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Dion Waiters explains tweet saying he wouldn’t accept bench role

2013 Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day

2013 Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day

NBAE/Getty Images

Dion Waiters wants to start for the Cavaliers next season, and he made that clear in a recent tweet:

http://twitter.com/#!/dionwaiters3/status/488967142470348800

Case closed?

Not exactly.

The Cleveland guard expanded on his one-word (albeit elongated) response to a question on Twitter.

Waiters, via Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest:

“I want to start and I believe that I should at the two,” Waiters told CSNNW.com.
“I just say how I feel,” he said. “I’m going to do whatever is best for the team, of course, but at the end of the day, I’m a man and I’m confident in myself. I’ve always been a guy that gives it right to you. I’ve never been a guy that plays that political stuff. I was brought up that way. I’m straightforward. I give my honest opinion. I’m not going to sit here and hide. They asked a question and I tell you.”

This is why I encourage people to speak more openly with the media.

I did not read Waiters’ tweet this way at all. With limited contextual clues, I took it as him politicking for the starting role via social media.

Instead, he was doing the opposite – expressing his honest thoughts.

I wish more players would do that. I really respect where Waiters is coming from.

I don’t believe Waiters is good enough to start long-term, and the Cavaliers should start LeBron James and Andrew Wiggins on the wings as presently constructed – though a Kevin Love trade could change the roster makeup.

But this test – explaining what he really meant – Waiters aced. The next challenge will be handling coming of the bench if that’s what David Blatt asks of him.

Waiters might not accept resigning himself to a reserve role personally, but he still might handle it well enough outwardly. Before we blast Waiters for being selfish, let’s give him a chance to handle the situation – if it comes up.

Maybe he’ll come back next season improved and deserving of a starting spot, though I’m not counting on that.