After returning to the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade‘s future with the team will look similar to that of Udonis Haslem.
If you watched the Miami Heat in their playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers this year, then you know that Dwyane Wade still has some Flash in him. In Game 2, he had 28 points and 7 rebounds to help carry the Heat to a win in Philadelphia.
Although the Heat ultimately lost the series, it was something unexpected for him to do this late in his career. However, in order for the franchise to have a successful future, the Heat cannot rely heavily on Wade going forward; and really, they should not have to.
Wade’s future with the Heat
There is a lot to learn from arguably one of the top three shooting guards of all time, and the Heat will not let that knowledge from Wade go to waste.
When Wade returned to the Heat, it was clear that he was taking on a partial mentoring role. Deciding to come off the bench, he really believed in the young talent and wanted to help them as they approached the playoffs. His future will most likely be an extension of this — similar to that of Udonis Haslem.
While we do not know whether Wade will retire yet and it has been debated as to whether he should or not, what we do know is that he is clearly invested in this team and their success.
His relationship with Justise Winslow is just one example of this, as Wade was a mentor for Winslow when he was drafted in 2015. Upon Wade’s return, Winslow began playing the best basketball he’s ever played. It is probably not too far off to say that his improvement might not be a coincidence.
The change will be gradual
Although Wade has already partially stepped into a mentoring position, the cutdown of his gameplay will most likely be gradual, so long as he chooses not to retire. He clearly still has a little Vintage Wade left in the tank and could play for at least another year, with limited minutes.
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Whether or not he chooses to do so, is in his hands.