater. "So he got the minutes tonight...I like his commitment to stopping the ball. That’s been a problem of ours."
Now, the following stats come with a clear small sample-size caveat, but they're absolutely worth monitoring moving forward.
Through Waiters' first two appearances, the Thunder are allowing just 88.3 points per 100 defensive possessions with him on the floor, per NBA.com. With Jackson on the floor during that span, Oklahoma City's defensive rating balloons to 106.8.
More specifically, the Thunder have been 3.9 points better per 100 defensive possessions with Jackson off the hardwood since Waiters arrived, according to NBA.com.
As Slater explained, "Opposing guards have continuously burned Jackson this season, including Friday night. They get by him far too frequently, breaking down the OKC defense and leaving a frustrated Brooks hanging his head on the sideline."
Given his past, effusively praising Waiters' defensive contributions would be an exercise in ignorance. But it's absolutely worth noting Waiters' new club has come away impressed with his determination on that end of the floor.
"I just didn’t know he was that feisty," Kendrick Perkins said of Waiters, per Slater. "He’s willing to get his nose dirty."
While Waiters will likely have to deal with some awkward locker room politics, it's clear he's been set up nicely—both financially and tactically—to segue into Jackson's role as the fight for playoff position intensifies.
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