Good Wade, Bad Wade
Added on Jun 14, 2013 by Scott in
No Comments
For the first time in the 2013 NBA playoffs, the real Dwyane Wade showed up. Final Game 4 stats: 32 points on 14-25 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals. Not since March 4th has Wade topped 30 or more points. His best postseason performance came in Game 7 versus Indiana when he netted 21 and pulled down nine rebounds. The rest of the games he’s vacillated between poor and average. At this point, it’s impossible to predict which Wade will take the floor on a given night.
He’s clearly not healthy. Nagging ailments to his knees and legs have prevented the 2006 Finals MVP from utilizing his full repertoire of skills. LeBron James has had to carry the bulk of the scoring weight thus far, and up until this series, it hasn’t stopped the Heat from dominating.
Indiana used muscle and defense to frustrate Miami, but the Spurs are a different animal entirely. For one thing, San Antonio never panics and rarely plays poorly in back to back games. Of course, neither does Miami, especially when Wade is playing a legit second fiddle to LeBron.
The sight of Wade dragging his weary body up and down the court in the fourth quarter has become commonplace. To his credit though, he always seems to dig deep and deliver when his team needs him most, as he did in the series clinching win in the Eastern Conference Finals.
With LeBron playing tentative offensively through the first three games, Wade had no choice but to answer the bell for Game 4. After suffering a humiliating Game 3 beatdown, both Wade and James set out to prove what most of the basketball world already knew: when they are on their games, there is no more dangerous duo.
The question is can Wade muster up a similar effort for Game 5. Does he have another reserve tank at the ready, or will he resort back to being a shadow of his former self? Stay tuned for answers on Sunday.
