Dwyane Wade: Chicago Is One Player Away

Dwyane Wade could’ve been THE guy. It was right there. He could’ve made all the difference. How ironic it is that D-Wade is talking about the Bulls when many argued Chicago is the place he should’ve picked, that his home should’ve become his real home last summer. While Chicago is one player away from being a championship team – and that one player could’ve easily been Wade had he agreed to a deal last summer – Miami isn’t really any players away. They are there now. They just have to win it. So it wasn’t like Wade made a gaffe by staying in Miami. But skill recognizes skill.

Wade told ESPN.com that the Bulls need just one guy to take the pressure off Derrick Rose:

“It would have to be a player that can take the pressure off him from making every play,” Wade said. “As a point guard, when you have to score so much, and have to make every big shot, and have to make all the passes, eventually it takes a toll on you throughout the season, no matter how phenomenal you are.

“So just someone who can come in and take some of that pressure away. That’s why I was excited not only to play with my friend but excited to play with a guy like LeBron, because it takes some of that pressure away from having to do it year after year after year. It saves you, your body.”

Any way you look at it, he’s right. It’s common knowledge to everyone around the league, everyone who covers it and everyone who watches it that the Bulls have a gaping hole at the two, and really don’t have a second player on the team who can create a shot. Luol Deng is a finisher, not a creator. Carlos Boozer is a finisher (although finishing inside isn’t his strongest suit) and not a creator. Look down through that lineup. Lots of defense. Not much creating.

Wade also praised Rose for the way he improved last year, taking everyone by surprise and going from “He’s gonna get it someday” to “Damn, he gets it” overnight. The respect level is definitely there. It should be. For now in the Eastern Conference landscape, these two teams will be battling every spring for the right to get a shot at the NBA Finals. And at this point, the difference between the two is that one guy.

Who’s the one guy Chicago should chase?

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