The Miami Heat had a plan.
They were going to give Wade unlimited PTO this season and then pray when the playoffs came around he would have enough in the tank to be the D Wade of old. He took off almost 30 games this season with various ailments or just because the team wanted him to rest.
It was a gamble, but it appears to working, especially against the Pacers where he is averaging 24, 3 and 4 on 60% shooting from the field.
Wade says he doesn’t understand while people thought he was washed up, but he likes proving them wrong. Here is what he had to say via Bleacher Report.
“I don’t know why,” Wade said, laughing. “I think I’ve been good for the game. I don’t know why anybody would want to get me out of here. I don’t know. I have noticed that. And they’re quick to move me out of the way. But, you know, it just makes the story better. Because I won’t let them move me, I won’t leave. I mean, I’m only 32 years old. Like Chris (Bosh) said (to the media), it’s not like I’m 40-something. So, I don’t know. I guess it’s just the way they want to do me.”
“I tune it out from the standpoint that it’s not going to affect me, from the standpoint that I’m going to do what they want,” Wade said. “You know, sometimes it’s motivation. Because people don’t really understand exactly what it takes to be who I am, what it takes to be on this team, what it takes to be unselfish to be here, and all the things I have to deal with. You know, all people want to talk about is points. You know what I mean?”
“You know what, I don’t know,” Wade said. “My teammates treat me great, the organization treats me great, the fans treat me great. The rest of it is just noise. I always say that, that I’ll be appreciated more later, for what I was able to do, my height, my size and my time. But that later is going to come when I’m ready for it. Not when everyone else is. They were ready to throw me out three years ago.”
Wade seems annoyed, but if that is motivation for him to be great, that is good news for the Heat. As long as he is healthy, they become very hard to defend.
We will see if it continues as the Heat look for the 3-Peat.