Miami Heat fans wept over Dwyane Wade's departure, but if they squinted at the court through their teary eyes, they might almost have thought Wade was still playing for Erik Spoelstra. Out at the center of American Airlines Arena was a shooting guard taking and making impossible circus shots, banking in clutch jumpers, and even shouting "This is my city!" when his buzzer-beating three defeated the Golden State Warriors in the midst of a 13-game winning streak. But this heroic new DW wasn't Dwyane Wade: He was Dion Waiters. Before this season, Waiters, drafted fourth overall in 2012, had earned a rep as a talent capable of not only scoring as many points as anyone in the league but also shooting his team right out of certain victory when he was cold. But Spoelstra got Waiters in world-class shape and changed his game by persuading him to be a willing passer. And when the game was on the line, Waiters still got to take — and often make — the crucial baskets in one of the most fun seasons in Miami Heat history. Though Heat fans might not yet be ready to proclaim that it's Miami-Waiters County — especially with the possibility that Waiters could sign as a free agent elsewhere this summer — Waiters' 2017 season at the very least was a hell of a one-night stand after the 13-year Dwyane Wade romance.
Readers' choice: Udonis Haslem