Miami Heat need Dwyane Wade to step up
By Evan Massey
The Miami Heat lost LeBron James this summer, which puts the pressure on Dwyane Wade to truly prove that he’s the leader in South Beach.
The Miami Heat are heading into a new era of basketball without LeBron James, and they will need two of the members of the former big three to step up in a big way this season. Obviously Chris Bosh will take on a much larger role than he has since his days with the Toronto Raptors, but Dwyane Wade is the most important player to Miami’s chances this coming season. He hasn’t been healthy in the last couple of years, and having to play more minutes and a larger role likely won’t help his health either.
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There were quite a few times throughout the course of last season that the Heat would give Wade a night or two off, but they can’t do that this season and still expect to come away with a win. Wade looked exhausted during the NBA Finals last year, but he looked like his former self against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Can Wade step up for the Heat this season and play a bigger role than he has since James signed in Miami?
Obviously all of this will rely on how healthy he is able to stay. The Heat aren’t going to be able to depend on him to play 35 or more minutes each and every night, but if they play him around 28 minutes per game he could be effective for the majority of the season. If he is unable to play that type of role, the Heat are going to be in major trouble.
Wade averaged 19.0 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game last season, and shot the ball at a blistering 54.5 percent. He ended up playing in 32.9 minutes per game, but played in just 54 regular season games. Most players could keep up impressive numbers when playing 30 less games than their competition, but that simply won’t happen this year if the Heat want any chance at remaining close to the top of the East.
At the age of 32, he still has some time to play if he can keep himself in good health and shape. His knees are definitely becoming a concern as he enters his 12th NBA season, but he has shown that he can play through some pain and adversity in the past. Wade may not have more than a few years left in the NBA playing at a high level, but we’ll find out exactly who he is this season.
Miami desperately needs their franchise players to come through in a big way and surprise all of the critics. James leaving will be a major challenge for the team to face, and they need Wade’s leadership on the floor as much as possible. It should be a very interesting season to watch the Heat this year, and to see exactly what type of team they are without the best player in the league on the roster.
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