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Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters has always implied that he does not want to go under the knife to repair his problematic left ankle while the season is ongoing. Instead, he plans to play through it. The problem, however, is that he has missed all of the Heat’s last five games – and probably more.
According to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, Waiters is entertaining the idea of getting a second opinion on his ailing ankle.
Sources: Heat guard Dion Waiters is pursuing a second opinion on his injured ankle. No change in his status – at this point.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) January 5, 2018
It would not hurt Waiters to hear another medical expert see his ankle and layout other options for him. While Waiters has said that he could play through the pain, he is putting himself in danger of aggravating the injury every time he takes the court.
Waiters is one of the top scoring options for the Heat, as the former Syracuse Orange is second on the team with 14.3 points per game, albeit on a below-average 39.8 field goal shooting percentage. Waiters had an impressive campaign last year, wherein he put up 15.8 points on a much better 42.4 shooting percentage from the floor than in this season.
With Waiters on the sidelines, the Heat will give more minutes to the likes of Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson, and Wayne Ellington, who have all been playing well. All three have averaged no fewer than 12.4 points over the Heat’s five games, during which Miami has gone 3-2. In other words, the Heat are looking fine even without Waiters, so maybe making a trip to the operating table sooner than later would be the most ideal way for the shooting guard to address his ankle problems.
