Dion says no no no

[Toga]

Wants to start. Hard to imagine he ends up staying in Cleveland between this and the Kyrie Irving dynamic.
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....nch-for-cleveland/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs

 

[jekelish]

I feel like there's a song parody here. "They tried to make me a 6th man, I said, no, no, no."

 

[OttoinGrotto]

What young player with upside wants to come off the bench? This is a non-story.

 

[Millhouse]

What young player with upside wants to come off the bench? This is a non-story.

being a young manu, winning a million rings, getting plenty of minutes playing forever, that would be horrible. i'd much rather start and lose every game and be out of the league and hate my life

 

[Toga]

being a young manu, winning a million rings, getting plenty of minutes playing forever, that would be horrible. i'd much rather start and lose every game and be out of the league and hate my life

Or play in Minnesota

 

[Toga]

I feel like there's a song parody here. "They tried to make me a 6th man, I said, no, no, no."

Hopefully it ends better for Dion.

 

[BostonOrange]

Wants to start. Hard to imagine he ends up staying in Cleveland between this and the Kyrie Irving dynamic.
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....nch-for-cleveland/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs

On the one hand I wouldn't expect anyone to be thrilled with the prospect of going from starter to 6th man at 22 yrs old. On the other hand as a 40 something year old observer I want to tell him that he is in an amazing situation and he needs to just shut up and play. What a great showcase...a key role for a team with the best player on the planet. Being a 6th man early in their careers has worked out ok for James Harden, John Stockton, Kevin Mchale, Manu, Havlicek, etcetc (not to put Harden in a category with those guys but he is a modern example). Just play well Dion...that is all you need to do.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Ok, so since we're going to read way too much in to a tweet...

You're Dion Waiters. You came off the bench in college only to later be drafted 4th in the lottery, which feels great, but weird - if you were the 4th best player in the draft, why weren't you starting in college? When you came in to the league they said you need to earn your keep and nobody is handing you a starting job, so you mostly came off the bench and averaged 14 points a game and really started to figure some stuff out at the end of the season. For some reason, even though you feel you're a pretty good player too, people drool over your equally young backcourt mate. Second season in, you're still coming off the bench quite a bit, playing about the same minutes you did as a rookie, and now you're averaging 16 points a game, and improved your shooting percentage from the floor and from 3. You've done all of this amidst some terrible coaching, coaching changes, front office changes, and lack of leadership and organization from other players on the team. You've put some time in. On your rookie contract, you're a bargain.

Offseason comes, and your team lucks in to the 1st pick, and drafts a player that played forward in college, but now all of a sudden everyone says will play your position in the NBA. But hey, no big deal, right? You've spent two years proving yourself and improving your game - it's hard to argue that you haven't earned your starting spot, alongside Lebron I might add. Besides, the new guy is going to have to earn his keep too. Nobody's handing him a starting job. He has to earn it.

...

Hang on, why did you have to earn it but this other guy doesn't?

 

[Briancuse]

He should be chomping at the bit to play with Lebron, if you have to give up some minutes so be it.

 

[Toga]

I totally get that. Just hope it doesn't make it so he ends up in Minnesota. Dion is cocky. It's a trait that serves him well as long as he stays within the team game. He could progress to the point when he reaches the end of his contract, to be making some serious jack.

Ok, so since we're going to read way too much in to a tweet...

You're Dion Waiters. You came off the bench in college only to later be drafted 4th in the lottery, which feels great, but weird - if you were the 4th best player in the draft, why weren't you starting in college? When you came in to the league they said you need to earn your keep and nobody is handing you a starting job, so you mostly came off the bench and averaged 14 points a game and really started to figure some stuff out at the end of the season. For some reason, even though you feel you're a pretty good player too, people drool over your equally young backcourt mate. Second season in, you're still coming off the bench quite a bit, playing about the same minutes you did as a rookie, and now you're averaging 16 points a game, and improved your shooting percentage from the floor and from 3. You've done all of this amidst some terrible coaching, coaching changes, front office changes, and lack of leadership and organization from other players on the team. You've put some time in. On your rookie contract, you're a bargain.

