Dwyane Wade rumors were a big part of the NBA offseason and he will remain in the news as the Cleveland Cavaliers get close to opening their 2017-18 season. The Wade rumors will shift away from where he will play next to how his role will be defined by the Cavs, coach Tyronn Lue, and teammate LeBron James. Will Wade be able to fit in well on a team that just needs him to be a supporting player off the bench and not the superstar who helped lead the Miami Heat to three titles?
Wade will have to share the court with James, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, and Isaiah Thomas in this latest stop for his career.
It’s possible that Wade could slide into a complementary role as a point guard with some lineup sets that Lue works with, which is familiar to what took place at times with the Heat. Wade could easily become one of the players helping to bring the ball up the court and help to facilitate an offense packed with weapons.
How is Wade performing during the NBA preseason?
Dwyane Wade has appeared in two preseason games for the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. Wade is shooting 61.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three-point line, but as not attempted a free throw yet. Quite frankly, those are amazing shooting percentages for the veteran shooting guard, possibly showing he has found a good niche with the team and inside the flow of the Cavs’ offense.
New Cavs forward Jae Crowder, who came over from the Boston Celtics as part of the Kyrie Irving trade, is averaging 12.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He is also shooting 69.2 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from three-point range. New point guard Derrick Rose has averages of 11 points, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game so far.
Rose is shooting 63.6 percent from the field and 100 percent from three-point range. While these shooting percentages aren’t possible to maintain, they should certainly worry every opposing team in the Eastern Conference.
Are the Cavs better with Wade than Irving?
There are going to be a lot of Dwyane Wade rumors this season, with fans asking if the team is better with the veteran shooting guard than with Kyrie Irving.
Similar questions will get asked of Isaiah Thomas when he returns from surgery, but the Cleveland Cavaliers will have to lean on Wade and Derrick Rose in his absence. While Wade has looked really good through the first two preseason games, the Cavs lost to the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers. Preseason standings don’t matter much, but the team does have to find a way to win with the new group of players.
The Cavs are next on the floor Sunday (Oct. 8) when they play against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. LeBron James could possibly play in his first game of the preseason following an ankle injury, allowing the Cavs to take another step toward being at full strength. The Wizards are one of the teams expected to contend in the East, so it could be an interesting barometer for the team. Dwyane Wade and the Cleveland Cavaliers will wrap up their preseason campaign with a game against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 10 and then one against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 13.
