NBA Playoffs 2011: Dwyane Wade in Shades, Can Philadelphia 76ers Take Advantage?

Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat has played with "tinted glasses" before.

Against the New York Knicks in the regular season, Wade dropped 34 wearing shaded goggles. The Heat lost that game by a score of 93-88, but he added 16 rebounds and 5 assists, showing that the eye accessory would not slow him down as an individual.

The Philadelphia 76ers, however, are a much better defensive team than the Knickerbockers. With elite on-ball defenders like Andre Igoudala and Jrue Holiday, Doug Collins' squad will be able to bother Wade and perhaps cause him to have an off game.

If I were Collins, I would put Igoudala on Wade to shut him down.

Thaddeus Young is capable of guarding LeBron James almost as well as Igoudala is, and if AI puts the clamps down on Wade, the 76ers could manage to steal a game in Miami. Heading back to the City of Brotherly Love tied at one game apiece would be monumental for Phili's chances.

One potential area of weakness for Wade to watch out for is free-throw shooting: Against the Knicks while wearing goggles, Flash shot 6-14 from the charity stripe. If at any point he does get going, the 76ers could continually foul him, making him earn his points at the line.

Unconventional, yes, but injuries can present strange opportunities.

Hardly anyone thinks that Philadelphia is a better team than Miami, but all the 76ers have to do is win four games. Winning tonight would be huge and would give them a realistic chance to advance.