Friday, May 18th, 2012 at 9:00 am  |  95 responses

Dwyane Wade’s Struggles Helped Doom the Miami Heat in Game 3


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Just about everything went wrong for the Miami Heat in Indiana last night: they once again went into battle without Chris Bosh, shuffled lineups, Mario Chalmers of all people was their leading scorer, and Dwyane Wade played arguably the worst Playoff game of his illustrious career.

The Heat are now staring down a 2-1 hole against the Indiana Pacers, who increasingly believe they can take out Miami and its stars.

DWade had no answers for his miserable performance in Game 3, and no one on the Heat would admit whether or not he’s playing with some kind of injury.

From the Miami Herald and ESPN:

Wade was 2 of 13 from the field with five points. He started the game 1 of 10 and scored his first basket with 10:22 left in the game. “There were a lot of reasons for it,” Wade said. “I guess I made history tonight. It was a bad night.” Wade appeared to be playing with a hand injury, but Spoelstra, James and Wade divulged nothing after the game. “He’s too good a player to have shooting nights like he had [Thursday night],” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said of Wade.

Wade is still dealing with lingering injuries that forced him to miss several games late in the regular season, and the Miami Heat guard required treatment in recent days for knee and leg soreness, sources said. “At this point of the season,” Wade said when asked after Thursday’s loss if he was affected by an injury, “no one is 100 percent.” [...] “We’re not going to win a ballgame with Chris Bosh out and me scoring five points, obviously. There’s frustration in that.”

Prior to last night’s big win, Pacers forward Danny Granger said the pressure in the series was on Indiana to protect their homecourt. At this point, however, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat aren’t just facing pressure. It’s a matter of survival.

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  • namik

    What about the part where he dropped a deuce right on his coach on national tv? Classy guy.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Wade has regressed this season. His jumpshot is broken, he doesn’t have the same explosiveness or lift, his defense has taken a step back and his constant whining to officials has reached a boiling point.

  • Rik Smits Mullet

    As a Heat fan i like to congratulate the san antonio spurs for winning the 2012 NBA championship.

  • http://www.slamonline.com spit hot fiyah

    @jtaylor agreed, past his prime, if anyone gets traded this off season is this dude.

  • Clownfish31

    It’s difficult seeing Wade like this. I’ve always been a fan, but something about him, mostly his behavior of late, has really really not been likeable. I think the extra scrutiny since LeBron joined the team has started to wear him down.

  • Fat Lever

    It would have been great if a Pacer player had said something like, “I hope our game 3 celebration was more in line with D-Wade’s Celebration Meter. We kept it at a solid 4 tonight.”

  • T-Money

    wow, i don’t know what happened to d-wade. i’m not even talking about his game but the constant whining to the officials, not getting back on d, gambling for steals all the time, blowing assignments… and then he tells his coach to “get the eff out of his face” on natl tv? who is this guy?

  • nick

    mullet…you misspelled thunder, regardless whoever comes out of the west will be champs, IMHO

  • Fresh Boirdee

    Pressure is a B! Don’t expect him to have another game like this, but man, if Indiana wins this series Spoelstra is gone and Chris Bosh will be traded.

  • http://www.borntocompete.com Money$hot

    Miami is definitely over Heating!!

  • http://www.google.be/imgres?q=NO!+meme&um=1&hl=nl&sa=N&rlz=1C1AFAB_enBE454BE454&biw=1600&bih=763&tbm=isch&tbnid=L3l0ZW3D5dDSDM:&imgrefurl=http://forthesakeofscience Max

    LOL @ Fat Lever

    Haslem has regressed too.

  • Fat Lever

    Trade Bosh? It’s a shame that Miami would probably never consider trading Wade, but if it brings back 2 legit starters, that makes Miami a deep team and more balanced. He’s on the other side of 30 now and from a business perspective, with Lebron and Bosh still around 27, trading Wade would increase their title aspirations window.

  • T-Money

    fat lever – riles would consider trading wade for sure. he has to realize that eveyrone he brought in after the big 3 haven’t done ish. from miller, to battier, to bibby, dampier, big z, e. house, stackhouse (lol), norris cole. the only bright spot is turiaf and spo won’t play him.

  • Jerome

    There are no excuses. Only responses. Wade will answer, but it may be insufficient.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    We all know that will never happen. Wade is revered as some kind of demi-god down in MIA, he can’t seem to do no wrong in their eyes. The most likely casualties if MIA loses is the coach and CB1 even though LeBron/Bosh (especially) or Wade/Bosh are better combos than Wade/LeBron.

  • Mike

    I been on wade 4 a while now. I been seeing the last 2 seasons. Gets away with athleticism not skill & it’s catching up. Say what you will about Bron but you can tell dude puts work in off the court 2 get better. Don’t see the same drive in wade 2 be great, he thinks and acts like he got more than 1 ring. A lot of great players have 1 ring but don’t carry like wade as if someone owes him.

  • Fat Lever

    T, I guess you’re right. Riles is a ruthless b@stard(or so I’ve heard). And his bottom line is W’s. But Wade seems ingrained in that community. I don’t know, but trading him, to me, makes the most business sense. That said, I think it’s still early for all this talk. They’re not done yet, but it does bring up for interesting talk if they do flame out this year.

