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On the wrong side of 30, Dwyane Wade hears critics talking whenever he has a bad game with the Miami Heat.

"When you're doing it front of the public eye and people are taking shots at you and you're not feeling well, it frustrates you," he said. "If I'm not crying about, if I'm not out there saying 'Woe is me,' then I don't feel it needs to be discussed."

LeBron James sees what the criticisms do to Wade on a daily basis.

"It was pissing him off more than anything while he was getting jabbed by everybody saying he's not the same," James said.

Wade has missed the past five games with a sore knee and ankle. He hobbled through the last postseason with knee issues, but Miami still won the title. He has played well since January when on the floor.

Since January, he has averaged 22 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.3 steals and shot 52.7% from the field.

"I don't have an ego in terms of what people say about me now or my role on this team because I know I'm a hell of a player," Wade said. "I know I can be a top five player and lead the league in scoring if I didn't decide to take a lesser role. That doesn't' take away from what I've done in this game and what I'll continue to do in this game and what I can still do."

GoodSir wrote:Remember game 3 against the Pacers last year when Wade had like 5 points on 2/13 and was melting down? Remember the media vultures jumped on him right after that game?

Game 4 & 5 was probably the best I've seen Wade since the 2011 Finals. He was just unstoppable. Angry Wade is always unstoppable.

SideshowBob wrote:

GoodSir wrote:Remember game 3 against the Pacers last year when Wade had like 5 points on 2/13 and was melting down? Remember the media vultures jumped on him right after that game?

Game 4 & 5 was probably the best I've seen Wade since the 2011 Finals. He was just unstoppable. Angry Wade is always unstoppable.

Don't forget Game 6, 41/10/3/2 on 72% TS. That was an overall 3 game stretch of 33/7/4 on 64% TS.

fast-break wrote:Doesn't matter what people say, just show up in the playoffs. Let your game do the talking.

DWadeno3 wrote:

fast-break wrote:Doesn't matter what people say, just show up in the playoffs. Let your game do the talking.

He's performing and showing up and people still doubt and criticize him, that's the whole point.

WIth that being said, I agree our players talk and complain too much, but then again I'm not in their skin and have to take this s*** all the time, so one can't really judge it.

GreenHat wrote:I really don't think players play better after being criticized.

A player is usually criticized when he is playing below his normal level, so wouldn't it make more sense that he is just more often likely to regress to his mean?

Additionally when a player is criticized and gets worse its not a story. When a player is criticized and plays better it is an easy "proving all the cynics wrong" story to write which helps perpetuate the narrative that players play better when they try to prove the critics wrong.

MiamiRadio wrote:Tim Reynolds ‏@ByTimReynolds 14s
Declining? Dwyane Wade in line to be one of only four players to average 20, 5 and 5 this season. (Westbrook, Kobe, LeBron.)