Offseason comes, and your team lucks in to the 1st pick, and drafts a player that played forward in college, but now all of a sudden everyone says will play your position in the NBA. But hey, no big deal, right? You've spent two years proving yourself and improving your game - it's hard to argue that you haven't earned your starting spot, alongside Lebron I might add. Besides, the new guy is going to have to earn his keep too. Nobody's handing him a starting job. He has to earn it.

...

Hang on, why did you have to earn it but this other guy doesn't?

 

[HOFCeluck]

Ok, so since we're going to read way too much in to a tweet...

You're Dion Waiters. You came off the bench in college only to later be drafted 4th in the lottery, which feels great, but weird - if you were the 4th best player in the draft, why weren't you starting in college? When you came in to the league they said you need to earn your keep and nobody is handing you a starting job, so you mostly came off the bench and averaged 14 points a game and really started to figure some stuff out at the end of the season. For some reason, even though you feel you're a pretty good player too, people drool over your equally young backcourt mate. Second season in, you're still coming off the bench quite a bit, playing about the same minutes you did as a rookie, and now you're averaging 16 points a game, and improved your shooting percentage from the floor and from 3. You've done all of this amidst some terrible coaching, coaching changes, front office changes, and lack of leadership and organization from other players on the team. You've put some time in. On your rookie contract, you're a bargain.

Offseason comes, and your team lucks in to the 1st pick, and drafts a player that played forward in college, but now all of a sudden everyone says will play your position in the NBA. But hey, no big deal, right? You've spent two years proving yourself and improving your game - it's hard to argue that you haven't earned your starting spot, alongside Lebron I might add. Besides, the new guy is going to have to earn his keep too. Nobody's handing him a starting job. He has to earn it.

...

Hang on, why did you have to earn it but this other guy doesn't?

Except Wiggins is supposed to be an elite defender and fits better with the team (and by that I mean Lebron) than Dion.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Except Wiggins is supposed to be an elite defender and fits better with the team (and by that I mean Lebron) than Dion.

My post wasn't about actual reasons. If we lived our lives according to actual reasons, the world would be very different.

 

[BostonOrange]

Ok, so since we're going to read way too much in to a tweet...

You're Dion Waiters. You came off the bench in college only to later be drafted 4th in the lottery, which feels great, but weird - if you were the 4th best player in the draft, why weren't you starting in college? When you came in to the league they said you need to earn your keep and nobody is handing you a starting job, so you mostly came off the bench and averaged 14 points a game and really started to figure some stuff out at the end of the season. For some reason, even though you feel you're a pretty good player too, people drool over your equally young backcourt mate. Second season in, you're still coming off the bench quite a bit, playing about the same minutes you did as a rookie, and now you're averaging 16 points a game, and improved your shooting percentage from the floor and from 3. You've done all of this amidst some terrible coaching, coaching changes, front office changes, and lack of leadership and organization from other players on the team. You've put some time in. On your rookie contract, you're a bargain.

Offseason comes, and your team lucks in to the 1st pick, and drafts a player that played forward in college, but now all of a sudden everyone says will play your position in the NBA. But hey, no big deal, right? You've spent two years proving yourself and improving your game - it's hard to argue that you haven't earned your starting spot, alongside Lebron I might add. Besides, the new guy is going to have to earn his keep too. Nobody's handing him a starting job. He has to earn it.

...

Hang on, why did you have to earn it but this other guy doesn't?

I get what you are saying, but the other way to look at it is " it...they don't want to start me fine. I am going to go kick some ass and make them keep me on the court". In today's NBA a 5 of Kyrie-Dion-Wiggins-LBJ-Varejeo is potentially devastating. Maybe that isn't the starting 5, but it can be the finishing 5. Or, he can keep beatching and be the 2nd coming of Rashad McCants. Check out McCants #'s at age 23...pretty similar to where Dion is at. Out of the league at 24. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mccanra01.html

 

[HOFCeluck]

My post wasn't about actual reasons. If we lived our lives according to actual reasons, the world would be very different.

