Knicks Rumors: Pros and Cons of potentially signing Dion Waiters

The New York Knicks have been in contact with free agent shooting guard Dion Waiters. What would the pros and cons be of signing Waiters?

The New York Knicks have been relatively inactive on the free agency front in 2017. Aside from re-signing Ron Baker and adding players to the G League, New York has been hesitant to take on any new contracts.

One of the players whom the Knicks have been in contact with, however, is a polarizing figure at shooting guard: Dion Waiters.

Waiters began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and flashed the potential of a high-level scoring option. His career took a disappointing turn after he joined the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he achieved a measure of redemption with the Miami Heat.

According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, Waiters, now an unrestricted free agent, has been in contact with the Knicks.

Nothing is imminent, but Waiters is an undeniably intriguing option for New York to consider.

Perhaps with Waiters more than anyone else, New York must do its due diligence. There have been just as many reasons for skepticism as there have been flashes of brilliance, and the scale may be tipped in a negative manner.

In order to come to a concrete conclusion, the New York Knicks should weigh the pros and cons of signing Dion Waiters. Here’s what they would be.

Pro: Isolation Offense

Ball movement and motion offenses have begun to take precedence over hero ball and isolation infatuation. True as that may be, every team needs a player who can consistently break opponents down in isolation.

Waiters checks that box as one of the better isolation scorers in the NBA—based off of an admittedly small sample size of 2016-17, that is.

Waiters finished the 2016-17 season at No. 12 in the Association in isolation points per game. Waiters also cracked the Top 25 in points via drives per game, which is a sign of his ability to create penetration and finish in the paint.

It’s also worth noting that Waiters finished 2016-17 at No. 2 in the NBA in passes off of drives and tied for No. 1 in assists via drives per game.

Those numbers are a sign of Waiters’ ability to not only score on the drive, but kick the ball out to his shooters. That perfectly fits the offense that Jeff Hornacek ran with the Phoenix Suns, where driving and dishing is a primary emphasis.

The New York Knicks need a player who can drive the lane and create in isolation, and Waiters fits the bill of what’s currently missing.

Con: Sample Size of Success

Dion Waiters may be back on the radar, but it took a small sample size of performances to influence the thinking of the masses. He struggled mightily over the previous two seasons, and there’s reason to believe those are his true colors.

It would be easy to believe that the Waiters in 2016-17 is the player he truly is, but it’s just as probable that he’s the player he was in Oklahoma City.

Waiters played exceptionally well for the Miami Heat, but he also appeared in 46 games and started 43. That’s more than half a season, but it’s also 36 games less than a full campaign—reason to be skeptical of the validity of his success.

The New York Knicks need a shooting guard who can create in isolation, and Waiters specializes in doing so, but his effectiveness is debatable.

In 2015-16, Waiters shot 39.9 percent from the field and recorded an inefficient assist to turnover ratio of 1.28. In 2014-15, he shot 39.2 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from 3-point range, and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.41.

It’s possible that Waiters is the player he was in Miami, but it’s also possible that his true form is what he displayed in Oklahoma City.

Pro: The Clutch Gene

Some may oppose this belief, but some players are confident and comfortable in the clutch, and others shrink in the moment. It’s as much a case of psychological evaluation as it is an evaluation of basketball proficiency.

The New York Knicks have a hungry young star in Kristaps Porzingis, but adding Dion Waiters would mean adding a player who has proven to be clutch.

As the videos throughout this slideshow display, Waiters stepped up with game-winning and game-sealing shots on a rather consistent basis. That includes clutch shots against the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Golden State Warriors.

Waiters’ clutch field goal percentage is admittedly lower than one might expect it to be, but he’s a fearless player who thinks he’s ready for the big moments

Under head coach Jeff Hornacek, Waiters could hone the skills that would make him a truly effective clutch player. Waiters has a comparable skill set to Goran Dragic, whom coach Hornacek helped evolve into an All-NBA player.

We’ll touch on that further, but in the clutch, Waiters has the fearlessness that’s often missing from players in big moments.

Con: Defensive Inconsistency

If the New York Knicks sign unrestricted free agent Dion Waiters, they’ll be doing so with knowledge of his weakness. He’s not a turnstile defensively, but 2016-17 was the first time in his career that he displayed any measure of consistency.

It’s possible that Waiters is turning a corner and developing into a legitimate two-way player, but it’s just as likely that he’ll regress.

New York’s primary focus is—and should be—finding players who are willing to work on both ends of the floor. Waiters indicated that he is during his time in Miami, but even then, he was a slightly below average defensive player.

The Knicks don’t necessarily need a shooting guard who can lock players down, but Waiters would need to provide a consistent level of energy and intensity.

The hurdle here is that, as Waiters enters the prime of his career, he’ll likely be asking for a long-term contract. Thus, if Waiters is signed and then underwhelms on either end of the floor, he’ll likely be difficult to move.

There’s no guaranteeing that he’ll regress, but it’s no more likely that Waiters will realize his potential as an on-ball and team defender.

Pro: Fitting Jeff Hornacek’s System

The New York Knicks have a head coach who specializes in helping his guards realize their potential. He helped Goran Dragic become an All-NBA player, enabled Eric Bledsoe to discover his offensive identity, and was the stepping stone for Isaiah Thomas to stardom.

Dion Waiters has the talent level to become a high-level performer, and head coach Jeff Hornacek would be the ideal talent developer to help him realize his potential.

Waiters, like Dragic, is a 6’4″ guard who has the ability to drive the lane at virtual will. He uses his size and underrated strength to get to the rim, and does an excellent job of making accurate passes out to his shooters along the perimeter.

Waiters may not be a point guard, but if Jeff Hornacek runs a dual point guard system like he did in Phoenix, it could work out well.

Waiters and Frank Ntilikina could provide New York with a pair of ball-handlers who can create for others. While Ntilikina may struggle to turn the corner at this current juncture, Waiters excels at breaking opponents down in isolation.

That balance could be similar to what was created with Bledsoe and Dragic in Phoenix, with the benefit of both players being young enough to develop long-term.

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The question is: Does the good outweigh the bad with Dion Waiters and the New York Knicks?