Opinion: Would Dion Waiters Be A Good Pickup For The Kings?
By Rafe Wong
The news is out that the Sacramento Kings are looking a new two-guard this offseason, and Dion Waiters may be that guy.
In terms of personnel, Waiters fits a need for the Kings. The two-guard position for Sacramento underperformed last season, and will need to upgrade in order for the team to improve substantially. But in terms of talent, what does Dion Waiters bring to the table?
The Player/Numbers
More from Kings News
- 3 Ways Chris Duarte improves the Kings chances in 2023-24
- Bleacher Report crazily lists Kings’ All-Star as “most overrated NBA player”
- Kings and Heat fans clash on Twitter to debate All-Star players
- Sacramento Kings’ Chris Duarte playing in 2023 FIBA World Cup
- 3 Young players the Kings must develop, 2 to give up on
For Waiter, he has 4 seasons of professional basketball under his belt. During that time, he has averaged 12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 41.1% from the floor and 33.4% from the perimeter.
In his most recent season spent with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Waiters played the role of their back shooting guard and was able to average 9.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 39.9% from the court and 35.8% from the three-point line.
Express Yourself
So Kings fans, what are your thoughts on the possibility of Dion Waiters actually playing for the Sacramento Kings next season?
To express your emotions on the issue, feel free to participate in our survey that is posted on our Twitter account.
Would Dion Waiters joining the Kings be a good idea?
— A Royal Pain (@ARoyalPain) July 1, 2016
Rafe’s Thoughts
I’m on board for the Kings to pick up a shooting guard in free agency, but only if their names are Allen Crabbe, Courtney Lee, or Kent Bazemore.
More from A Royal Pain
- 3 Ways Chris Duarte improves the Kings chances in 2023-24
- 5 Players the Sacramento Kings never should have signed
- Bleacher Report crazily lists Kings’ All-Star as “most overrated NBA player”
- Kings and Heat fans clash on Twitter to debate All-Star players
- Sacramento Kings’ Chris Duarte playing in 2023 FIBA World Cup
When looking at Waiters’s style of play, he doesn’t necessarily fill any holes for the Kings. Offensively, Waiters is more of a slasher to the basket rather than a shooter. There are spurts where Waiters is streaky with his jump shot, but it comes and goes, which isn’t a good formula for a Kings team that is looking for consistent shooting.
Defensively, Waiters showed to be a solid defender during the Thunder’s playoff run last season, but he didn’t display the same production when the regular season was in play. Based on his 105.4 defensive rating during the season and eye test, Waiters isn’t a player that a team can bank on as an effective defender.
He would upgrade the perimeter defense for the Kings, but that is a given considering how dreadful it was last season.
Free Agent Watch: Kings Should Target Courtney Lee
Overall, Dion Waiters reminds me of a mild improvement of Marcus Thornton. A player that can be an effective scorer in spurts and is a mediocre defender.
If the Kings do sign Waiters to a contract, it probably will be at a price where they will regret later on. In my opinion, Sacramento is better off giving Ben McLemore one last chance to develop into their ideal two-guard rather than giving Waiters a long-term and overpaid contract.