Dwyane Wade Knows He’s Not the Player He Used to Be
It’s often said, and often true, that professional athletes are the last ones to know when their skills and once-limitless athleticism begin to decline. Dwyane Wade, however, appears to be an exception. From ESPN: “I’m not that athletic as I was in 2006. But I still have something in me. I still have some left in me. I wish it was possible to stay at that same athleticism as I was at 24, but that’s not possible.’ [...] Wade pressed through the playoffs, averaging 22.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.3 blocks and 39.1 minutes per game entering the Finals. While those overall numbers are solid, there have been legitimate concerns about Wade’s pattern of slow starts. Against Boston, Wade attributed his struggles to get to the basket to a swarming defense that sent two players his way. [...] ‘It’s still Dwyane Wade, right?’ James Harden quipped Wednesday. ‘He can still score the ball. He still can get it done. We can’t take that for granted. We just can’t allow him to get off. He’s capable of doing it at any moment.’ [...] Wade was asked Wednesday whether he fears he might soon reach a point where his body won’t respond no matter how hard he tries to regroup from a subpar performance. ‘One day it’ll happen,’ he said. ‘Father Time will knock on the door and tap me on the shoulder. But not right now.’”
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