A Brief Return of The Journal of Emotional Hygiene
July 14, 2014Progress Made, Lessons Learned: 2014 World Cup Leaves USMNT Staring at Bright Future
July 14, 2014Dion Waiters, oft-criticized Cleveland Cavaliers guard, is on Twitter. A lot. He’ll stay up late at night retweeting his fans and admirers, sharing photoshops and pictures of them wearing his gear.
Over the past few days since LeBron James’ announcement, Waiters has been particularly excitable on Twitter. Below are a collection of some of my recent favorites. Here he is, a 22-year-old shooting down trade rumors and cementing his spot in the team’s starting lineup all in front of his 100K-plus followers. He’s a fan favorite for a reason.
Nothin RT @21imonigie: The real question is what's gonna happen to @dionwaiters3 in all this mix . . The dood is nice !
— Dionwaiters3 (@dionwaiters3) July 12, 2014
Yea ohk RT @Maxxwieber: @dionwaiters3 bruh I'm sorry but I doubt you start……. Wiggins at 2 would be perfect! You would be a great 6 man!
— Dionwaiters3 (@dionwaiters3) July 12, 2014
Huge RT @amolightsout3: What you think about Lebron coming back @dionwaiters3
— Dionwaiters3 (@dionwaiters3) July 12, 2014
Idk it would be nice RT @MxGraffiti: Hey @dionwaiters3. Are ya'll expecting to get new #Cavs uniforms for this season?
— Dionwaiters3 (@dionwaiters3) July 13, 2014
Yessir RT @AustenB5: @dionwaiters3 have you talked to Bron yet?
— Dionwaiters3 (@dionwaiters3) July 13, 2014
Me toRT @WorldofCookies: @dionwaiters3 I laughed when I heard them mention U in possible trades. Are they crazy?! #NotGoinAnywhere #Respect
— Dionwaiters3 (@dionwaiters3) July 14, 2014
https://twitter.com/dionwaiters3/status/487729051629387777
22 Comments
Is it just me or does he have the strangest (non-)sleeping habits?
I wonder if he’ll start at first but eventually slide back to being a Ginobli-type 6th man.
Would be nice if he could man up and accept a 6th man slot. Wiggins starting over him would throw Wiggins in with an experienced starting lineup to surround him with guys who can help him…then having Dion bring instant offense off the bench. Too bad ego seems to be huge with him. If Ginobli can accept coming off the bench, you can too, Dion. If both guys get similar minutes, why does it matter who starts?
Wiggins hasn’t even played 1 NBA game yet. He needs to earn his spot not have it just given to him. Afterall, isn’t Lebron’s motto “Nothing in NE Ohio is given. Everything is earned.” Should apply for Wiggins as well.
I’m not saying just give it to him. Obviously, he has to be able to contribute…but I think having Wiggins in a lineup with Kyrie, LeBron, Andy, etc. will benefit him more than having him come in off the bench with other guys who similarly lack experience. Also having Dion off the bench to lead the second time of Dellavedova, Bennett seems better than adding a rookie to that group.
Wiggins has a long way to go just yet and that’s the words coming out of Coach Blatt’s mouth not mine.
That’s exactly why I think he should be in the starting unit. Because the guys around him can mask his flaws and accentuate his abilities more than the guys on the bench can. Throwing him on the bench and trying to get him to help carry a second unit puts alot of pressure on his shoulders.
Just a reminder: Last 21 games after Brown finally started Dion. 20ppg, fg%45%, 3P% 40% also has the best 5 player line-up stats +39 pts http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/waitedi01/lineups/2014/ Dion worked his ass off to get those kind of stats. You really think he’s just going to lie down and take a crap?. Wiggins isn’t even close to this. You PLAY YOUR BEST PLAYERS TO START.
Wiggins can’t even hit the 3 that great folks. Blatt has said repeatedly he still has a long way to go to learn the NBA game, fast pace, new distances for 3 ball ect. Wiggins needs to earn his spot and work his ass off too like everyone else. You can’t just give him the starting spot.
