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Dion Waiters studying Dwyane Wade tape to better play two alongside LeBron James

Steve Mitchell / US Presswire

With Dion Waiters adamant that he thinks he should be the starting shooting guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, the Syracuse product is taking the right steps to make sure he can perform in the role.

The biggest key, according to Waiters, will be studying tape of Dwyane Wade, another high-usage shooting guard who had to adjust his game some when LeBron James came to town.  Here's Waiters explaining his study to ESPN:

I have to make adjustments. I like to have the ball, and we have Kyrie, and he likes to have the ball. So I have to find ways to impact the game without having the ball. I'm planning to go watch tape to see what D-Wade did when he played with LeBron. I need to learn how to be effective out there with him.

The difference, of course, is that Wade was a superstar at the time, while Waiters is more of a complementary player, and will be third in the pecking order behind James and Kyrie Irving. Wade and Waiters aren't dissimilar in their style of play, however, and while Wade's totals have dropped thanks in part to age and injury, he's remained an efficient scorer as his role as shrunk.

In general terms, efficiency for a player increases as the burden of usage is decreased, and with Waiters having used 26.6 percent of Cavaliers possessions when on the floor in his first two seasons, there's hope that with a more average rate of usage he'd be able to climb above league-average efficiency marks (he has a 13.9 career player efficiency rating and 50 percent true shooting percentage, while the league averages are 15 and roughly 54 percent, respectively).

The biggest change for Waiters beyond just having the ball less (he ranked 89th in the league in time of possession per game and 79th in frontcourt touches per game) will be driving less (he ranked 19th in drives to the rim per game) with a resultant uptick in catch-and-shoot opportunities (he did not rank in the top-100 in catch-and-shoot attempts per game). Those are generally easier shots to hit, and with Waiters hitting 41.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes last season, there's a clear argument that a more secondary role will suit Waiters well.

In short - and this may shock you - James taking some attention and pressure off of players can really make them better. Look for the same to hold true for Waiters this season.

[Stats courtesy NBA.com]

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