Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade’s role in the midst of farewell tour
As Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade is honored by basketball fans everywhere, here’s a look at how to make the most impact before he retires.
No player has been as important to the Miami Heat than Dwyane Wade. The shooting guard was drafted in 2003 by the team and has spent 14 and a half years with Miami during his 16-year career. Wade has piled up accolades, highlights and insane performances that have made him the Heat’s greatest player in the franchise’s short history.
Aside from Wade’s glorious career is this current season, in which the Heat are looking to make the playoffs. They currently own the 8-seed, but have several teams right on their tail. They’ve gone 8-2 in their last 10 games after an abysmal February where they went 3-9.
At this point in his career, Wade is best utilized as instant offense off the bench. He’s filled this role well, as he has scored 20 points twice in this stretch. He has also tallied at least five assists four times.
As Wade says goodbye to the game, he still has a handful of games left to play. As the Heat’s playoff eligibility is still up in the air, they can stretch Wade’s final season by at least four games if they can get there. Here are three major roles for Wade to play in the midst of his farewell tour.
Be an offensive spark off the bench
As mentioned previously, Wade has done a good job at providing offense from the bench. The need for a spark from Flash will increase as the season progresses. He’s third on Miami in points and assists per game anyway, but he’ll need to keep that level of impact and build on it for Miami to make any noise in the playoffs.
Wade’s shot-creation is the most important element to his game right now. His handles and creativity allow him to still get buckets from where ever he is. This is nothing new for Wade. What is new is being able to shoot 3s. Wade is shooting 41.2 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s this season. For teammates like Goran Dragic, who is now a part of the second unit, this helps a ton.
In addition to scoring, Wade is a more than capable playmaker. Not only does his vision lead to easy baskets for teammates, but his IQ limits turnovers. Wade has enough athleticism left to drive and kick to teammates, which is great for Miami and its abundance of shooters. He will have to continue making this impact for Miami to either keep or kickstart the momentum it opens each game with.
Be a leader
Although Wade isn’t Miami’s best player right now, his experience and wisdom are unmatched by anyone on the roster. His championship pedigree and mental toughness are possibly the most important things he can offer the team. As teams like the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets stay close in the standings, the Heat need to stay ahead of them to secure a playoff spot.
Miami’s schedule will certainly not help with that. With just 12 games left, the Heat only face five teams currently outside of the playoff picture, and one of them is against the ninth-place Magic. The seven games against playoff teams include the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics twice.
Wade has faced adversity several times throughout his career, but since he is not the player he once was, he’ll have to ignite the rest of the roster to step up. Wade will still be able to play around 30 minutes for these games, but how the rest of the Heat rise (or fall) to the occasion will decide if their season ends before, rather than in, the playoffs.
For the other players on the Heat, keeping their composure and staying focused is crucial for this tough homestretch. They’ll certainly be using Wade as an example.
Be the closer in crunch time
When the game is on the line, Miami will undoubtedly look Wade’s way. He’s already provided one insane clutch moment this season, and he might have to provide some more late-game heroics.
Yet again, this is nothing new for Wade. From a plethora of game-winners to his Game 6 performance in the 2006 NBA Finals to the recent game-winner against the Golden State Warriors, Wade is no stranger to being clutch.
With Orlando only 1.5 games back from Miami and Charlotte only back 3.5 games, Wade will need to be ready to make a big shot or two. Orlando only faces five teams currently in the playoffs the rest of the way, so the Heat can’t afford to drop a couple of their easier games.
Clutch play, however, is more than just buzzer-beaters. When the games are tight, Wade has to make big plays. Their last game against the San Antonio Spurs is a perfect example. With San Antonio making a comeback, Wade hit a crazy bank shot with 1:23 to put Miami up three, then poked the ball away from DeMar DeRozan with 11 seconds left to seal the victory.
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Moments like these are second nature to Wade, and he’ll need to be ready to provide more. With a tough remaining schedule and a superior opponent waiting for them should they make the playoffs, he may need to turn back the clock a couple of times. In the midst of his farewell tour, Heat fans couldn’t ask for a better possible sendoff.