That is just FLAT-OUT RIDICULOUS. Wade was clearly the best player in the Boston series going for over 30ppg on 53% shooting and he closed out games 1,2 and was key in game 4 when he scored 4 of their final 10 points including a 3 with a minute remaining... In game 5, while LEBron scored the final 10 points, it was Wade defensively who was a beast. He was parked by the rim and he altered Boston 4 final shots at the rim because of his fantastic shot blocking ability. And Boston did not score a single bucket in the final 5 minutes of regulation primarily because of Wade's defense.
But here in this Finals series LeBron is almost invisible in the 4th quarters ! LeBron has only 11 points in the 4th Qtrs through 5 games ! His defense has also been piss poor in the 4th quarters allowing Terry and Marion to score at will in the last few games. LeBron was 0/1 with just 1 rebound , 1 assist in the 4th quarter in game 4, and playing lazy uninspired basketball.... and in game 5 LeBron was allowing terry to score on him including driving on lebron easily in the 4th.. And of course LeBron was invisible on offense in the 4th of game 5. And then you have the fact that Bosh has been almost invisible as well in the critical 4th quarters too ! In Game 4, while Bosh had a great first half, Bosh was downright horrible in the 2nd half going for just 1/7 shooting in the 2nd half, a long with getting killed on the boards by Tyson Chandler (who had 16 rebounds in that game and most of them in the 2nd half - while bosh just had 6 for the game and only 2 rebounds in the 2nd half), and you add Bosh's turnovers in the 2nd half with his butterfingers in the 2nd half, to go along with his bad defense in the 2nd halves of games 4 and 5... Well it's no wonder that Wade is getting no help at all in the 4th quartes from LeBron and Bosh as the other 2 have been terrible in critical 4th quarters in this series (for the most part).
You can say whatever you want in the Bulls series about Wade. But in Games 3, 4 and 5 in the 4th quarters Wade came up HUGE, and clutch ! He was fantastic defensively in the 4th quarters with many clutch playmaking plays defensively. He only shot 41% for the series, HOWEVER in the 4th quarters Wade shot 57% in that series.
Wade showed up when it counted in those 4th quarters when those tight games were decided!!His defense was astounding in that Bulls series.. as evidenced here"
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamih ... -2-defenseAnd of course, Wade's unbelievable rebounding in that series was HUGE against a rebounding team like the Bulls that thrive on their rebounding. In Miami's wins in that series, Wade was a total BEAST on the boards, gaining many critical possessions for the Heat, in a series where rebounding was absolutely PARAMOUNT as it was a possessions series. Here is a great article showing how fantastic Wade was in that series in all other aspects of the game (and especially in 4th quarters when he came up big- and remember that Wade scored 9 of Miami's final 18 points in Game 5 to clinch the victory, Wade came up huge in the 4th quarters in that Chicago series:
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showth ... p?t=225007And of course it was Wade being double and triple teamed in the Boston and Philly series, but he was still the closer for over the first half of the Boston series and Wade was the closer in the Philly series:
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamih ... pping-wadeLeBron has NOT been doing those things in the 4th quarters of this series when games are tight and being decided in the 4th quarters (and that's offensively and defensively where LeBron has been terrible). Wade has in the previous 2 series, stepping up his offense and defense in the PIVOTAL 4th quarters,.. Wade had 10 points in the 4th quarter last game in Game 5 against the Mavs again, but where was everybody else??. There in lies the difference between the two players. Wade has been showing up in 4th quarters through the entire postseason, while LeBron has chosen to be invisible in the 4th quarters of the NBA Finals in the series against Dallas (that's offensively and defensively).
And remember that Wade had a higher PER than LeBron after the first two rounds of the playoffs. Wade was better than any player in the league after the first two rounds of the playoffs:
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showth ... p?t=222553Wade did not have the efficiency when it came to his scoring in the Bulls series going for only 19 points per game on 41% shooting, HOWEVER Wade really stepped it up in the 4th quarters in their wins (offensively, defensively AND rebounding, and shot 57% in the 4th quarters in that series -- and of course Wade was just a BEAST his astounding defense and critical rebounding in the 4th quarters of those games, and some very important passes as well (all of that is MISSING from LeBron in the 4th quarters of this NBA Finals series against Dallas)
THOSE ARE THE REASONS why Miami won those series and in this series Miami is behind 3 games to 2. The problem is LeBron's disappearing act in the 4th quarters while Wade has been stepping up in the 4th quarters in these playoffs, and doing it consistently. Wade needs LeBron's help in these critical 4th quarters. LeBron needs to step up his defense, crash the boards for rebounds, take the initiative in the 4th quarters,.. JUST DO SOMETHING and stop playing like a scared D-leaguer in the 4th quarters.. Please LeBron.
