There was no question that Dion Waiters was unhappy in Cleveland and wanted to get out as soon as possible. He got his wish as he was part of a three team trade that sent him to Oklahoma City earlier this season. Waiters spent a little over two years in Cleveland after being the fourth pick in the 2012 draft but is already happier in Oklahoma City after just six games, according to him. During his time in the NBA he has shown flashes of being a good scorer but never a great one, as many people thought he would become. Through his whole time with the Cavaliers, Waiters complained about his playing time and most recently not getting the ball enough. Waiters averaged a very good 14.7 PPG his rookie year and 15.9 PPG last season. Then Cleveland added Kevin Love and LeBron James to their team, taking shots away from Waiters. He did not take this well as they were struggling and he was averaging a career low 10.5 PPG. There was no question that Waiters became a distraction in the locker room and needed to be moved as soon as possible. The Cavaliers ended up replacing Waiters with J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert and have since been playing a lot better. The Thunder have also been playing better since the trade, going 5-2 and now own a record of 22-20. We all thought that the Cavaliers and Waiters saga was over after the trade, but we were wrong. Before the Thunder's game against Miami on Tuesday the Oklahoman asked Waiters how he liked Oklahoma City compared to Cleveland. Waiters was not shy about his response as he told them, "Listen. They give me the ball. Like, I touch the ball. Like, I actually, like, you know, touch the ball." This is an interesting comment from Waiters after only six games with the Thunder. He has seen more playing time, 3.5 more MPG, since getting traded to Oklahoma City and as a result has taken 1.8 more shots per game. Waiters also added, "It's about having the opportunity to go out there and be able to just play my game and have fun and enjoy it." He also talked about how he thinks this is the best situation for him. Waiters will be a bench player most likely for the rest of his time in Oklahoma City and will act in the James Harden role. He will be asked to score and not do much else. Waiters is a very good defensive guard also as he was averaging 1.3 SPG this year. There is no question that the talent is there but the real question is the maturity. The second comment I'm fine with because everyone knew he wasn't happy in Cleveland, however, the first one seemed really immature. I think Oklahoma City is a great situation for him as they have a very close locker room and will help mature him. I don't think he will ever be a 20 PPG guy, especially with Westbrook and Durant there, but I can see him averaging 12-15 PPG his whole career. Waiters is still a good player but maturity has held him back. He could end being a key piece in a future playoff run for the Thunder.
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