When Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters put pen to paper on a 4 year, $52M extension this past summer, the expectation was that he would build on a stellar 2016-17 campaign. Instead, that hasn’t happened as Waiters’ efficiency has plummeted in his second year in Miami.
The off guard’s early-season struggles have led fans and critics to search for answers, the most popular theory being that Waiters put on some weight this summer. Waiters addressed these rumors when asked about it by Miami Herald’s Manny Navarro:
“I think Pat Riley would have said something to me by now… I’ve got 6 percent body fat. I’m 219 [pounds]. Last year I was 225, 223, playing the way I was playing. I’m lighter [now].
“You know, if I was [fatter] there would be a bunch of red flags everywhere, right? I ain’t got to post no pictures on Instagram to prove it to nobody. I’m in the best shape of my life. [The critics] don’t say [anything] when I’m dunking on mother [expletives] and things like that, right?”
Waiters, whos build has always been on the stockier side, claims to be in the best shape of his life, despite his inconsistency from the field. Aside from the rumblings about his suspected weight gain, the 26-year-old has also been battling stomach issues recently, vomiting up spaghetti prior to their showdown against the Atlanta Hawks and even after the first quarter.
Waiters also provided an update on his health status, something that shouldn’t keep him out of any game action:
“I’m still [being] cautious eating,” Waiters said Tuesday. “I just tried to eat fruit right now to see if I could keep that down. I’ve been trying to stay hydrated, but you know, when you throw up you get that nauseous feeling when you eat. That [expletive] sucks man. But I’m feeling like better, a little bit.”
Though Dion Waiters production may have took a slight hit this season, attributing it to the kind of shape he’s in is a longshot. The 6th year man has only missed two games all season, both due to the birth of his daughter.
Waiters also tolerates the third highest dosage of minutes on this Heat team, playing an average of over 31 minutes and putting up 14.8 points per game, down from his 15.8 scoring average last season.