Yeah that's reasonable

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I get what you are saying, but the other way to look at it is " it...they don't want to start me fine. I am going to go kick some ass and make them keep me on the court". In today's NBA a 5 of Kyrie-Dion-Wiggins-LBJ-Varejeo is potentially devastating. Maybe that isn't the starting 5, but it can be the finishing 5. Or, he can keep beatching and be the 2nd coming of Rashad McCants. Check out McCants #'s at age 23...pretty similar to where Dion is at. Out of the league at 24. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mccanra01.html

It's a fickle thing. Part of what has gotten Dion to this point in his life is that his head isn't wired that way, you know? He might be capable of more than he's supposed to sometimes because he believes in himself.

 

[two3zone]

I get what you are saying, but the other way to look at it is " it...they don't want to start me fine. I am going to go kick some ass and make them keep me on the court". In today's NBA a 5 of Kyrie-Dion-Wiggins-LBJ-Varejeo is potentially devastating. Maybe that isn't the starting 5, but it can be the finishing 5. Or, he can keep beatching and be the 2nd coming of Rashad McCants. Check out McCants #'s at age 23...pretty similar to where Dion is at. Out of the league at 24. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mccanra01.html

You still would have Tristan Thompson and a much slimmer and still talented Anthony Bennett on the bench in that scenario, scary.



The team is stacked, Dion needs to shut up and play and stop complaining that he is getting 28+ minutes a game (he will still probably get close to that this year) and even with the low minutes he'll be able to capitalize on great play by a free agent contract after this year. Will he be showcased? Not a chance, does he have a chance to look great on what's probably going to be the most watched team in basketball? Sure does. Leaving that situation and bitching about that situation is immature and purely stupid on Dion's part. Play great for 25-30 minutes a game with great exposure and get a nice contract, or go to the Sixers or Twolves and average 38 minutes a game, average 23 points a game while throwing up 25 shots a game and looking bad at it. I'll take option one.

 

[Ghost]

If I'm Dion I would want to stay just to get that year in with LeBron. The experience alone is probably going to be far more valuable than getting a start gig somewhere else.

 

[DoctorBombay]

He needs to play hard, , and make himself indispensable to the team.
IMO, this was a dumb, immature and somewhat selfish move on his part.
They have the best player in basketball coming back home to a league-wide, feel-good situation...nobody's thinking about Dion, and he doesn't need to play buzzkill. :bang:

 

[HOFCeluck]

Damn it Dion you're the closest SU guy to getting a ring. Don't it up.

 

[RF2044]

Oy freaking vey.

There's a lot of inference happening in this thread over a one word response.

 

[BostonOrange]

Oy freaking vey.

There's a lot of inference happening in this thread over a one word response.

Probably right. I think we are just saying it behooves dion to let his play do the talking.

 

[RF2044]

Probably right. I think we are just saying it behooves dion to let his play do the talking.

And there's nothing wrong with taking that stance. But making additional attributions about his attitude, his motivation, his willingness to work hard, etc. from a one word tweet is pretty asinine.

 

[Dave85]

I don't think it matters where Dion ends up as long as the paycheck is good. NBA is business. Let's not forget it's all about money for the most part.

 

[BostonOrange]

And there's nothing wrong with taking that stance. But making additional attributions about his attitude, willingness to work hard, etc. from a one word tweet is pretty asinine.

Right. Because dion has never given anyone any reason to question his attitude. Oy vey.

 

[RF2044]

Right. Because dion has never given anyone any reason to question his attitude. Oy vey.

His sophomore year should have debunked the vast majority of those questions. And to the best of my knowledge, he hasn't had any major issues at the professional level [I'm fully aware of what was speculated about last year in the players' only behind closed doors meeting--heaven forbid that he doesn't show full blown adult level maturity in what should be his senior season of college]. He's also been an outspoken, vociferous supporter of the SU program. But hey--let's not let that get in the way of some false attributions about what a bad seed he must be because he believes in himself and wants to start.