Despite Dwyane Wade‘s impressive postseason run, is this it for the Miami Heat?
Have mercy on me for being late; the NBA Playoffs and finals week do not mix together in the slightest.
Quite frankly, am I surprised that the Miami Heat are on the brink of elimination? Not one bit. In fact, after closely observing the first four games of this opening round series and attempting to dissect every bit of information that comes my way, I found myself having quite the realization.
Miami just isn’t potent enough offensively to match the talent these Philadelphia 76ers have. Originally a skeptic, all doubt was thrust aside in my mind when the Heat failed to put the metaphorical clamps down on these “young bucks” in either contest at home.
Dwyane Wade’s 28-point masterpiece off the bench in Game 2 was brilliantly exciting to witness, but in hindsight, it was merely a sight for sore eyes for fans in South Florida. While he was brilliant in the fourth quarter of Game 4, Miami was unable to fit all the pieces into a collective puzzle, as they slowly but surely watched the confident young Sixers steal both games at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The question that remains on my mind is this: will this be the last memory of No. 3 on the court? If so, he surely went down swinging at 36, despite the pieces around him not putting together a cohesive effort.
Do I feel bad for him? The basketball enthusiast side of me absolutely does.
It’s never easy to witness one of the all-time greats in the history of basketball relentlessly fight a losing battle. We saw the same thing with Kobe Bryant in his last few playoff appearances. In 2011 against the Dallas Mavericks, he hit the physical wall and despite putting up some impressive numbers, the Lakers were swept by the eventual-champion Mavericks.
The next year against the young and explosive Oklahoma City Thunder, Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers were again quickly dispatched, despite Kobe’s 42 points on the road in the closeout Game 5 (eerily reminiscent of Wade’s fourth quarter stretch on Saturday).
Returning to Philadelphia, the Heat must not only overcome the Sixers, but the raucous Wells Fargo Center crowd that showed up and showed out in both of the opening games. Facing a daunting task, the pieces around Wade must find their rhythm as a group.
Whiteside’s inept performance is the most head-scratching, considering that the last time these two clubs met, he totaled 26 points and eight rebounds.
Tonight’s outcome should not be placed on the shoulders of Wade. It should go to the likes of Goran Dragic, Miami’s lone All-Star. It should go to Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow, two young wings capable of producing on both ends. It should go to Tyler Johnson, who’s $50 million contract warrants high production.
Finally, it should go on the shoulders of president Pat Riley‘s $98 million man: Mr. Whiteside himself. As physically dominant as any center in the league, 6.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game does not cut it. In three consecutive first halves, he’s accounted for nine total fouls and does not appear engaged on either side of the ball.
Oddly enough, the Heat have been far more effective with him off the floor, and for a player that believed he was an All-Star snub this season, his play in the postseason surely hasn’t warranted that title. In fact, his numbers in these last four games are his worst stretch of games since 2015, when he was called up from Sioux Falls Skyforce.
If Miami hopes to extend its season beyond tonight, it’s up to Whiteside, not Wade, to lead them across the finish line.
Next: The Miami Heat Tip Off, Week Ten: Taking one last shot
No. 3 has already paid his dues.