Dion Waiters to Make Season Debut vs. Cavs After Recovering from Ankle Injury

Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters will make his 2018-19 debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, the team announced in the hours leading up to tipoff. 

Waiters missed the entire 2018 calendar year because of an ankle injury, last appearing in an NBA game on Dec. 22, 2017. He underwent surgery in January 2018 to repair instability in his left ankle and a pre-existing navicular bone fracture.

"He has come a long way and we’re just glad to have him back in uniform and available," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, per Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. 

He also missed the final 13 games of the 2016-17 season after suffering an ankle injury.

Following a successful rehab assignment in the G League, his return appeared imminent.

"We'll list him right now as questionable, but we’ll make that decision on the road," Spoelstra said of Waiters' status for Wednesday on Tuesday, per the Sun-Sentinel's David Furones. "We just want to get him to go through shootaround and put him in position to make the next step, which potentially could be availability [Wednesday]."

Waiters' return comes at the perfect time for Miami, especially with veteran shooting guard Dwyane Wade (illness) missing Wednesday's contest and point guard Goran Dragic sidelined until the All-Star break following knee surgery. 

Waiters is coming off a season in which he averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game. The 2012 No. 4 overall pick is averaging 15.2 points in two years in South Beach, which is the most he has put up with one team in his career.

The Heat sit at 17-18, which puts them seventh in the East and a half-game back of the Charlotte Hornets in the Southeast Division.