People need to stop saying VINTAGE D-Wade

[FlaMoses]

Vintage post!

[KingDavid]

Wade will be better than Harden in the playoffs this season. Wade is now back to being the undisputed #1 option in Miami and will surprise alot of people that still think he is similar to when he was taking a backseat to LeBron. Harden hasn't done ^#&@ in the playoffs and I don't think with his current style of play, he would be as effective in a situation where the refs are more apt to swallow their whistles.

Idk about being better than a serious MVP candidate that's about to have one of the best centers in the league back in his lineup. Wade is playing like one of the best guards in the league though, and if he keeps up this play through March...and into the playoffs, whoa...That's when we revisit this and I eat crow for dinner with a hefty side of foot in the mouth w/gravy and STFU you idiot for dessert.

[Sign5]

It has little do with production when comparing him with the mvp candidates, Wade can give you 25 and 5 and 6 easily it's just about consistency. Which has a lot to do with his body, he's 33 and injury-prone. Literally every time he's injured you know it because his whole game is off and then he has to regain that rhythm back (as we saw when he came back after ASB).

Value also comes from availability (Harden has played 66 games thus far) which is why I say he's currently the best SG in the league.

The stretches where Wade looks like WADE are the times when he's healthy (like now), so as always health is the major concern with him.

[Rock Hardy]

If he could stay healthy and play like that all the time, then I'll stop calling it vintage. However, that level of effort comes around as frequently as Haley's Comet.

[Shewasfly]

I agree 1000% with what the OP is saying. Fact of the matter is, if we were actually playing for something you'd see these games from Wade a lot more often. It isn't the best player in the league anymore, but he's still a top 7 player and the BEST SG in the league (yes, better than Klay) when he tries and I would debate anybody on that.

It is more than obvious half the time that he is pacing himself until the end of games to potentially try to win it for us, which is annoying to watch as a fan, but still understandable. But if we were actually a playoff team, do you really think we'd see a bunch of halves were Wade only shot the ball like 8 times with no FTs??? Please.

Wade is not better than Harden at this point. Wade lacks the consistency to be on that level, as you essentially said yourself. He's had his fair share of great games, so I wouldn't go as far as calling the Cavs performance an anomaly like eddieheatfan does because that's exaggerating it way too much, but Wade will miss games and he will have nights where he just doesn't have it. It's mainly the result of his meniscus removal, which he can't be faulted for. The claims that support the notion of his injury problems being mostly his fault are ridiculous though.

I also don't agree with your opinion of Wade performing this way more often if we were playing for something. We are playing for something, which is making the playoffs and then seeing what happens. If you're a competitor, you don't care how good your team is, you just wanna win at all costs. Wade is a competitor, otherwise he wouldn't be where he is. For health reasons, he just can't bring it every night the way he used to, that's the truth people have to accept. He still has enough great nights to easily consider him being an All-Star who is also worth every penny of his contract. But don't kid yourself thinking Wade could perform like a superstar almost every night the way he used to. His body won't give him that.

When I say playing for something, its also a nod to the fact that our cast especially with these injuries, is poor. So putting that into consideration, you're telling me you put Wade on that current Rockets team and you get worse production (in terms of stats and wins) as you do with Harden? I've seen Harden's game, and I could not disagree more. He is a great player but overrated still. I'm surprised Harden was even mentioned, if anything Klay Thompson would be who I'd say has an argument.

In terms of effort, you can legitimately see Wade dogging it sometimes especially in first halves of games. Its not just an issue of being able to bring it, because he wouldn't be able to turn it on and suddenly start driving instead of taking jumpers in the same game if it was his body limiting him. In terms of being a competitor, I think what you're saying is just a platitude that a lot of fans hold on to. The fact of the matter is, players, even the most ultimate competitors, do not play at 110% all the time if they don't have to. That is even more the case for ultra talented players who can produce even while not going hard. I think you are also confusing the idea that Wade not producing in the same way as he used to (hard drives & dunking on everybody) means he can't produce at that same level anymore consistently period. I think that time is approaching for Wade fast, but I don't think its there yet.

[vanhowell]

MV3 is beasting! I don't care what ever you want to call it, I'm just happy he's playing this good to shut up all the haters!!

[DefenseWins]

It has little do with production when comparing him with the mvp candidates, Wade can give you 25 and 5 and 6 easily it's just about consistency. Which has a lot to do with his body, he's 33 and injury-prone. Literally every time he's injured you know it because his whole game is off and then he has to regain that rhythm back (as we saw when he came back after ASB).

Value also comes from availability (Harden has played 66 games thus far) which is why I say he's currently the best SG in the league.

The stretches where Wade looks like WADE are the times when he's healthy (like now), so as always health is the major concern with him.

