Lakers news: Watch new footage of Dion Waiters working out

Dion Waiters has been preparing for the Los Angeles Lakers season resume

Dion Waiters was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers shortly before the NBA season went on suspension due efforts to contain COVID-19.

Signing Waiters then was an ever-prescient move that no one could truly understand the gravity of until months later with the NBA season kicking back up in a unique campus environment at Walt Disney World. Now, having depth is key as it will allow teams to sustain success and mitigate the risks of unknown factors.

Shortly after the Lakers arrived, Rajon Rondo fractured a thumb and will have to sit out for at least six weeks following surgery to repair it. This will create an avenue for the Lakers to allocate minutes — especially during the eight seeding games prior to the postseason kick-off — to Waiters and newly signed J.R. Smith. Waiters is one of the players under more pressure in light of Rondo’s absence.

Though Waiters has yet to play a game for the Lakers this season, he has played some hero ball for the Miami Heat this year. There’s now new footage of Waiters getting some drills in with Swish Cultures (Chris Johnson) prior to heading to the bubble in Orlando.

Watch Dion Waiters prepping his body and mechanics for the Lakers

The primary focus of this Dion Waiters workout seems to have been his ball-handling, shooting, and finishing with contact near the rim. Waiters flexes some crossover moves, off the dribble and step back shooting and finesse at the rim.

Toward the end of the clip, there are a few runs in which Waiters hits 7-plus 3-point attempts in a row.

Not necessarily a shocking display, but good to see. Waiters flexed a capable shot from deep in his few games with the Heat this year, but a small sample size made it difficult to view that as a repeatable occurrence with much confidence.

In his first game back, Waiters made four 3-pointers, several coming in the final minutes of the game.

It’s been some time since Waiters has been accustomed to the rigors of a day-in and day-out NBA schedule, having only appeared in three games this year for the Miami Heat. The bubble could have a major leveling effect for players like Waiters. Everyone, not just him, will have rust to shake off, and it could allow him to ease back into his flow with little tension.