1. 2006 vs Dallas Mavericks
Stats: 34.7 PPG, 46.8 FG%, 7.8 REB, 3.8 AST, 2.7 STL, 1.0 BLK
The series Wade became “Flash” on a national level. This was one of the greatest Finals performances in NBA history, and Wade accomplished this at only 24 years old. The Heat had their back against the wall again and of course the third-year player out of Robbins, Illinois stepped up.
The 2006 Heat roster had many future Hall of Famers out of their primes. Shaquille O’Neal was still an All-NBA level player. Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning were contributors but they weren’t in their 90s forms. It was amazing to watch these all-time player marvel at Wade’s finals performance.
In his first trip to the Finals, Wade was sensational averaging 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. On his way to winning his first Finals MVP, Wade turned it up a notch after the Heat went down 2-0. Over the last four games (all Heat wins) Wade carved up the Mavericks dropping 39 points per game. He got to the free throw line 18.3 times per game in this monster stretch.
His free-throw attempts have long been debated. Some fans believe the refs were calling games to benefit Wade and the Heat. In reality, Wade is one of the best drivers this league has seen and Dallas had nobody that could stay in front him. The Mavericks were throwing out guys like Josh Howard, Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse and Jason Terry to guard Dwyane Wade. That plan was not going to work as Wade consistently got by them and got hacked at the rim.
Wade is the third-best shooting guard in NBA history and the kind of legendary player who consistently raised his game in the biggest moments. Facing several deficits in the Finals, his teams reigned victorious more times than not. He will rightfully be inducted as a first-ballot Hall of Famer this Saturday, Aug. 12.