Miami Heat Waive Former Duke Guard Andre Dawkins

Oct 18, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Andre Dawkins (24) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs small forward Austin Daye (23) during the second half at AT&T Center. The Heat won 111-108 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Former Duke guard Andre Dawkins was waived by the Miami Heat less than half way through his first NBA season.

The move doesn’t really come as a big surprise if you follow the NBA. The move also doesn’t mean his NBA career or even his career with the Miami Heat is over. The Heat released Dawkins before his contract became fully guaranteed, according to RealGM.

Mar 21, 2014; Raleigh, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Andre Dawkins (34) shoots the ball over Mercer Bears forward Darious Moten (22) in the first half of a men

Coming out of Duke many wondered what the future held for Dawkins. Was he NBA talent? Was he going to play overseas? Or was he just another good college basketball player whose career would end once he graduated?

Through the first 35 games for the Miami Heat Dawkins was a NBA player. He may have barely played but he can at least say he played in the NBA. Dawkins appeared in only four games out the team’s 35 games. Through four games he was on the floor for 22 minutes and scored three points, two rebounds and one assist. If you remember how Dawkins played at Duke then this next stat comes as no surprise. Dawkins attempt six field goals and all six were 3-pointers. The part that may surprise you is that he was only 1-6 from deep.

Dawkins also spent some time playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the NBA D-League and performing at a high level. He was deadly from deep shooting 52 percent from three and averaged 23.5 points per game

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The best part of Dawkins game is his ability to shoot the basketball. When he was at Duke he was deadly from behind the arc but lacked the ability to beat defenders off the dribble on a consistent basis. In the NBA you have to be able to shoot the ball well and be able to beat your man off the bounce. He has improved with his dribble but he must continue to get even better off the bounce.

There are some guys who start off as specialists but then develop into a more complete player. Dawkins has the potential to improve his game and maybe even catch on with another team or resign with the Heat. With that being said the fact that Dawkins is extremely accurate from deep and teams are always looking for shooters. Dawkins will probably find himself back in the D-League to get playing time and to continue to work on his game. We wish Andre Dawkins nothing but the best and hope he signs with another team in the near future.

Dawkins signed with the Miami Heat as undrafted guard back on Sept. 23, 2014. He performed well for both the Heat and the Houston Rockets during the NBA Summer Leagues. #DukeNation #DukeInTheNBA

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