Gimme 10! Player Profile – Dwayne Wade
How High Can Wade Lift the Heat?
There are three aspects to Dwayne Wade’s game in this photo that were not on display last seaon. If you guessed “healthy legs,” you are correct. If you thought “healed shoulder,” you were right as well. The third thing: the little ensignia denoting a trip to the Finals over his heart.
No, we do not expect D Wade to be able to melt away the ugly on the Heat’s roster and lead them deep into the playoffs. But a healthy Flash may be able to lead them back to the tournament, and that will be no small feat.
Understanding how injured Wade was during last year’s disappointing season is simple if you got the chance to watch him play healthy at the Olympics. If you did not, we will summarize:
- Healthy legs allowed the Flash to run and jump like he did when he single-handedly propelled Miami to its lone NBA title.
- A healthy shoulder contributed to increased field goal accuracy, greater freedom slashing to the hoop, and Wade’s pattented explosive finishes around the rim.
The real bonus for fans is Wade claims to have learned how to take preventative measures to ensure that he finishes this season healthy (in some corners of the league, the word “fragile” and his name are often found together.) Wade deciding to focusing on keeping fit to decrease recovery time both game-to-game and after injury may prove to be the best offseason move made by the Heat’s organization. Honestly, they need him.
With the very real possibility that Shawn Marion will not finish the season a member of the Heat, rookie Michael Beasley’s adjustment to the league (he is off to a rocky start), and the general palcity of talent that is Miami’s roster, if the Heat end up in the playoffs, do not be surprised if D Wade is atop many lists for MVP. Though we are sure he will say he would rather have a championship, being honored as the NBA’s top talent a year after missing over 30 games due to injury would probably still make the unofficial mayor of Miami smile.
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