Pretty much. If Wade was iron man he would have an MV3 type season if he wanted to, but he can't. And yes when he is injured everyone here knows. His shot is off, no lift. He tries to play but any Heat fan knows when Wade is hurt. We all love seeing this Wade now, but he has missed 17 games already and also he takes awhile to get into form... then he gets hurt again.

Everyone should just enjoy it while this season has been terrible for the most part.

[3ballbomber]

It's these moments that make everything else we've been through this season seem insignificant. Wade on a tear. Continued blessing to him for the rest of the season. We only go as far as Wade can take us. Vintage or not who really cares, as long as he is healthy and the Heat can achieve anything!

[HIF]

Vintage

[KingDavid]

Dwyane Wade does not like being called or noted as "Vintage".

-Ethan J. Skolnik just now on 790AM.

[DWadeno3]

I agree 1000% with what the OP is saying. Fact of the matter is, if we were actually playing for something you'd see these games from Wade a lot more often. It isn't the best player in the league anymore, but he's still a top 7 player and the BEST SG in the league (yes, better than Klay) when he tries and I would debate anybody on that.

It is more than obvious half the time that he is pacing himself until the end of games to potentially try to win it for us, which is annoying to watch as a fan, but still understandable. But if we were actually a playoff team, do you really think we'd see a bunch of halves were Wade only shot the ball like 8 times with no FTs??? Please.

Wade is not better than Harden at this point. Wade lacks the consistency to be on that level, as you essentially said yourself. He's had his fair share of great games, so I wouldn't go as far as calling the Cavs performance an anomaly like eddieheatfan does because that's exaggerating it way too much, but Wade will miss games and he will have nights where he just doesn't have it. It's mainly the result of his meniscus removal, which he can't be faulted for. The claims that support the notion of his injury problems being mostly his fault are ridiculous though.

I also don't agree with your opinion of Wade performing this way more often if we were playing for something. We are playing for something, which is making the playoffs and then seeing what happens. If you're a competitor, you don't care how good your team is, you just wanna win at all costs. Wade is a competitor, otherwise he wouldn't be where he is. For health reasons, he just can't bring it every night the way he used to, that's the truth people have to accept. He still has enough great nights to easily consider him being an All-Star who is also worth every penny of his contract. But don't kid yourself thinking Wade could perform like a superstar almost every night the way he used to. His body won't give him that.

When I say playing for something, its also a nod to the fact that our cast especially with these injuries, is poor. So putting that into consideration, you're telling me you put Wade on that current Rockets team and you get worse production (in terms of stats and wins) as you do with Harden? I've seen Harden's game, and I could not disagree more. He is a great player but overrated still. I'm surprised Harden was even mentioned, if anything Klay Thompson would be who I'd say has an argument.

In terms of effort, you can legitimately see Wade dogging it sometimes especially in first halves of games. Its not just an issue of being able to bring it, because he wouldn't be able to turn it on and suddenly start driving instead of taking jumpers in the same game if it was his body limiting him. In terms of being a competitor, I think what you're saying is just a platitude that a lot of fans hold on to. The fact of the matter is, players, even the most ultimate competitors, do not play at 110% all the time if they don't have to. That is even more the case for ultra talented players who can produce even while not going hard. I think you are also confusing the idea that Wade not producing in the same way as he used to (hard drives & dunking on everybody) means he can't produce at that same level anymore consistently period. I think that time is approaching for Wade fast, but I don't think its there yet.

Regarding Harden, I'm not gonna start a Harden vs. Thompson debate here, but yes, the Rockets would be worse and Wade couldn't produce Harden's numbers because he couldn't play the amount of games and minutes while still maintaining the same productivity. That's the whole point. Wade only plays 32 minutes and has still missed 18 games. This is who he is.
Of course him "turning it on" is a sign of his body limiting him. Wade knows when he plays extremely hard in one half, chances are his body fails him in the other. That's happened several times actually and is the main reason for Wade not playing hard in both halves.

You best believe if Wade could do more, he would, especially in times of adversity. He has no reason not to play to his limits. Those limits are simply not as high as they once used to be. There is no shame in admitting that and it doesn't take anything away from him.

This a quote from him after the Blazers game:

"This is the best I've felt in years right now," Wade said Wednesday. "You question it. And you try not to question it, like 'Why? Why couldn't I feel like this the last two years?' But it is what it is. I'm feeling like this now, when I need it individually to (carry) more of a load to help this team."

It is all about health for him and it's just not there for him consistently.

Lastly, productivity has nothing to do with the playing style of a player, I don't know where you got that from. The best indicator of Wade being healthy these days are a) good controlled ball handling including plenty of changes of direction and b) his jump shot being there, especially his pull-up. There have been stretches where one or both weren't present.

[WadeInTheWater]

So last night Wade yet again put up a game that is looking like regularity for him so long as his knee is healthy. Therefore what i can deduce from this is that he's not 'vintage' Wade it's just Dwyane Wade being Dwyane Wade that he always was.

[Heat_Fan_87]

Good. wade is using it as motivation.