Dion Waiters suffered an Ankle Injury during the second quarter in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and he was forced to leave the game because of it. Waiters, who had 6 points on a perfect 3 of 3 shooting in the game, drove to the rim and drew a foul on the drive. However, he collapsed to the floor, holding his leg and he could not stand up. Waiters also was not able to take free throws after the injury, and according to NBA rules, he was not allowed to return to the game due to that.
Waiters was already injured this season
Dion Waiters has missed 23 games for the Miami Heat this season as he has already dealt with another ankle injury.
Since he is a starting shooting guard for the Heat, the team was unable to find a suitable replacement for him as they started losing games. During Waiters' absence, the Heat went 7-16 as they fell down to the near-bottom of the standings.
#MINvsMIA: Dion Waiters left tonight's game with an injury & was unable to shoot his free throws, as a result he will not be able to return.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 18, 2017
What makes Waiters' ankle injury bad is that it seems like it could be a long-term injury. The Miami Heat, who are tied for the eighth seed in the East, cannot afford to lose their shooting guard once again, as he is one of the best players on the team. They are chasing the playoffs, and losing Waiters could be fatal.
Dion Waiters is the reason why Miami Heat turned their season around
Shortly after he came off his first ankle injury, Dion Waiters started playing very well, helping the Heat win games. With him on the roster, the team won 13 straight games as they propelled in the standings and got very close to the playoff seeds. The Heat won 26 games with Waiters and lost only 19.
Since coming off the injury, the 25-year-old shooting guard has averaged 17.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He's been also one of the best three-point shooters in the entire league during this period, as he shot 41.3 percent from long range. Miami could use their backup shooting guard Wayne Ellington to replace Waiters if it turns out that he will miss more games, but it is very unlikely that someone will be able to make up for Waiters' absence.
