Dion Waiters was the 2011-12 Big East 6th man of the year and one of the Big East’s best players.
Dion Waiters 6-4 222lbs Syracuse Sophomore SG/PG
2011-12 stats: 24.1 mpg, 12.6 ppg, 47% fg, 36% 3ptfg, 73% ft, 2.5 apg, 2.3 rpg
Prediction: Top 10 pick
Strengths: Dion Waiters is a combo guard with great scoring ability, especially in pick and roll situations. Even though he came off the bench for the Orange(He was the Big East 6th man of the year), he was clearly the best player on the team and arguably the best in the Big East. Waiters does a majority of his damage from mid range and in the paint where he uses his strong frame to fend off defenders and finish at the rim. He was close to leaving Syracuse after his freshman year due to rumored problems with head coach Jim Boehiem, but came back this past season in better shape, with a better attitude and a commitment to the defensive end of the court.
Weaknesses: Waiters is a tweener, a bit small to play to two and isn’t a natural point guard. His jump shot from year one to two has gotten better, but he is still a streaky shooter. I believe he needs to become a more consistent shooter in the NBA in order to make guys play him close and he can then drive by defenders. He did put forth more of effort defensively this season, but he could still be a better defender with his size and strength.
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