Dwyane Wade Hasn't Thought About Potential Playoff Matchup vs. LeBron James

If the regular season ended today, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat would meet in the first round of the 2018 NBA playoffs. 

That means good friends LeBron James and Dwyane Wade would face off in the postseason for the first time in their 15-year careers. With the scenario a realistic possibility at this point, Wade gave his thoughts on the potential matchup to the Sun Sentinel:

"I've never played in him in a playoffs. If that opportunity happens, I know that we will have our work cut out for us. Anybody who plays LeBron in the playoffs, you got your work cut out for [you]. I think for me, it would be more so thinking about what we would have to do to try to limit the greatest player in the game, and arguably one of the greatest of all-time, and try to come out with the David versus Goliath situation—how we can come out with a win in the series. I won't really be concerned with playing against one of my best friends. I'll be thinking about what I'll have to do to try to help this team win."

The two friends started the season playing together with the goal of bringing another championship to Cleveland. However, the Cavs decided to blow things up at the trade deadline and retool in order to try to make a fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. One of the moves the team made was sending the Miami legend back to where it all started.

Now, instead of trying to help James win another ring, Wade may have the daunting task of trying to hand the King his first opening-round exit ever.

It seems unbelievable that James and Wade have never met in the playoffs. Since entering the league together in 2003, both stars have played in the Eastern Conference their entire careers. Of course, they spent four years together in South Beach, making four Finals appearances and winning two rings. That still leaves 10 other opportunities to play each other in the playoffs, and yet, it has not happened.

A Cavaliers-Heat playoff showdown is far from a lock at this point, though. Entering the weekend, Cleveland sits just one half-game up on the red-hot Philadelphia 76ers—who are currently riding a 12-game winning streak—in the standings for the 3-seed, with the two teams meeting in Philadelphia on Friday night. On the other hand, two teams sit just one game back of Miami for the 6-seed with three games to play.

Plenty can happen in the final games of the regular season, but if James and Wade do finally meet in the playoffs, there will be no shortage of intrigue for that series.