Thursday, March 1, 2018

J-Speaks: Dwyane Wade Flashes Back


In 13 seasons with the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade in helping the Heat win three championships had provided many memorable, unforgettable moments from last minute game-winning field goals, to clutch defensive plays from getting steals to block shots. When he was traded back to the Heat from the Cavs at the Feb. 8 trade deadline, it not only righted a wrong when team president Pat Riley decided not to re-sign to a high-priced deal two summers back, it brought back the most important player in franchise history who had a knack of making cultch plays when it mattered most. He added another chapter to that story earlier this week. 
In the Heat’s (32-30) 102-101 victory versus the Philadelphia 76ers (32-27) on Tuesday night, coming from 13 points down early in the game and by 10 in the fourth period Wade had a season-high 27 points, including 15 of the Heat’s last 17 points and his jumper with 05.9 seconds gave the heat the lead and eventually the win. 
“This was the toughest shot I’ve had to make since I’ve been back,” the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer said. “It felt good seeing the court the way I remember seeing it.”
After hitting what wound up being the game-winning shot, Wade punctuated the play with the “this is my house” signal and yell to the American Airlines Arena audience, showing that while he lost his deed to the United Center and Quicken Loans Arena during his stints with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, that he still had the one for the AAA, the house he helped to christen with it’s three Larry O’Brien trophies in franchise history. 
“There’s something about Dwyane Wade when you put that Miami Heat jersey on and play in front of these fans,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said after the win. “He becomes somebody very special.” 
Wade, who is averaging just 11.2 points per game, his worst of his career, the 36-year-old turned back the clock with not just his exploits at the offensive end in the closing moments, but what he did at the defensive end. 
He intentionally fouled Sixers rookie lead guard Ben Simmons in the final seconds of a tie game, where the 57 percent foul shooter split the pair and Wade brought the ball down the court, dribbled to the left, went behind his back, then veered to the right, eventually reaching his spot to take the shot over Simmons that he canned for the as mentioned game-winning jumper. 
“That what he does,” Sixers head coach Brett Brown said. “That’s who he is. That’s who he’s always been. He just sort of grabbed the team and put it on his back” 
Sixers veteran guard JJ Redick, who had 15 points on the night, but was just 4 for 14 shooting, and whose game-winning triple bounced off the rim echoed the same sentiment by saying, “D-Wade down the stretch was amazing.” 
Wade and the Heat got their chance to win the game thanks to Spoelstra’s plan to foul Simmons had Wade missed one of the three foul shots he got from getting fouled while taking a three-point try with 29 seconds left and the Heat down by three. 
That strategy was the result of watching All-Star lead guard Goran Dragic, who had a team-high 21 points on the night play in Slovenia two summers back; taking a foul to get the ball back even late in the game. While that is a strategy that is rarely used here in NBA, it is something more prevalent overseas, particularly in European games. 
Wade though was not aware of the plan of Spoelstra’s to intentionally foul Simmons if he had missed one of his three free throws. 
 “I wanted to foul,” Wade said. “I had confidence in myself that I was going to make all three. They kept running (the same) pick-and-roll, and it was killing us and I just felt playing the numbers…I wanted the young fella to see, in this environment, what he’s going to do.” 
The strategy worked in the Heat’s favor as mentioned because Simmons made the first free throw, but missed the second, which gave as mentioned the Heat their opportunity and Wade cashed in. 
“That’s the difference between a head coach enjoying his glass of wine or staying up all night second-guessing every single decision,” Spoelstra said. 
Wade being in the position he was to get the Heat just there third victory in their last 11 games overall was the confidence the 15-year veteran has gotten from Coach Spoelstra of late. 
“It started Monday in practice,” he said. “(Spoelstra) gave me the ball and kept me on offense most of the day, which has never happened before. He told me to be myself. It was good to see that confidence from him and the guys.” 
“I’m at my best at the end of tames. I’m not always going to make every shot… (But) it was good to be back in that position.” 
Wade was in that exact position in the Heat’s final game before the All-Star break on Valentine’s night, but his buzzer-beating triple rimmed out as the Sixers came back from 24 down to beat the Heat 104-102. It capped a miserable night for the perennial All-Star who had eight points on 4 for 13 shooting on the night. 
In the Heat’s first game following the All-Star break on nine days later, Wade’s chance at redemption but his shot over New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday at the end of regulation bounced off the rim, and guard Josh Richardson’s rushed put back missed the basket as time expired in the Heat’s 124-123 overtime loss at the Pelicans (35-26), their third in a row. 
In recent games, the Miami Heat have been involved in a lot of down to the wire games. Their Tuesday night tilt versus the Sixers was the 24th in their last 26 games that was decided by less than 10 points. Prior to their 115-89 victory versus the Memphis Grizzlies (18-42) last Saturday night, the last 17 games by the Heat had been by a single-digits. The Heat have gone 5-12 in those games, and before Wade was acquired, they were just 4-9 in those games, which included a five-game losing streak from Feb. 2-9.  
Besides bringing back Dwyane Wade for sentimental reasons and as previously mentioned to correct a mistake of not re-signing him in free agency two off-seasons back, the Heat needed a guy who can make plays in the clutch, especially offensively. Who can either make the shot himself or find the open man to take that shot if said player gets doubled. That is what Wade brought back to South Florida, and the hope is he can have a few more of these flash back moments in helping the Heat make the playoffs after just missing out last season. 
In his first game back with the Heat where he had just three points with two assists, one rebound on 1 for 6 shooting, Wade had a key block late in the 91-85 victory versus the Milwaukee Bucks (33-28).
They currently hold the No. 8 and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, where they hold a 2 ½ game lead on the No. 9 Detroit Pistons (29-32) and a four-game lead over the No. 10 Charlotte Hornets (28-34). 
Through their ability to play defense, which has been their calling card in the 20-plus seasons Pat Riley has been in South Florida as a head coach, and currently and executive with the organization. That, especially this season has allowed the Heat to stay close in games with a chance to win. Wade helped the Heat win many of those games in his 13 seasons with the Heat, and the hope is he can provide a few more of those moments on both sides of the ball down the stretch of the Heat’s playoff push this final month and a half of this season. 
“This is the kind of environment we’ve got to get used to playing in,” Wade said after his first game back. “It was good. From start to finish the crowd was amazing. I definitely miss the crowd. I saw a lot of familiar faces.” 
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