1. Dwyane Wade
Stats (2004-2009): 25.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.0 blocks
Wade entered the league alongside Udonis Haslem in 2003, only the Heat selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. A highly touted, highly skilled shooting guard from Marquette, Wade oozed potential and his magical NCAA Tournament run in 2003 had scouts drooling.
From the outset, it was clear that Wade belonged amongst the world’s best basketball players. He averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists as a rookie, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.
Against the New Orleans Hornets in the first round of the 2004 NBA Playoffs, Wade hit the game winning shot in Game 1, leading all scorers with 21 points. The Heat would go on to dispatch the Hornets in seven games before falling to the top seeded Indiana Pacers in the Conference Semifinals.
Wade earned his first All Star appearance the following year when he averaged 24.1 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.2 rebounds. The Heat claimed the East’s best record with 59 wins and advanced to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons.
Despite holding a 3-2 series lead, Wade and the Heat would suffer a gut wrenching loss in Game 7 following Wade’s absence due to a strained rib muscle in Game 6. The next year, he was even better, raising his scoring average by more than three points.
In the 2006 NBA Finals, the Heat appeared overmatched against a red-hot Dallas Mavericks team that stole the first two games in Texas. Down 0-2 and in desperation mode, Wade spurred Miami to a 13-point fourth quarter come back in Game 3, recording 42 points and 13 rebounds.
The Heat would go on to win the next three games behind Wade’s spectacular play, and he ended the series with hellacious averages of 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.7 steals on 47 percent shooting.
Wade would go on to deal with several serious injuries over the next three years, despite brilliant individual play.
In 2009, Wade enjoyed his best statistical season to date. Appearing in 79 games, he mustered up a stat line of 30.2 points, 7.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks on 49 percent shooting.
Next: Top 10 Heat players since 2010
Most of the time, that would be enough to claim the league’s Most Valuable Player honors, but LeBron James had a different plan in mind. At the conclusion of the decade, Wade and the Heat went through drastic changes to form one of the league’s most infamous trios.
While Wade experienced far more team success in the next decade, his extraordinary individual play from 2004-2010 warrants the top spot on this list.