A win, but it's back to the drawing board -- NBA lottery from B1

Cleveland Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving (L) and Dion Waiters joke on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons April 9, 2014 at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs went on to win the game, 122-100. (John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer) ORG XMIT: CLE1404092138533159

(John Kuntz)

CLEVELAND – Dion Waiters will never be confused with being an actor.

He wouldn't know how to if asked. It's not in his nature. Blunt and honest is his approach. He keeps it real, or as he often says, "I keep it 100 [percent real]." That's how he was raised in Philadelphia.

His role with the Cavaliers this year has been an emotional roller coaster, mostly by his own doing. He has gone from starter to reserve. His shots were not falling and his shot selection was frequently questionable.

His minutes fluctuated and it bothered him. When he entered the game, you could see it on his face: He was not happy.

"I would be mad before I even got in the game," Waiters told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "I was mad, [but] it is what it is."

In the first 17 games, Waiters averaged 8.1 points and shot 36 percent, well below his career averages. Waiters willingly going to the bench after starting the first three games of the season is one thing, but his feeling of being underutilized is different.

He likened it to the initial frustration he dealt with at Syracuse University. He was a sixth man there, but wanted a larger role.

"It was like deja vu all over again," he said.

But through his college discouragement, he found his niche.

Cavs coach David Blatt met with Waiters a few times to address his guard's struggles. Blatt held firm and said what he expected from his best playmaker off the bench. Waiters explained how he felt he would be most effective.

They didn't find common ground at the start.

"Yeah, we talked," Waiters said. "He said his side of the story and I said mine. It took a while. It took a while for us to actually start getting it."

Having that college experience in his back pocket, Waiters stayed after practices getting extra shots up and after not too long, assistant coach Phil Handy pointed something out to him.

He noticed Waiters wasn't coming straight down on his jump shots. On video, Handy broke down how Waiters' shots went in at a higher rate when he landed properly. Through repetition and discipline, Waiters corrected the issue.

"I just had to do my job, continue to keep working, [and] putting in the extra hours of work," he said. "Staying with it and it's paying off."

The last three games -- not including Friday night's loss to the New Orleans Pelicans where he didn't play in the second half due to experiencing abdominal pain -- Waiters averaging 19.3 points and shooting 52 percent.

He is playing under control and within the confines of the offense. Those suspect shot attempts have been kept to a minimum. Waiters appears to have figured out a way to make an impact.

"I told everybody, man," he said. "I told everybody. A guy like me, you can't hold me down forever. You can't."

Now Waiters plays with a smile. His body language has changed. He's in a good place. When he's playing well, Blatt can't help but to keep him out on the court.

"All of us are growing as partners, as teammates, as players and coaches," said Blatt. "The main thing is that we all have the same goal in mind and that's to build a highly successful team here in Cleveland.

"And I want to see Dion be successful as anyone else and I want to see him help this team as much as anyone else and I know he feels the same."

Family and friends have been sending Waiters text messages urging him to just have fun. "Relax," is what his mother told him. He has been taking heed and the proof is in the pudding.

Regardless of the situation, Waiters realized that he just had to let it go. And so far, things are working out for the better.

"I was just fighting myself, man," Waiters said. "That's what I was doing. I just left it alone. I'm going to make the best of it. I've got good people in my corner who actually care for me. I'll be good."