CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 13: Dion Waiters #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers brings the ball down the court against the Washington Wizards at The Quicken Loans Arena on October 13, 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)

INDEPENDENCE (92.3 The Fan) – “I’d rather fight somebody else on the other team than one of my teammates.”

That is how Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters responded to rumors circulating about his involvement in a physical altercation during a players’ only meeting following Wednesday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“That’s the way it is,” Waiters said. “That’s the way I was brought up. I feel that we’re family. I’m going to look out for you to the best of my abilities.”

“All the other rumors, those are rumors.”

The Cavs guard returned to the practice floor for the first time since last Thursday after dealing with an illness that kept him out of commission.

Unfortunately for him, in his absence, rumblings began to circulate that his time away from the team was actually because he was involved in a physical confrontation during the players’ meeting on Wednesday.

Waiters attempted to set the story straight on Monday.

“I ain’t paying it no mind,” Waiters said of the rumors. “I know what happened. I just got sick at that time. Of course everyone is going to think otherwise.”

So what did actually happen on Wednesday following the loss to Minnesota?

“We had a players meeting,” Waiters said. “I think it was productive. I think it helped. I think we needed it as far as the team and all the built up frustration.

“People said what they felt. I said what I felt. Other guys said what they felt. At the end of the day, we’ve got to say what we feel. It’s not good to keep something inside and let it keep building and you don’t say nothing about it.”

Despite any report stating otherwise, Waiters said there was no sort of physical confrontation involving himself or anyone else. But as far as the words said during the meeting, the guard believes they were helpful for everyone.

“We’re grown men,” Waiters said. “We should be able to talk to one another and say what we feel. If I go on the court every night, I make sure I have every one of my teammates back, no matter what.”

As for what was said, Waiters gave some insight into what words he had to share.

“It’s frustrating, just losing,” Waiters said. “Especially when you’re in the game and you could have done one or two things better, sharing the ball, being unselfish, things like that.

“Frustration built up… We said what we had to say and that’s that.”

With his return to practice, Waiters will be ready to play against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

However, coach Mike Brown did not guarantee Waiters would return to the starting lineup.

Instead, Brown said he is still playing with combinations to see what units work best together.

Even though Brown indicated that he had not made up his mind, it sounded like Waiters may come off the bench against the Wizards – and maybe for the foreseeable future.

-Twitter @TJZuppe

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