Gritty Waiters back in the driver’s seat

DALLAS — Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters was getting so close to the basket on Wednesday night at American Airlines Center that he could be heard inside the arena yelling into the microphone attached to the hoop meant to accentuate the swish sound.

“And one!” he would yell, despite not getting fouled. “That’s all I ever say, anyway,” he would explain after the Heat’s 112-101 win in Dallas against the Mavericks.

While it was a humorous moment — and also captured Waiters’ attitude on the court — it was also a testament to the burst he’s beginning to show more than a month into his return from being out a full calendar year recovering from ankle surgery.

While Waiters shot an impressive 19-of-41 on three-point attempts during the five-game West Coast road trip, he began to show explosiveness off the dribble, breaking down defenders and driving to create his own layup or dish to a teammate — like he did for Dwyane Wade on an impressive and-one layup in the second half against Dallas.

“That’ll get better once he gets in better shape and gets his legs under him. That’s his game, and it’s already happening,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s starting to get his step back and be able to get into the paint and make plays. It makes our offense more dynamic.”

Waiters said he’s been shooting a lot of threepointers because opponents were playing off of him, but he would prefer attacking the basket more.

“I’m going to drive. I think a lot of people were playing my drive, so it opened up the shot for me,” Waiters said. “Everything is clicking on all cylinders.”

Waiters, who was vocal in wanting to expand his role quicker since his return, has made the most of his opportunity of being inserted into the starting lineup the past four games.

“I’m just glad I’m in a situation where I’m able to play,” Waiters said. “A lot of people probably felt like it was going to take a lot of time to get that rhythm and stuff like that, but other than that, it’s confidence. Even if you can’t move the way you want to move or jump the way you want to jump, that’s a work in progress, but you put your mind to it, you feel like you’re still out there and you still can perform at the highest level and that’s what I always tell myself.

“Don’t limit myself, even if I’m not all the way back where I want to be at, but I can still go out there and play with the best of them.”

Scoring in double figures in each of the Heat’s past four games, which he hadn’t achieved in any of the seven games prior, and 20-plus in two of those, including 24 against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, has Waiters motivated entering the All-Star break.

“I just got to stay with it, continue to use this break to get healthy, get better,” Waiters said. “I’m not going on no vacation. I’m going to work, strictly work.” Miami Heat shape: Now a week into his Heat tenure, forward Ryan Anderson, acquired in the trade with the Phoenix Suns for Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington, has only played two meaningless minutes at the end of the 16-point loss in Denver on Monday.

Spoelstra said he’s continuing to look to get Anderson into “Miami Heat shape.”

“It’s a bit of a whirlwind right now,” Anderson said. “We’re having three games in four nights, just jumping right into games. We’ve really only had one practice, but getting to know the guys, getting to know the organization.”

On what “Heat shape” is to Anderson, he said: “There’s a level of standard that this group has had, and I know [Heat President] Pat Riley, that’s his system and that’s what he wants. He wants guys to come out and put yourself in the best possible scenario to help the team.”