  • thursti

    If heat decide to trade wade, expect a reaction similar to gsw when they traded ellis but worse, however if the heat can show they play significantly better after the trade, the fans come right back

  • Mike

    Those floaters Bron hits on a regular basis is proof of the guy being in gym & working. Wade(except in 09)hasn’t played near the level of the 06 finals. Grant it free throws played a big role but the top of key jump shots that killed the Mavs have been on a milk carton ever since. Steven A. even said he left Tim Grover 2 work with Bron trainer, but dude had his best season under Grover. Oh well

  • http://nba.com/celtics lights out

    cosign JTaylor. LeBron/Bosh and some good complementary players would be dangerous, especially under a better coach.

  • http://www.slamonline.com spit hot fiyah

    i really dont think they will trade bosh eventhough that seems like the most likely scenario. he is showing his value by his abscence right now. and agreed again jtaylor, they should probably trade wade now that his value is still high, bron/bosh is a akiller combo

  • FnF

    Miami just needs value AND production from their other FA signings. What has Mike Miller done lately? What has James Jones done? Why is Juwan Howard taking up a roster spot? Where is Eddy Curry? Their trio is fine, the role players are not. Spoelstra will be gone before they implode the core of the team.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Ever notice how we never hear about any of these so-called “injuries” until said player has a bad game. This nonsense about Wade’s so-called “leg injury” is a made up story by the team to cover his sorry a** play last night.

  • JC

    It’s just one game… calm down people. Miami still got this!!!

  • bmorezbest

    it’s funny how the heat haters couldn’t wait for a game like this, one bad game and he past his prime huh? lol we’ll see he defenitley has came back from way worse than a 2-1 series

  • Fresh Boirdee

    Whomever they decide to trade they need to free up some cap space and get some better role players. Bron/bosh is a much better combo; Wade made Miami relevant, just couldn’t see them trading him, but hey he has his ring and the NBA has no heart.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    If you can not see that Wade is past his prime and on the decline, something is wrong with you. Take off your flash fanboy shades for a second.

  • IamYOU

    JC’s right miami still got this.. and Lance Stephenson stop mocking lebron with the choke gesture and do your job KEEP THE BENCH WARM!

  • underdog

    I wouldn’t start to bury neither Wade nor the Heat. I’m just happy this series is tuned to be more exciting as I had expected!

  • Scott

    Wade isn’t healthy. Plain and simple. His lower leg issues have affected his lift for his jumper and his defense. In addition to that, I had JTaylor’s mom in the locker room last night. Mid-thrust, I’m stopped by the reality that Wade is older than Bron and the rest of his draft class, which is why he’s already gone as far as he ever will in his career.

  • Scott

    Heat in 7. You heard it here 1st.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    The interwebz turns cowards into brave souls.

  • 130623

    Co sign Scott

  • bike

    The elephant in the room that no one ever talked about with MIA is what would happen if one of the big three went down w/ injury. This is the Heat’s worst nightmare come true especially w/ Hibbert coming into form. Playoff success was always contigent on well rested players,a deep bench, and some luck.

  • michaelpwebster@comcast.net

    I think LBJ is a bad influence on his personality.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    I’m not counting Wade out. Just a few weeks ago I was saying he’s the best two guard in the League. It’s more about a mentality with him. If he wants to stop complaining and just play, he can and he will be dominant. But it’s on him.

  • http://www.soundcloud.com/tray-5 T-Ray

    Cosign JT

  • http://www.twitter.com_dfrance dfrance21

    Miami just needs to hire better coach and talent evaluators. You look at a team like the Spurs who, outside of Duncan, is a band of castaways and 2nd round picks and they’re arguably the best team in the league right now. You can build your supporting casts without crazy trades or tons of money.

  • http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-bulls-talk/2011 Diesel

    If Heat lose and they start looking to make a trade, if you’re the Nets would you offer up Brook Lopez and Marshon Brooks for Wade?

  • ash

    wades world. He’s better than Jordan. U will see on Sunday.

  • lakernation

    DWADE played like shhhhhhh!!!!

  • http://www.soundcloud.com/tray-5 T-Ray

    Diesel I’d make that trade if I knew we could keep DWill and grab Howard. That would be a better team than this current MIA team imo. Low post presence, great PG, and then Flash.

  • shutup

    I’ll tell you what happened to D-Wade, Lebron’s MVP thats what. Alpha males don’t like to be #2. It’s one thing to say it another thing to believe it.

  • Fat Lever

    So now Ginobili and Parker(a Finals MVP) are labeled as castaways? Wow.

  • Salty

    I think Lebron is a bad influence on his personality. He acts differently these days.

  • MeloMan15

    you people are acting like they lost the series… they just need one game in indiana

  • http://www.soundcloud.com/tray-5 T-Ray

    Fat I think he was trying to say that they were labeled as such when they were first acquired and built their resumes.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Nah, they were just draft day steals.
    Like lots of players.

  • robbievanpersie

    last year defeated by aging and unhealty dallas,next by unexperience pacer.at in the end of the day bball is bout team not 3 stars who danced in stage and predicted they could win 8 chips

  • CubicleWorker

    Lol.. I like how I suggested a Bron/CB1 or Wade/CB1 combo was better than Bron/Wade a couple months ago and not a single person agreed…

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