Why do people think Wade is so reliant on athleticism?

[M4P]

That's neither here or there anymore. He's in shape now so we'll have to see how he does now that the program is scrapped.

Yes, but it is ignorant to discredit the notion that Wade's declining age and the nagging injuries that he has racked up will not continue to play a role. The guy is going to turn 33 soon with a ton of mileage under his legs. Realistically how much production can you expect from a 33 year old, undersized SG (relatively speaking) that was reliant on slashing and cutting to the basket? It's a fact that he has bad knees and declining lateral quickness. With the game transitioning to a more Run 'n Gun style, and with the Heat going through a transitional period with the absence of Lebron, it is not unreasonable to doubt that Wade will live up to the expectations people are setting (25+/5+/5+ on stellar D and efficiency).

(1) Wade is NOT undersized. His wingspan is big enough for an SF and he weighs as much as an average SG.He has freakish length for his height.

(2) Wade doesn't rely on slashing as much as he used to. He has a refined post game, a consistent mid range, and is off-ball game all lead to a nice scoring load for him.

(3) Wade doesn't really have mileage like that. The problem is his meniscectomy he had in college and how its leading to alleged degenerative knee issues

(4) Wade is an all-around player, and can still be effective without needing the ball in his hands. His off-ball game is very dangerous, and he was able to put up 19 PPG playing with LeBron and Bosh. Wade has never really been an inefficient player and we've seen him him injured before, come back and terrorize. He will do it again..

1.) Relative to the contending teams in the league. Can he keep up with Derozan, Beal, Stephenson, Olapadio (sp?) and the likes?

2.) I don't believe that the degenerative knees are alleged. I believe that they are real and will continue to play a role going forward.

3.) The Heat were ranked 7 in pace last season. If Wade were to play full time like you're suggesting (36+ min/game), I do not think he will hold up. There is a reason why he hasn't played a full season or has had to take extreme precautions in regard to rest.

[excision]

Because we watch the games.

This is quite a respectable and smart response. I mean the laborious exercise you put your brain through to come to this unparalleled thought must have been exhausting for you. Kudos!

As for Wade, the main concern with him has always been staying healthy. Many forget just how good he was at making other players around him better pre-Lebron. I expect that type of player this season with perhaps less spectacular statistics but equally efficient as in his previous seasons. Athleticism made him elite but his game does not depend on it. He has evolved as a player as well over the last four seasons.

Says the guy sitting on a computer trying to over-analyze a basketball player. No wonder you're so defensive lol.

Mods take note, this one may be suited for a quickban

[Paz]

i cant wait for the season to start. We will see quickly if wade is "done" or not.

[tsherkin]

I should point out that the properly elite level of play we see from the top-end players is always derived to some significant extent from elite traits, often including athletic ability. It's BETTER to be faster, you know? So it's no surprise that someone like Wade is better when he's got his quickness, that shouldn't be a surprise, nor be used to diminish him as a player. Everyone ages, and everyone declines; it's inevitable. That's where he is right now, unfortunately. But let's not forget that athleticism alone is insufficient, or else a guy like James White wouldn't be a near no-name, and someone like Gerald Green (who has pleasantly carved a niche for himself) would be considerably better. Wade's got plenty of skills above and beyond the physical tools he wields.

[FreeChef]

Becasue Wade isn't a Kobe or a Jordan. He doesn't have elite footwork.

Wades IQ is off the charts, and his footwork is good enough. You can survive a while in this league if you have a good IQ. Look at Jason Kidd.

Can't believe we haven't talked enough about the guy's passing and playmaking yet. Dude will probably average ~7-8 assists from the SG spot. Put the ball in his hands and he can run an offense blindfolded, probably better than two-thirds of the PGs in the league.