Miami Heat: Dwayne Wade, Pat Riley reunite to fill an area of serious need

The return of Dwayne Wade to South Beach capped a day of frenzy as the Miami Heat look to make a serious run toward the postseason.

There are few people in the league who know Dwyane Wade as well as Pat Riley.

So it was not surprising when the Miami Heat team president made the following remarks to the Miami Herald following the move to create a reunion of player and franchise:

"“From his last two spots, he might not be in Miami Heat conditioning. But we have enough time to get him up to speed on that….I said to them you just ate your last meal of pancakes with syrup and strawberries and whipped cream. We’re back to [vegetables].”"

While Riley here was lighthearted, he is deadly serious when it comes to value that Wade offers the team moving forward:

"“There are two things he can still do from an offensive standpoint — he can get to the rim, he can make plays and he can make shots. He has an uncanny ability to do that when the pressure’s on him. He still has a lot left in the tank….I would imagine he would morph right into the role of being a frontline scorer for us. He can still play.”"

The Heat have managed their high injury rate commendably in compiling a 29-26 record, but their current five-game losing streak has highlighted the pressing need for a scorer down the closing stretch of games.

Although he had an up-and-down year prior to his season-ending ankle injury, Dion Waiters still presented the Heat with someone who they could throw the ball to late in games and get them a basket.

Up until the time of his injury, Waiters ranked 15th in the league in clutch scoring at 3.4 points per game at a 51.4 percent clip from the field. With a usage rate of 36.4 during this span, Waiters was the clear No. 1 option on offense during this time of the game.

Most notably, the Heat posted a 12-7 record in clutch situations up until Waiters’ untimely injury, but recently things have gone south in late-game situations.

Over the past nine games, the Heat have found themselves in clutch situations each game, whereby they were within five points with less than five minutes remaining in the game. With a 2-7 record over this stretch, the Heat have dropped from fourth to seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. In averaging just 5.3 points per game as a team in the clutch over this span, it was clear this was an area that needed serious addressing.

In addition to his previous comments, Riley touched upon this very fact as a strong reason for bringing Wade back:

"“Once Dion [Waiters] went down, we felt a real need to do something at that spot with a front-line player. The cost of a front-line player was too expensive for us….Getting to the rim, getting to the free throw line. There’s something about Dwyane at the end of games I think is unique and special. I don’t think you lose that.”"

The cost Riley mentioned here in welcoming Wade back into the organization ended up being just a protected 2024 second round draft pick — hardly a steep price for a player of Wade’s magnitude.

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/961807738744406017

In 46 games this season, Wade has averaged 11.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 23.2 minutes per game. After starting the first three games of the season, Wade then reverted to a bench role in leading the Cavaliers’ second unit.

Impressively, in two games this season when he has played at least 32 minutes, Wade averaged 24.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals while being a +42 while on the floor.

Considering these numbers, it’s more than feasible when Riley states that Wade “has a lot left in the tank.”

While it’s unclear at this stage as to the role he’s going to fulfill, Wade’s sheer presence and knowhow will be invaluable for a team desperate to close out their remaining three games prior to the All-Star break on a high.

In the big picture, it’s the following words from Riley that encapsulated the overall feel of Wade’s return:

"“We have passed another trade deadline. Forty seven years for me. This is one of the very best for me personally and also in terms of the organization. Just so happy we were able to complete a trade that I truly think is going to help us tremendously and from a competitive standpoint now, to win. Having Dwyane back in the fold, and in Miami, is a great day for the Heat.”"

Next: Biggest winners and losers of the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline

So with their prodigal son back in the fold, Riley and the Heat will look forward to doing what they do best — heading to the postseason.