Rothstein Files: Boeheim: Dion Waiters More Ready For NBA Than Any Guard I've Ever Had
By Jon Rothstein
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The entire basketball world seems to be bullish on Dion Waiters.
Agents, general managers and college coaches are all raving about the combo guard and his ability to make an impact at the NBA level -- but no one is as high on Waiters as the man that coached him the past two seasons at Syracuse.
"He's more ready for the NBA than any other guard I've ever had," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said of the 6-foot-4, 215 pound Waiters on Tuesday. "Nobody will be able to guard him one on one unless their last name is Westbrook. He'll go by anyone he faces. Dion started out the draft process at 25 or 30 and has risen dramatically. It should come as no surprise, he's got all the tools."
And the build. While other college players struggle to become physically ready to make an impact on the professional level, Waiters' burly physique should allow him to make an immediate contribution in the NBA.
"It's huge," Boeheim said in reference to Waiters' physical attributes. "You look at some players in college and they're good players but they're not physically ready for the next level. That's something that doesn't affect Dion. He's more than ready in that aspect and he's also ready to play with other good players because he played at Syracuse. People sometimes say if you play at a lesser program and put up better numbers that it's better for your chances in the NBA but that's not the truth. In the NBA, you have be able to co-exist with other great players. Dion's already done that."
Toronto (8th overall) and Phoenix (13th overall) are currently showing the most interest in Waiters, who is said to have a promise in the lottery. According to sources, the Suns are more than prepared to make an attempt on draft night to acquire the talented scorer.
How high will Waiters go? Make your prediction in the comments below...
