Dwyane Wade Injury: Does This Hurt The Miami Heat Psyche?
NBA preseason basketball is a boring venture, until Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade got injured Tuesday evening against the Detroit Pistons.
Wade only played minutes before he pulled his right hamstring after defending Richard Hamilton. The Heat removed Wade from the game immediately as the crowd at American Airlines Arena all gasped nervously.
After the game, Wade said he will be out probably for two weeks, so this injury is not as serious as expected.
Missing Wade during the season would be a problem, but he will be back before the season opener October 26 against the Boston Celtics.
But what does his injury mean to the Heat's team psyche?
The Heat made the biggest splash this NBA offseason by signing coveted free agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh to form the Big Three. That and getting solid players in Mike Miller, Zydrunas Illgauskas, Juwan Howard, and Eddie House to complement Wade had analysts predict a new dynasty.
Even Jeff Van Gundy's prediction of a 73-plus win season strengthened the mystical aura of invincibility being thrust upon the Heat.
However, the injury serves to remind the Heat's roster that even superstars are only mortal. An injury to Wade, even a minor hamstring pull, hurts the team's confidence.
Remember, D-Wade is the man in Miami.
He was the franchise player even when playing with future Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.
He is the one who pressured team president Pat Riley in getting star power or walking via free agency this summer.
He persuaded both King James and Bosh to join him in South Beach and not the other way around.
Flash is the one with the 2006 NBA Finals MVP and subsequent championship experience.
After Tuesday night, head coach Erik Spoelstra and his team were relieved to have Wade not seriously hurt. Yet they are probably wondering if their Big Three could hold up.
Wade has a history of being hurt—missing 103 games (18 percent) in his eight-year career. Wade's pulled hamstring might be a sign of health issues down the road.
Bosh is also prone to injury, including missing the final five games in 2010 to doom the Toronto Raptors' playoff aspirations.
If either of these two get significantly hurt, maybe two-time MVP LeBron would reconsider his July decision that Miami was the best destination to gain a title.
Wade should be fine and ready to lead the Heat come Boston, yet Miami is not so cocky as it used to be.
The players realize that hope for a title could be 'pulled' away if Wade, Bosh, or James are out with serious injuries.