As far as Dion on twitter. He LOVES the fans and there isn’t any player on this team that is this accessible to talk to. Often he says he up late at night lifting, getting stronger and setting his goals very high and yeah starting is a goal. So what? Since when having your goal to either keep your starting spot or earn is bad?
Well we’ll see if the coach shares your view to put a 20ppg starter (as of last season) on bench and just give a nonproven player who hasn’t yet earned it to start. You might want to check Dion’s stats last 21 games when he finally started. 20ppg, fg%45%, 3p% 40% best 5 player line-up +39 pts.
If he did that as a starter, he can do it off the bench. You need scoring and leadership from both units. If both guys get similar minutes, then starter versus bench is just about who’s on the floor at tipoff.
Doesn’t matter. Wiggins RIGHT NOW is a much better defensive player than waiters. With Irving on the floor, you need that defensive presence. Waiters should still get his 30 minutes a night, but most likely won’t be in a starting role.
Dion is a fan favorite? Honestly, I did not know that one. From these threads, you would think the opposite.
#HeAintNoHotRodWilliams
What makes you assume that Waiters isn’t working on his defensive prowess right now?
Also if David Blatt sets up the team where players have to earn their right to start, who do you think will win, Waiters with 2 years experience, or Wiggins with no experience?
I’ve been enjoying Dion’s late night twitter antics. I like him as a person (to the extent I “know” his personality), and I like the way his game and personality reflect on each other. He comes across as cocky and humble simultaneously, he’s gritty with a smirk. He reacted to the rumors trickling out of the locker room last year with thorough class (although the events within the locker room are murky…)
On the court, he definitely justified the fourth pick, no matter what the national media says. He is pretty clearly the fourth best player in that draft, and there were good reasons why the Cavs passed on Drummond and Lillard. Waiters is dynamic and explosive, and given the right angle he can blow by people with ease. His shot has improved and is no longer a weakness.
But the eyeball test just leaves me skeptical that he is a starter for a good NBA team. There just seems to be too much in his game that lacks polish or completeness. He doesn’t seem to have the ability to control the game the way that Kyrie does. When Dion is feeling it, he can hit any shot, but when he’s not, there doesn’t seem to be much he can do. He has a lightning first step but when the first hole is not there, he doesn’t seem to be able to pry it open the way that elite players can. He can finish but every time he does it seems like a miracle. He seems a little too thick to sustain an entire game of elite performance. Even his highlight videos give that impression – he does super-athletic things but always still seems to be laboring a bit.
Part of that impression probably comes from watching him next to Kyrie, who makes things seem a lot easier than they ought to be. But unless Dion rounds out his game by polishing what he does now, adding to his skill set and playing a few pounds lighter, his ceiling is Jamal Crawford.
Love Dion. My issues come when people pretend it’s a Kyrie OR Dion discussion.
so experience is the tipping point? When LeBron had no experience he was still the best player on the team. Wiggins is a better athlete, in my opinion
and when you say people, you mean Josh Gordon, right? đ
Is experience the tipping point? Depends on what Blatt decides to do. I say Waiters has an edge due to his experience playing against NBA veterans. I do like what I’m seeing from Wiggins, but he still has a lot to learn.
I think it will depend on how combinations Blatt wants to employ.
If he believes Dion will help the team most as the 6th man with more ball responsibility than he would get with Kyrie+LeBron, then he’ll be a 6th man (with Wiggins obviously not needing/wanting the ball always in his hands).
If he believes that having 3 dominant ball handlers actually will help the team the most with his motion offense, then Dion will likely start (with Wiggins being allowed to learn the NBA against more backups).
Regardless, I think the decision will ultimately say more about Blatt’s mindset than either of the players (assuming they are both here in October).
Dion ftw. He may end up being the best of the current Cavalier young players.
Relax, Dion. You’re still getting paid the same amount.
Wow! I sure see what you mean by “tremendous fun on Twitter”! He’s made some tremendously insightful comments! đ
Trade bait