A Dwyane Wade edition of mailbag: What would this Heat season be like without Wade?
The weekly Miami Herald Heat mailbag is here to answer your questions.
If you weren’t able to ask one this time, send your questions for future mailbags via Twitter (@Anthony_Chiang). You can also email me at achiang@miamiherald.com.
@MichaelKarvelis: If it wasn’t for my favorite player Dwyane Wade having his “One Last Dance,” is it possible the Heat would be tanking?
Anthony Chiang: If Dwyane Wade was not on the Heat’s roster, would this be a tanking season? No. As written multiple times, this is not the type of organization to enter a season in “tank mode.” If injuries derail the season and losses mount organically (like in 2007-08), that’s different.
How would the Heat have gone about tanking this season?
By playing the young guys more minutes? That’s actually happened this season and it has produced positive results because Miami has a talented young core that’s improved.
By trading players? The Heat was never going to give up on its young players just to make the team worse. It’s going to take an All-Star caliber talent to get Miami to deal part of its young core, not the chance at a high draft pick. And the Heat’s larger contracts (Hassan Whiteside, Dion Waiters and James Johnson) were always going to be tough to deal this season without taking on more long-term money or adding a sweetener (part of its young core or a draft pick). So tanking through trades was never as realistic as it seemed.
Sure, extending Wade’s final season with a trip to the playoffs is some extra motivation for the Heat. But it’s not the only factor that pushed Miami in a competitive direction.
Now, if your question is: Would the Heat be as good without Wade? No, the Heat wouldn’t be as good. Miami still relies on Wade to make things happen in the fourth quarter, as he’s leading the team in fourth-quarter usage rate and fourth-quarter shot attempts. Wade is averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and four assists in a sixth man role this season.
@a_harnt: Should Dwyane Wade get the Sixth Man of the Year Award?
Anthony: Wade should definitely get consideration for the honor. But in the end, it’s going to be tough not to award it to Clippers reserve guard Lou Williams, who is averaging 20.3 points and 5.3 assists off the bench this season. The 44-30 Clippers have outscored opponents by 247 points with Williams on the court.
This story was originally published March 25, 2019 at 12:41 PM.
