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| The Legacy of Dwyane Wade started at Marquette. |
For Dwyane Wade a journey toward stardom started at the budding basketball program known as Marquette University. Playing alongside dynamic shooters Steve Novak and Travis Diener, Wade exploded for what was considered one of the greatest individual NCAA Tournament's ever. In the Elite Eight, Marquette upset #1 Kentucky due in large part to Wade's triple double of 28 pts, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. The lack of respect D-Wade has gotten over his career all began on draft day in 2003. Despite his phenomenal tournament and known talents, the Marquette star still found himself behind four players. One, his newest teammate, Lebron, two a major league bust in Darko Millic, three, National Championship winning Carmelo Anthony and four, another one of his teammates, Georgia Tech's Chris Bosh.
Next up was the Miami Heat, who wisely selected Dwyane Wade with the 5th pick. Wade immediately made an impact on his new Miami squad, averaging 16.2 points both coming off the bench and as a starter helping his team reach the second round of the playoffs. But 2004-05 was the budding star's coming out party. The Heat acquired big man Shaquille O'Neal and everything changed, including Wade's game. In the next year, Wade took his game to new heights averaging 24 pts, almost 7 asts and 5 rebounds. At this point he was starting to become the solid all-around offensive player we know today. Shaq had helped open up the game for Wade, who in turn, took off. Once again the Heat fell short of the NBA Finals, but Wade put on a performance in the ECF against the Detroit Pistons that would have everyone at home clamoring for more.
After losing in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Pistons, Wade took his game to the height an even greater level in '05-'06. This season was, to this day, still his best season ever. But it wasn't what he did in the season or even most of the playoffs that brought Wade into the "best in the game" discussion, it was actually his performances in the 2006 NBA Finals.
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| Dwyane Wade dominated Dirk Nowitzki in the 2006 NBA Finals |
Dwyane Wade's 2006 NBA Finals could be considered the ceiling or the marker in which to judge him on and he hasn't been able to recreate this since. Whether that has to do with all the injuries he's accumulated since or the acquisition of Lebron James, people still wonder if Wade can ever emulate his 2006 NBA Finals form again. After the Mavericks took a commanding 2-0 lead at home the Heat looked dead in the water. Wade was doing his part, (sort of with 28 pts in Game 1, 23 pts in Game 2) but his teammates weren't. However, games 3, 4, 5 and 6 all belonged to the Heat and Wade was their driving force. In those four games Wade averaged an astonishing 39 points per game including two double-doubles. The Finals MVP was his and he was now immortalized amongst the Jordan's, Kobe's, Bird's and Magic's Finals performances.
After this series we all realized what we had here. Despite all the hoopla surrounding the human highlight reel that was Lebron James, Dwyane Wade might have just become the best player in the NBA at the time. I mean John Hollinger said that Wade's PER in the Finals was the greatest ever, and even those that don't salivate over stats said that this could rival Jordan's best. It was Jordan-esque because it didn't reach a Game 7. It was Jordan-esque because at times, Wade was unstoppable. But most importantly it was Jordan-esque because when Wade was called on to put his foot on the opponents throat, he did so, and did it without a smile or a hesitant thought. Dwyane Wade was a player with super skills, but he had shown that he had a penitence for greatness.
Wade and the Heat struggled in the next few years as both he and his teammates battled injuries and inconstancies. Shaq could never regain his form and Wade was trying to do way too much on the court pushing his body past its limits. From '07-'10, the Heat never could get out of the first round of the playoffs and the doubts about Wade resurfaced. By the end of 2010 playoffs, with a potential early termination option lurking in the shadows, the Miami Heat guard had shown concerns on whether he thought Miami was doing what it takes to build around him again. But instead of leaving to Chicago in July of 2010 like many sources had said, Wade stayed in South Beach and recruited his good friends and stars Lebron James and Chris Bosh.
Without even knowing it, Dwyane Wade had already become the most under appreciated NBA player of all-time. His new teammate, Lebron James had attracted so much attention with his pompous "Decision" show on ESPN and his brutally cheesy "Next year I'm taking my talents to South Beach," that D-Wade could never reclaim ownership of the Heat as "his team." The Heat will live and die by what Lebron James did, no matter how many big shots Wade hits or how many points he has. Dwyane Wade sent in his resignation from ever having an MVP going forward. None of his titles from here on out will ever truly have his name on it. He is the same player he was in '06 and he has that same Jordan-esque killer instinct, but after 2010 nothing Dwyane Wade ever does will truly be appreciated in the way it should.
But we here at Bar Down Dandy & Co. will give him credit now, and give him credit later. Congratulations Dwyane Wade on being named Bar Down Dandy & Co's QB#1.
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