Former Syracuse basketball guard, Dion Waiters, receives his 3rd suspension this year. We have all the details on him and the rest of the Orange in the NBA.
We will take a look at Syracuse basketball around the NBA, and let’s start with Dion Waiters.
The Miami Heat guard continues his tumultuous tenure with the squad. On Thursday night, the guard was suspended for the third time in 2019.
"This time the suspension was due to “failure to adhere to team policies, violation of team rules and continued insubordination,” per ESPN."
Waiters has yet to play in a game this season, and he won’t step foot on the court at least until December 27 when he is eligible to return from his suspension.
In Portland, Carmelo Anthony is continuing to find his groove with the Trailblazers. His career revival has been impressive so far and even warranted the Western Conference Player of the Week honors a few weeks ago. During that span, Anthony averaged 22.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, per the New York Post.
On the season, Anthony has filled a void in the starting lineup and has been effective since his return to the league.
There are a few statistics that are lower than average for Carmelo, but other aspects of his game are flourishing in Rip City. In 2019 he is averaging 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. Also, Carmelo is averaging 1.3 steals a contest, which is the highest rate since his 2009 All-Star season with the Denver Nuggets.
In the latest game of his comeback tour, he faced his former squad, the Nuggets. The former NCAA champ put up 20 points and nine rebounds in the losing effort.
On the other side, former Orange forward, Jerami Grant suited up and had one of his best games of the year. Grant tied his season-high 20 points and also contributed five rebounds as his team won 114-99.
So far, he has settled into the sixth man role but hasn’t shined offensively. This game could serve as an indication of what to expect from the forward the rest of the season. Grant is an improving shooter, and against Portland, he converted five-time from deep. This year he is shooting nearly 40 percent from three, which is the best mark of his career.
The former rookie of the year, Michael Carter-Williams, finds himself in Orlando looking for more minutes. This season he has been battling for playing time in a crowded backcourt. Through 14 games, Carter-Williams is averaging 4.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and two assists. As the season progresses, it is yet to be seen what his continued role with the Magic will be.
North of the border, Oshae Brissett is continuing his young journey into the league. As a player on a two-way contract, Brissett has seen action with both the NBA and G-league squads. In the G-league, Oshae is averaging over 14 points and almost eight boards a game.
In his short time with the NBA team, he has appeared in four games. He is only averaging about four minutes per game, but Brissett is slowly breaking into the league and hopes to get more chances this season.