We’re officially five games into the Dion Waiters Era in Oklahoma City, so let’s see how the Cleveland Cavaliers’ castoff is doing. In a story written by The Oklahoman‘s Darnell Mayberry, Waiters gushed about immediate acceptance and feeling like he’s been with the team forever. He also took a shot at his Cavs teammates about simple pleasures, like actually receiving passes and unselfish play:
“Listen,” he said, “they give me the ball. Like, I touch the ball. Like, I actually, like, you know, touch the ball…”
“…I’m able to feel the game out, knowing when to take the shot, when not to,” Waiters said. “Like I said, we got a great group of guys on this team who’s very unselfish and they want you to be successful. So I think I came into a great situation.”
Well, he ain’t lyin’ about not touching the ball in Cleveland:
Unfortunately for Waiters, the numbers don’t really back up his claim. Here are his pre- and post-trade possession stats (via SBNation):
BEFORE JAN. 5
- TOUCHES PER GAME: 35.6
- MINUTES PER GAME: 23.7
- TIME OF POSSESSION: 1.8 minutes/game
AFTER JAN. 5
- TOUCHES PER GAME: 34
- MINUTES PER GAME: 27.6
- TIME OF POSSESSION: 1.7 minutes/game
Also not helping his case? This:
In fairness to the Thunder, they won that game over the Magic, 127-99, so it’s not like they needed to get the ball to Waiters. But, clearly, some things just never change.
[SBNation, photo: Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY]
