It seems Dwyane Wade and LeBron James can’t help but complicate even the most simple questions regarding the dynamics of the Miami Heat. Whose team is this? Who is the go-to guy? Who is the playmaker and who is the scorer? Who should get the MVP votes and who should get the Best Supporting Actor nod? It’s never an easy answer.
Last night’s loss to the Knicks was a typical example. While LeBron struggled with his shot, Wade took over as the top offensive option. After scoring 19 points in the first half, Wade opened the third quarter with a run in which he scored 14 straight for Miami: Runners from the elbow that banked off-glass, turnaround J’s that caressed the rim before dropping in, finger rolls in transition, breakaway dunks, and-one layups in traffic … it was The Rite, starring Dwyane Wade. One time D-Wade spun Amar’e Stoudemire around on a pull-back move, then iced a baseline fadeaway while Amar’e looked for cameras to confiscate the evidence.
But then Wade faded entirely. He scored only one point the rest of the game, a free throw in the fourth quarter, and the Heat stayed in the game until the final seconds only because LeBron suddenly became a scoring force with coast-to-coast layups and drives to the rim. Both James and Wade had individual moments of brilliance, and while both also had excuses for the moments when they didn’t produce — LeBron was playing out of position at power forward most of the night, while Wade had to wear tinted goggles to help with migraine headaches — at the end of the night, those looking for simple answers still had none.
So who is Miami’s top dog?
Midway through the season, LeBron is averaging 25.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists. Wade is averaging 25.3 points, 6.7 boards and 4.2 assists. LeBron is taking 18.7 field goals per night, while Wade is taking 17.9 shots. Wade is getting to the foul line more frequently, though, attempting 9.3 free throws to LeBron’s 8.9 a night. Wade also has fewer turnovers, giving it up 3.1 times per game to LeBron’s 3.7 turnovers nightly.
There are intangibles to consider. Wade (28) is older than LeBron (25), and since he was in Miami first, many see this as his team no matter what LeBron does in a Heat uniform. Wade also has a championship ring, but then LeBron has two league MVP’s under his belt. And you won’t get anybody on the Heat, least of all Wade or James, to give an answer. Their philosophy is that this is everybody’s team — James and Wade and Chris Bosh take turns being the go-to guy and top dog.
During his pre-game interview last night, LeBron said that Miami is a championship-caliber team, then agreed with Wade’s earlier assessment that they are only playing at about 65% of their full potential so far — while reminding reporters that this group has only played 40-something games together. When they do get closer to 100%, who will be the player standing (if only slightly) ahead of the pack?
Maybe one doesn’t have to. Though NBA history tells us every championship team has that one identified top dog, these Miami Heat have already bucked the system in the way they came together in the first place; why couldn’t they break the mold and have a title team with two evenly-placed superstars? No one said you can’t have co-Finals MVPs.
Who do you think is Miami’s on-court leader? Who is their best player? Who is their go-to guy?
