Let Dion be Dion…in OKC

While researching for this piece, I found the quote below. It hails from an incredible article by R.K. Anthony of SB Nation. I fell in love with not only the imagery of OKC’s play, but how the writing illustrated the superstar duo’s trust in their little brother.

"“The teams return to the floor and Parker makes a lay-up, putting the Spurs up by 2. Westbrook brings the ball down and passes to Durant, the Spurs are in position, and Durant does exactly what his coach told him to do. Durant kicks the ball out to Waiters and then moves down into the low post. Waiters dribbles to his left and waits for Leonard to drop back into the passing lane to Durant. Waiters jab steps to freeze Parker then rises and knocks down the jump shot.”"

Now many fans would assume that this piece was detailing a game from the epic second round series between Oklahoma City and San Antonio; those fans would be mistaken. This play-by-play comes from Game One of the 2015-2016 NBA Season.

There are two big take away’s from this quote. First, it confirmed that Dion Waiters can turn any shot into a step back jumper. Second, Billy Donovan trusted Dion against a future Hall of Famer during crunch time in his first game coaching in the NBA. Looking back with 20/20 vision, the signs of Donovan’s coaching talent and his belief in Dion were there; we just didn’t see them.

Donovan trusted all of his players, from Russ to Kyle Singler, the real MVP. Doubters of Donovan, myself, misjudged his trust as ignorance. Donovan knew better than all of us. He not only saw the untapped potential in Dion but he knew how to unleash it. Unlike Dion’s previous four coaches, Billy told Dion to play like Dion; not the 3-and-D player everyone wanted from him.

"“It took a lot of time to try to talk to Dion,” Donovan said. “I think in the beginning he had a little bit of a perception that maybe I, in particular, was trying to change his game, so to speak. It wasn’t about changing his game as much as it was about him being efficient and understanding shot-clock situations, understanding what he’s really good at.”"

For the first time in Waiters career he was allowed to be Dion. Donovan put the ball in Dion’s hands—something Byron Scott, Mike Brown, David Blatt, and even Scotty Brooks were hesitant of—and the results are staggering.

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Rather than stick him in the corner, Donovan allowed Waiters to freely roam when off the ball. When Westbrook would exit the game, Donovan would put Waiters in the role of ball handler and player maker. This role change should equate to fewer three-point shots and higher usage rate, but the stats say something different.

In the 2015-2016 Season, Waiters’ 3-Point Attempt Rate was at a career high. While his Usage was a career low. Common sense says that shouldn’t be the case, nor should it make sense that his PER went down while his Win Share—both offensively and defensively—and Value Over Replacement went up.

What all these stats really say is that Dion Waiters actually shoots better from three and defends more effectively when he is not put into a 3-and-D role.

So where am I going with all of these stats and quotes? Well Dion Waiters is a restricted Free Agent and was an integral part of the Thunder run in the playoffs. Without Dion’s shooting, ball handling, and stifling defense, OKC would not have experienced the same success; but I don’t believe Waiters can strive elsewhere the way he can in OKC.

Billy Donovan is the only coach that Dion has trusted. Dion’s situation is comparable to the Mike Malone and Boogie Cousins situation. Cousins found the first coach in his career he trusted and enjoyed. That led to more efficient and impactful numbers.

Waiters can put up good stat lines with other coaches, but the stat lines can be deceiving to those who don’t pay close attention. Dion scored more points per game in Cleveland, yet his Win Shares were lower. This means although Waiters scored more, the points meant far less and carried little actual value.

Dion is most effective as a sixth man. Someone who is allowed to come in and just play like himself, something most coaches have and will prohibit Dion from. Dion should do everything in his power to stay with the one coach that understands him.

One of the largest reasons why I personally think both Durant and Dion will stay in OKC, is the brotherhood which the roster has. Durant came out last year after his injury riddled season and told the media he needed to be a better teammate. To get closer to his teammates on and off the floor. The Thunder have transformed into the prime example for team chemistry on and off the court.

Steven Adams and Nick Collison went on a bro trip to Croatia last summer, Donovan, Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka spent time with the young players at UCLA  in the offseason, while Kanter and Adams became inseparable as the “Stache Bros”. They even showed up to rookie Cameron Payne’s high school jersey retirement and supported Dion during his time of grief by attending his donation ceremony at his elementary school in Philly. That level of brotherhood is unmatched in the NBA.

When asked about returning to OKC in his exit interview, Waiters had two important quotes.

"Coach did a tremendous job of believing in me, having faith in me, and letting me go out there and play. He never tried to control me or anything, he just told me to go out there and have fun. I think once you have a guy like that behind you it makes everything easier."

Need I really say more?

"I never been connected to a group of guys like this in my four years in the NBA I’ve never had this much fun. Just being around these guys nothing to do with basketball just the brotherhood we had in the locker room, on the road, just the connectiveness we had within each other. It was just like something special to me."

Dion knows what he gets if he resigns with OKC. The chance to win a title, a chance to compete with Enes Kanter for Sixth Man of the Year, and most importantly, a chance to stay with his brothers.

Kyrie and Dion never fit on the court and that effected their relationship off the court. LeBron shunned Dion from day one of his return. Blatt never tried to let Dion play anything but 3-and-D. The Cavs were a horrible fit for Dion, and it’s hard to see Dion fitting in seamlessly with any other team with his enigmatic personality.

Dion and Westbrook share the floor perfectly and dance with each other. Billy Donovan embraced Dion in his entirety and allowed him to have fun. But most importantly, Kevin Durant took Dion in. Unlike LeBron, Kevin saw the potential and enjoyed the personality. KD took the things that the media and other teams called flaws, and turned them into Dion’s strengths. Kevin took Dion in as his little brother and Dion responded.

Next: Thunder: What we Learned in the Playoffs

I lied earlier when I said there was only two important quotes from Dion’s exit interview. I leave you with this final quote, straight from the mouth of Downhill Dion.

“I’m gonna stick with him no matter what. He’s my big brother”

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.