Dwyane Wade Is Reminding Us He's Still a True Star When Healthy
Call this sizzling stretch by Dwyane Wade a flashback to Flash, an official reminder of the 33-year-old's prominent place in the NBA's hierarchy.
When health is on the side of the Miami Heat superstar, elite-level production is right there with it.
His body still requires careful maintenance, but it's painfully obvious why he's worth the trouble. His last six outings have each been museum-quality masterpieces. These are quantity-plus-quality displays of greatness, individual acts of brilliance that collectively lead to the realization that his best days aren't all behind him.
| March 4 | LAL | W | 7 | 17 | 25 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| March 7 | SAC | W | 10 | 18 | 28 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| March 9 | BOS | L | 13 | 23 | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| March 11 | BRK | W | 10 | 25 | 28 | 3 | 9 | 2 |
| March 13 | TOR | L | 9 | 13 | 25 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| March 16 | CLE | W | 13 | 18 | 32 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Add them all up and the results are nothing short of astounding. His per-game marks over this stretch: 28.7 points on 54.4 percent shooting, 4.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and two steals in 33.1 minutes.
As Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick observed, no other team fighting for one of the Eastern Conference's final playoff berths has a weapon as potent as a healthy Wade:
Perhaps the most impressive part of this production is the fact that none of it seems surprising.
Not when one factors in the time of year, at least.
"I know what it means," Wade said, per Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. "We’re in a tight race right now, and every night I want to be able to say that I gave everything I could to this team, and help us put ourselves in position to get a playoff spot."
As impossible as it is to say Wade isn't doing everything he can to realize that goal, it's equally tough to determine whether this torrid run will produce a storybook ending in South Beach.
With five teams circling the East's final two postseason chairs, it's anyone's guess as to which clubs will hold a seat when this season's music stops.
| 7. Indiana Pacers | 30-36 | -- | 7-3 |
| 8. Miami Heat | 30-36 | -- | 5-5 |
| 9. Boston Celtics | 30-36 | -- | 7-3 |
| 10. Charlotte Hornets | 29-36 | 0.5 | 6-4 |
| 11. Brooklyn Nets | 27-38 | 2.5 | 4-6 |
That being said, the Heat might hold the ultimate trump card in Wade.
Just consider what we all witnessed Monday night.
Miami hosted a nationally televised, emotionally charged contest against the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers. It was only LeBron James' second trip back to American Airlines Arena since the four-time MVP helped guide the Heat to four straight NBA Finals and two world titles.
The Cavs came in riding a four-game winning streak. The Heat had most recently dropped a double-digit defeat at the hands of a Toronto Raptors team holding an abysmal 3-10 record since Feb. 21.
Wade made sure none of that mattered. He piled up 32 points in only 31 minutes, shooting 13-of-18 from the field and 6-of-8 at the foul line. The veteran's fingerprints were all over Miami's confidence-boosting 106-92 victory.
"You always want to bring your best against the best," Wade said afterward, per Goodman. "We needed this. We couldn’t lose this game at home."
Wade ensured they wouldn't.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra dubbed it a "vintage" performance from Wade, via Skolnick. NBC Sports' Kurt Helin called it "a crazy, throwback game."
In some respects, both were right. It was, after all, only the 2 guard's fourth 30-point outing of the season. (Twenty-one players have had at least five such performances, and seven have hit that mark at least 10 times.)
But the problem with labeling it as such is the suggestion that Wade is no longer capable of sustaining that level over a long period. Production hasn't been his issue, and his problems have come from his body denying him the opportunities to produce.
Over the last three seasons, Wade has never missed fewer than 13 games. He's already sat out 18 this time around.
No one needs to tell the Heat how much damage the injury bug can cause. They have seen the restrictions it's placed on Wade. They know it's the reason they don't have Josh McRoberts (torn meniscus) or Chris Bosh (blood clot in lung) to help with the stretch run.
They understand the medical question marks won't stop circling Wade like a vulture eyeing its next meal. But they're also privy to the fact that he can be their season savior if his health cooperates.
"You can go to him any time of the game," Goran Dragic said of Wade, per Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. "Even if he misses three or four straight, he's confident enough to finish the job. That’s why he's an All-Star. You can count on him when you need him the most."
That's undeniably true—provided the "when healthy" caveat needn't be applied.
When Wade has played, he's been a star. The Heat are 5.7 points per 100 possessions better with him than without. He's one of only nine players averaging at least 21 points and five assists per game, and his 48.1 field-goal percentage is tied for third among that exclusive group.
He's been dropping not-so-subtle hints all season that he remains one of the league's great players. This scorching spell has simply tattooed that status across his shoulders.
As with any superstar, Wade's biggest test will be sustainability. Playing regularly is the first step; producing at a similar rate is the next.
The Heat have no margin for error. If Wade's foot slips off the gas—or if injuries once again pull him out of the driver's seat—Miami's playoff bubble will burst.
But as long as the Heat can keep their knockout artist upright, they'll have no worse than a puncher's chance of pulling this off.
A healthy Wade is a force like few others across the entire league. This wildly productive period is just the latest evidence of that.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com.
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