At a combined 50 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists per game, the LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combination has easily become one of the most lethal dual threats in the NBA today—and in it’s history. In only 38 regulation games played as teammates, James and Wade have been the key components to the Heat’s incredible 30-9 start as they use a 1-2 knockout punch to beat teams of any caliber.
The Miami Heat is far more than just LeBron James and Dwyane Wade carrying the load as Chris Bosh has stepped his game up over the past few weeks, Mario Chalmers continues to become a huge threat from deep late in games and James Jones also continues to consistently hit three-pointers while the Heat wait on Mike Miller to become a stable part of the rotation.
However, no matter how you put it, LeBron and Dwyane are the key reasons why this Heat team has won 21 of its past 22 games. After struggling to develop a chemistry amongst each other and the rest of the team, James and Wade have begun to learn to thrive off each other and to play consistent, quality offense without having the ball in their hands.
Not only that, they have also learned how to allow their new teammates to thrive off their ability to draw double teams which was supposed to be a key component of the offense. Players like James Jones, Carlos Arroyo and Mario Chalmers are in the midst of career years as they find themselves getting easy scores thanks in part to the influence of James and Wade.
The No. 1 concern coming into the 2010-11 campaign was if it was actually possible for the two to coexist on the same team. They had played together on two Olympic teams and a few All-Star teams but had only played against each other in actual NBA regulation basketball. The struggles were there at first as wires would sometimes be crossed and frustration would build, but through perseverance and patience, they would eventually begin to play on the same page.
The 30-9 record says it all of how well the James and Wade tandem has been performing. If not for the slow start at the beginning of the season, it could be very possible we would still be talking of the Heat possibly breaking the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls record. However, that now must wait for another year for the only subject on the mind of the Heat today is beating out the Boston Celtics or Orlando Magic in the East and securing their second championship in franchise history.
While there is not really any need to dispute whose team this is or who should take the last shot, it still should be considered who exactly has been the MVP of this team thus far. It wouldn’t exactly be fair to single one of them out as the better player with the way they have been playing and just how consistently well they have done in just about every game over the past few weeks.
It’s extremely difficult to pick who has been the better teammate on the Heat between Wade and James. Aside from LeBron averaging three more assists per game, they share nearly similar stats with the both of them averaging over 25 points per game and nearly seven rebounds. The only statistical categories Wade leads in is field goal percentage, offensive rebounds and blocks per game.
However, the MVP award is an honor not given out to the best statistical player, but rather the player who is able to lead his team to one of the top records in the league. It’s why Steve Nash won the award over Kobe Bryant a few years ago, despite Bryant averaging 35 points per game because Nash’s Phoenix Suns team was one of the top teams in the NBA while the Lakers were just struggling to make the postseason.
Each player has had many positives throughout the season thus far from LeBron’s ability to involve his teammates in Dwyane’s ability to score at just about any given moment. They have both equally had just as much to do with the Heat’s recent stretch of wins as anyone else on the team or the coaching staff as they go out on any given night and lead their team to victories against just about every team that steps on the other side of the court.
The stats might be in favor of LeBron at the moment, but this has been Dwyane Wade’s team from the start. Their recent overtime win against the Milwaukee Bucks was one of a few clear indicators of just how well Wade leads the team as he took the game winning shot in regulation, despite shooting much worse than LeBron on the night. Dwyane’s ability to hit the final shot, while also helping his team get into position to win games is why he has become the team’s MVP of the season so far.
Wade is currently second in the league in scoring in the fourth quarter, only behind Amare Stoudemire and has showed up to the occasion of leading his team to victory more than any other player on this Heat team. While this doesn’t mean that LeBron has proven to be the better player on the floor a number of times this season, it is usually Wade the team could look to if they need a big score from anywhere on the floor.
In the last minutes of a game, Dwyane suddenly develops abilities he didn’t have for nearly the entire game before. Even on off-nights, Wade can hit the three-point shot, drive the lane and draw fouls at any given moment. When he begins hitting the three-pointer, it causes teams to load up on him from deep which allows him to have an easier chance of getting fouled and a larger chance he’ll be able to drive without much resistance from the opposing team.
While LeBron is just as good as any player in the league when it comes to scoring late, it just tends to come easier and more often to Wade who has been more used to the situation of needing to be clutch to will out wins. James saw most of his victories in Cleveland come as blowouts, while Wade was carrying a team on his back over the past two seasons. It has allowed Dwyane to become one of the most clutch players in the league thanks to the large amount of experience he has had over his career.
It is tough to argue against a player who is currently averaging 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds per game, but the MVP is an award that is given to the player who leads his team through tumultuous moments and rough stretches. It’s the player that finds ways to score and is able to will his team to victory, despite the odds being stacked against them. LeBron James certainly is in the midst of another MVP-caliber season, but Dwyane Wade is the surefire MVP of this team thanks to his ability to lead and score when it counts.
With one of the top records in the league, the Heat might just have a few players that could contest for MVP at the end of the season. If the league wanted to get it right and judge the MVP on how it’s been judged over the past season, they wouldn’t hesitate to give it to Wade if he continues to consistently play the way he has been playing over the past few weeks.
Dwyane’s leadership is finally beginning to pay off. The memories of Michael Beasley and Jermaine O’Neal seems like ancient history by now.