When a draft prospect shuts down his workouts, it means he got a promise from some team to take him.
It usually doesn’t happen this early in the process. However, that’s what Syracuse two-guard Dion Waiters has done, tweets Marc Spears of Yahoo.
Waiters met with teams for interviews on the first night of the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago then shut everything down on Thursday. There have been questions about his character and commitment to defense, but he must have impressed someone.
He got a promise. We don’t know from whom (yet), but he got one or he wouldn’t shut it down like this. He is a guy that has been all over draft boards — while some have him in the top 10 Draft Express has him falling out of the lottery to No. 17. But Top 10 seems high for a guy who was the sixth man on his college team.
Waiters is a bit small for an NBA two guard but as anyone who watched Syracuse last year can tell you he can flat out get to the rim. He attacks and is a strong guy on the drive. He lines to make plays in transition and attack in that setting. He has physical tools (although at 6’4” is a bit small for an NBA two guard).
If he can develop a steady jumper he can provide real value as a scorer in the NBA. And apparently somebody thinks he can.