The Great Dwyane Wade is hurting

   
I'll make sure to preface this article by saying that Dwyane Wade is still an elite player in this league, he still has the potential to go off in any game, and he is still my favorite player to ever wear a Heat uniform. Lebron James is best player of this generation, but there's a certain swagger about Wade that makes him so special. He has a bulldoggish personality that says "I don't take shit from anybody. I'm going to kill your team tonight and there is nothing you can do to stop me", which makes him so entertaining. He has pizzaz, he has flare, he is the Flash. He had 34 points against the Nets a few games ago, which shows he's still got it. However, I'm afraid to say that we are watching the beginning of the deterioration of Dwayne Wade, and it's a little depressing. At this juncture, this is Lebron's team, but it will always be Wade's franchise. Let's look at some memorable plays from his career:

or my personal favorite:

         American Airlines Arena really is Wade's house. It's the house he built, and it's the one he's brought championships home to. However, he isn't the guy laying the bricks anymore. He's on the wrong side of 30, and injuries as well as last year's grueling schedule have had a detrimental impact on him this season. The guy just isn't healthy. He still balls harder than 95% of the league, but he's definitely lost a step. He had unparalleled atheticism for much of his early career, which combined with his basketball IQ enabled him to put up ridiculous numbers.
          For a guy who is 6'4 on a good day, he is one of the most prolific shot blockers in history. During the 2008-2009 campaign, he had one of the most impressive seasons ever, putting up a staggering 30.2 ppg, 7.5 assists, 5 boards, 1.3 blocks,  and 2.2 steals. Those are Lebron numbers, those are Jordan numbers, those are Wade's numbers. Look upon those stats fondly, because we will never see anything like them from him again. To be fair, he will never have the opportunity to put up those numbers as long as Lebron is on the team, because, well, Lebron is putting up those stats, and that's the way it should be.

        I didn't think I would see the day where Dwayne Wade would be neutralized, or at least not for another couple years. Last night against the Knicks, as I watched Lebron do his thing and almost secure another triple double with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists, I kept waiting for his trusted partner to get in on the action. It didn't happen. Wade finished 3-13 from the field with 13 points, a horrible game by his standards. I watched countless times as he tried to execute the moves and fadeaways that have made him such an amazing player, but he just couldn't do it.  He attempted his acrobatic weaving and bobbing act, but his body wouldn't go where his mind told it to, or at least not not quickly enough. He would take a couple dribbles and cross over, or go behind his back, or take a step back jump shot, but a defender would be there to meet him every time. He didn't have the lift. He didn't have the shiftiness or the speed that makes him so magical, and when his patented mid range jump shot wasn't falling, he knew it wasn't his night. He dressed for the game, but it's as if he wasn't there. Since the 08-09 season, nearly every single one of his statistics have gone down (with some fluctuation). Thus, It's time we start to think about the possibility that Dwyane Wade just isn't quite the player he used to be.
       Dwyane is still dealing with a slew of injuries, which is why I'm begging Spoelstra to give him more games off and a real opportunity to be healthy again. He can't help the team in the manner we are accustomed to. He isn't getting any younger, and like an old painting, we need to preserve him so people will be able to see his greatness for years to come.
      The Heat can win games without him if everyone not named Lebron James chips in a little more (I don't think that Lebron can do much more than what he is doing in a 48 minute game, which is a testament to his dominance). Reality is a bitch and Wade is beginning to realize that. I could care less if he dresses out against the Suns or the Kings, I just want to the Flash I know and love to be out on the court when May rolls around, because the Heat need him, and he doesn't have the luxury of playing through the pain. The young and spry Wade we once knew is disappearing. He needs to be healthy to be effective.