He may not be the Next Jordan....
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by user BigPPup
He may not be Michael Jordan, but he is the first Dwyane Wade and that might even be better. Being a kid who grew up with Michael Jordan posters on my walls and watching every Bulls game on WGN, I have waited and wanted a replacement for his airiness since his retirement after the 1998 NBA Finals. One conclusion I’ve come to in the past eight years is there is only one Michael Jordan and no matter what ESPN and the rest of the media tells you he cannot be replaced. (See Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, LeBron James, and any other 2 guard to come out of school in the last decade.)
What I have figured out over the past few seasons is, while there may only be one Jordan, there can be a player out there who can achieve Jordan like greatness, and dare we say blaze his own path and make us forget the great one. That man is Dwayne Wade. The heart and the soul of the Miami Heat, and if for some reason you have been under a rock for the past three seasons and missed this guy, do yourself a favor and check him out in this years NBA Finals.
Wade got off to a slow start to the series in games 1 and 2, and the Heat faltered and lost. Since then Flash as he has been called as exploded onto the scene lifting Miami to three straight victories and a commanding 3-2 in the series as it prepares to shift to Dallas. During that three game stretch Wade is averaging 40.3 pts a game. Its not just the number of points Wade is putting in, it is the way and the time he is executing and elevating his game that is turning the Finals run into the story of legends.
The Miami Heat are a team that was hand built by Pat Riley to win an NBA title. Wade was to be a big component of that championship run, but he was still supposed to be Robin to Shaq’s Batman. That has all changed in the last three games. Dwayne Wade is running the show in Miami and the Big Daddy is just along for the ride.
In Game 3 when the Heat were down 13 in the fourth quarter it was Wade’s effort that kept them in the game, and eventually lifted them past the Mavericks. In Game four Wade had 36 points, and without a doubt he was capable of scoring more but the Heat taking a double digit lead late into the fourth quarter, Riley called the dogs off. Game five Wade was up to his old tricks again pouring in another 40 plus point performance, including notching his last two points from the free throw lane with 1.9 seconds left. (How’s that for clutch at the line Nowitzki?)
In the first two games of the series Wade was hampered by the last effects of a sinus infection, that left him dehydrated and weak. As a result Wade played like he was weak. Dallas swarmed him, throwing two and three defenders at Wade as soon as he touched the ball. The Mavericks kept Wade out of the paint, and forced him to take jump shots, which is still the weakest part of his game. In those two games Wade averaged 25 points.
When the series shifted to Miami Wade got healthy and he got some rest. With rested legs and understanding the situation his team was in Wade was went on the attack. He slashed to the hoop at every opportunity he got. Even if he was not making his shots he was getting to the line, and that’s what great players do. In the first two games of the series, Wade went to the line 24 times and made 17 of his free throws. Since then Wade has made 52 trips to the line and converted 42 of them. He set a NBA Finals record on Sunday with 20 made free throws in a game.
Wades aggressiveness has paid big dividends to all his teammates. He attacks the hoop breaking down the Dallas perimeter defense, which means the big men are forced to rotate into the paint to help out. When Dampier and Diop make those rotations one of two things happens. First, they have to leave Shaq open and that’s why he is able to get those quick lobes over the top and get behind the defense. At the worse Shaq is free to roam the offensive glass and pick up garbage points. Secondly, when the big men rotate to help out on Wade he is going right at them and forcing them to pick up cheap fouls in defense. Any team who plays against Shaq need to keep as many fouls as possible available, instead the Mavs are blowing there’s trying to contain Wade.
Wade was drafted third in the 2003 NBA draft behind Lebron and Carmelo; he had the least amount of hype of those superstars. Yet he has consistently yielded the biggest and most impressive results. In his rookie season he took the Heat to the second round of the NBA playoffs (before Shaq arrived in South Beach). Since then Wade went took Miami to a game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2004 and now he has brought the Heat to the brink of their first NBA Championship.
Dwayne Wade’s maturity and composure on the court is already years ahead of his playing experience. It is his ability to understand the flow and the nuances of the game that have allowed Wade to grow into one of the best players in the NBA. He knows when to defer to the big man and let his size and experience dominate a game. Wade also knows when the Diesel is running on fumes, how to take over and become a superstar. He knows how to take over a game without stepping on the toes of his elders.
If the Heat go on to win this series, it will surely be on the back of Dwayne Wades 40 point scoring average. He has the ability to dominate a game, and carry his team. Just like that other guy did who D. Wade would watch as he was growing up playing in Chicago. But just because Wade is not a perfect clone of Jordan does not make him a bad player. He is the first Dwayne Wade and that’s a good thing.
Date
Mon 06/19/06, 7:40 am EST
Shaq
This guy gives you a lot. If Wade is the man post Shaq, you win the argument, but until then, I can't go yay or nay. Is wade good? He's Ridiculous. He is Jordan? Not so fast...