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Through the first few games of the 2017-18 campaign, Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters has dealt with some nagging issues with a left ankle injury that he suffered late last season.
It is something that Waiters recently addressed as he stated to Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald that he still feels the effects of the injury through the first couple of weeks.
“I’ve always got that – like at the beginning of the game – I’ve always got that explosive first step,” Waiters said. “Even on one leg I’ve got that explosive first step. I’ve just got it. That ain’t really [the issue].”
But “then,” Waiters admits softly, “I’ll feel it.”
This should draw some level of concern from the Heat as this is the same injury that forced him to miss the last 13 games of the 2016-17 campaign, which Miami fell just shy of earning a playoff spot. On top of that, he had continually stated that he had been dealing with discomfort all through training camp and the preseason.
Waiters has become an important piece to the puzzle offensively, but injuries have played a huge part in limiting his effectiveness on the court. In fact, he played in a career-low 46 games in his first year in Miami.
The 25-year-old had inked a four-year, $52 million deal with the Heat over the offseason, which could make this situation with Waiters' something that the team continues to monitor closely moving forward this season.
