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Lost in all this Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James battle of the century hoopla is the fact that someone is notably absent from the playoff party this year. That man is the former NBA Finals MVP and one of the best players we have in the league today, Dwyane Wade. With the exception of a few outbursts against the Pacers and Celtics, Wade has been in the background of the LeBron James MVP tour that has traveled throughout the league this year. Admittedly, I've never been the biggest LeBron fan, but there is no denying his place in the league and the fact that he is indeed the best player on a front-loaded Heat roster. After all, Wade himself said that LeBron was the best player in the game. However, if the King wants to capture his long eluded first ring, he will need a bigger contribution from his partner in crime.
Wade has long been revered as one of the best players in the league since he led the young Heat to a playoff victory against the Hornets in his rookie year. He was so impressive that Shaq saw the championship potential in him and an offseason trade was consummated that sent the Big Diesel to South Beach. Shaq solidified the Heat as a legit contender, but make no mistake, Wade was the one driving the championship bus. After a seven game Eastern Conference Final loss in 2005 to the Pistons in the first year of the Wade/Shaq marriage, the Heat took that final step the next year and became NBA Champions, due in large part by a historic performance from Wade. Wade put the team on his back in a way we haven't seen on that stage since Mike took out the hearts of Jazz fans 8 years prior. His nearly 35 points and 8 rebounds a game allowed the Heat to come back from a 2-0 series deficit, win the series and Wade was awarded Finals MVP.
In the years post-title and pre-decision, we arguably saw some of Wade's best basketball wasted. After an injury plagued 2007-2008 season that saw the team trade away Shaq, the team fell from champion to lottery team in two short seasons. The 2008-09 season saw Wade post his best season scoring average of 28.2 ppg followed by 26.4 ppg during the 2009-10 campaign. Both years ended with mediocre Heat teams losing early in the playoffs and the cloud of Wade opting out of his contract hung over the head of the franchise leading into the 2010 offseason.
Enter LeBron.
Yes, him and Wade planned this out so that they would all play in South Beach, along with Chris Bosh, under the assumption that the power of those 3 would be enough to win multiple titles. But something weird has happened between then and now. Wade looks disinterested, or maybe he's just exhausted, hurt, I don't know. Regardless, he seems very content with LeBron carrying the load and him being a glorified sidekick instead of a partner. LeBron has been incredible, but when you have a fellow future Hall of Famer alongside you, you shouldn't have to carry the team every night. While Wade is putting up a respectable 22 ppg (albeit on 46% shooting and 25% from beyond the arc), he is still lacking that signature Wade domination on a consistent basis. The Thunder seem to have that synergy with Durant and Westbrook where Durant is the alpha dog but Westbrook still picks it up in stretches and ends up finishing with excellent numbers and most importantly, the team wins. Now I know that they play different positions and Wade and LeBron are both wing players, but guys of that talent level need to make it work. Westbrook dominates the ball but he and Durant still find a way to win games AND put up numbers.
Durant vs. LeBron is certainly the name on the marquee for this NBA Finals matchup, but Wade has the ability to throw himself right into that mix. I'm tired of hearing commentators say that the Heat need to get Wade "involved" or "going in the flow of the game" or whatever other basketball jargon they throw around. Wade is a future Hall of Famer who has the ability to take over any game. HE'S the one that needs to get HIMSELF going. Otherwise, the Heat don't stand a chance. With the Heat blowing Game 1, now would be the best time for Wade to assert himself and make this a series before it's too late. If the Heat lose, the once bright future in South Beach will start to look mighty dark.
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