12up Logo

3 Reasons Lakers Were Smart to Sign Dion Waiters Over JR Smith

By Alexander Wildes

Dion Waiters was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers over JR Smith, which was the correct move by the NBA franchise.
Dion Waiters was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers over JR Smith, which was the correct move by the NBA franchise. / Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Earlier in the week, the Los Angeles Lakers were reported to be working out Dion Waiters and JR Smith with the extra roster spot they had after cutting Troy Daniels. In the end, the Lakers signed Dion Waiters for the rest of the season over Smith. While some fans will point to Smith's experience with LeBron James as a reason to sign him, the Lakers clearly believed otherwise. Here are three reasons that the Lakers were correct in their decision to sign Waiters over Smith.

3. Age Discrepancy

Dion Waiters is six years younger than JR Smith.
Dion Waiters is six years younger than JR Smith. / Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Dion Waiters is in the prime basketball age of 28. At this point, if Waiters practices and trains intensely, he will be at his peak within the next few years. On the other hand, Smith is already 34 and has not played in the NBA since the beginning of last season. Their athleticism at this point is vastly different, and therefore the Lakers made the right choice from this perspective.

2. Basketball IQ

While neither of these two are basketball savants, JR Smith has made more than his fair share of mistakes.
While neither of these two are basketball savants, JR Smith has made more than his fair share of mistakes. / Jason Miller/Getty Images

Let's be honest -- neither of these two players are basketball geniuses like LeBron James. However, when discussing mental mistakes on the court, Smith stands out. From shooting the ball when he shouldn't, to not shooting the ball when he should, Smith makes any NBA fan scratch their head with bewilderment as to what he was thinking. At least Waiters is a smarter player who should know his role on the Lakers.

1. Shot Creation

Dion Waiters is excellent at creating his own shots. He has been doing it his whole NBA career.
Dion Waiters is excellent at creating his own shots. He has been doing it his whole NBA career. / Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

One of Waiters' main strengths is creating a shot for himself. He has no shortage of moves and counters that help him get open against even the toughest opponents. Waiters has hit multiple game winners in his career, the most notable being against the 2016-2017 Golden State Warriors (one of the greatest teams of all time) while being guarded by Klay Thompson. Smith, at this point in his career, will not be able to replicate the success Waiters would have as a shot-creating bench player.