Dwyane Wade Sends a Message To Pat Riley About Erik Spoelstra

"I'm not going to say he's my guy, but he's my coach, you know."

Dwyane Wade is not an idiot.

He didn't say that sentence today by accident. Professional athletes are taught to be analytical (and sometimes boring) when it comes to the media. Rest assured that this statement was intentional.

Wade is letting team president Pat Riley know that he's not satisfied with Erik Spoelstra as head coach. Otherwise, he would have offered some words of support for a guy who is currently under the microscope and on the hot seat. It's also a guy who Wade was once very close to.

When Wade was drafted by the Miami Heat in 2003, Spoelstra was already on the coaching staff. It was Spoelstra who was credited with helping him improve his jumper. The bond between the two was apparently obvious as Wade gave Spoelstra his seal of approval when Riley stepped down as the head coach of the team.

Now, the bond has been broken.

Star players have a lot of stroke with the team's fan base. Right now, everyone is fully aware that the fans and media are targeting Spoelstra. It's an extra distraction that is making his job a little bit more difficult. It also takes away a lot of his job security.

Wade could easily alleviate some of the burden on Spoelstra by publicly siding with him. Instead, he chose to remain passive. Now, he's sending out messages through the media.