I got grilled on here during preseason for daring to remark that I thought Waters was the best ballplayer among the rookies. I'm not here to serve humble pie. Actually, my point wasn't that he would emerge as the most valuable among them. Just that his skill set all around was the best. Kid is a ball player.
Last night he gave me flashes of Isaiah Thomas driving to the hole, completing drives over giants. There will never be another Isaiah circa 2016-17, IMO, but the kid did give me that feeling for a few plays.
What separates Waters from other "little guys" in the NBA is his elite defense. He is not going to hurt the team, even in mismatches. His ball pressure is amazing. Once the refs realize he was defensive player of the year in Southeast Conference (I think Brad reminded them of that last night), he will get the benefit of more calls/non-calls, such as the steal he made on Bogdonovic.
Man I just love this kid's story too. Only regret is that he is a 2 way contract, and won't be able to help us in playoffs.