The top 10 Miami Heat players since 2010

2. Dwyane Wade

Stats (2011-2016): 21.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.8 steals, 50 percent shooting

It’s not every day that you find yourself ranking the greatest player in franchise history no. two in anything Heat related, but in this category, Wade finds himself here.

Unlike Bosh, Wade came roaring out of the gates in 2011, still 28 years old and in his physical prime. He finished the 2010-11 season with nearly identical stats to teammate and fellow MVP candidate James.

When the 2011 season concluded, Wade had put up averages of 25.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. He shot an even 50 percent from the field and also managed to muster up 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocked shots per game.

That’s as a sidekick, too.

While Wade would go on to have several terrific playoff moments during the course of that 2011 run (he averaged 30.2 points against Boston in the second round and was arguably the best player on the floor during the Finals against Dallas,) the Heat would fall short of their championship dreams, losing in six games to an underdog Mavericks team who, in my opinion, should have been swept.

With all that aside, Wade and James put aside their differences for the better of the team, and Wade would begin experiences declines in his scoring average from 2011-12 on out as he smoothly transitioned in the role of second option.

Despite the slight decline in scoring, Wade would go on to experience several big moments during the 2012 Playoffs, and even had a 41-point game against the Pacers in Indianapolis.

In Eastern Conference Finals, Wade was highly focused on by the Boston defense, therefore putting much of the scoring load on James, whom played an epic series alongside Wade.

Although he’d been suffering from knee issues throughout the postseason, Wade managed to put his injury bugs aside during the 2012 Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, in which he averaged 22.6 points per game and had consecutive 25-point outings in Games 3 and 4.

Knee troubles continued to bug Wade for much of the of the 2013 season and playoffs, and at one point, many felt the burden was just too much for no. 3 to handle.

Boy, were they wrong.

The Heat entered the 2013 Finals bruised and battered, but not beaten. They had just finished a seven-game grudge match with the Indiana Pacers and were facing a veteran-led San Antonio Spurs team that was coming off of over a week’s worth of rest.

Through three games, the Spurs held a 2-1 series lead with games 3 and 4 still to be played at the AT&T Center.

Just when it appeared the Heat were dead in the water, just as it seemed they were done for good, Wade came alive, and was nearly superhuman for stretches.

He finished Game 4 with 32 points, six rebounds, and four assists on 14-of-25 shooting, having a huge impact in the fourth quarter, ultimately helping the Heat pull away midway through the fourth period.

In Game 7, Wade once again came through, scoring 23 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Heat prevailed 95-88, capturing their second consecutive championship, Wade’s third overall.

2014 proved to be an interesting year for Wade, as he found himself sitting nearly a third of the season as the Heat limped their way to a 54-28 record, their worst of the LeBron-Wade-Bosh era.

Once again, they marched through the Eastern Conference playoffs, losing just three combined games going into the 2014 Finals.

Wade appeared to hit a physical wall in that series, and looked heavy and out-of-shape as the Spurs blew the Heat off the floor by a record margin in five games.

While Wade and the Heat would go on to miss the 2015 Playoffs, it turned out to be a memorable individual season for him, recording two 40-point games and leading Miami to a season-series victory over James and the Cavaliers.

He would continue the same level of individual success the following year as well, playing in over 70 games and helping lead the Heat to the third seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Following a thrilling seven-game series against the Charlotte Hornets, Wade turned back the clocks for Miami one last time, recording consecutive 30-point games in Games 3 and 4 as the Heat took the Toronto Raptors to seven games as well.

They would go on to fall on the road, but until Wade’s sudden departure following failed contract negotiations, the Heat had (have) a bright future ahead of them.

As for Wade, it’s more than likely that he’ll remain in Chicago for the upcoming season, but his heart and home will always remain in South Beach.