CLEVELAND, Ohio -- During a four-year stretch, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade formed the NBA's most menacing duo, turning the Miami Heat into a dynasty.
When reports surfaced about Wade agreeing to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers following his buyout agreement with the Chicago Bulls, many started thinking back to those memorable, highlight-filled years in Miami. But that was a long time ago. And the player that was once James' perfect sidekick is not the one the Cavs will be signing Wednesday.
Still, Wade showed last year in Chicago he can still be effective, averaging 18.3 points on 43 percent shooting to go with 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 29.9 minutes.
Given the Cavaliers' inflated salary cap and limited number of trade assets (aside from the highly-coveted 2018 Brooklyn pick), these are the kinds of moves they need to make. Finding a still-productive player, one with a championship pedigree who will be an ideal fit in the locker room and has plenty of experience playing alongside James, isn't easy, especially this time of year. And the Cavs are getting the future Hall-of-Famer at a discount, as Wade has agreed to sign for the veteran's minimum just one year after inking a massive contract with the Bulls.
Plus, every now and then he will morph back into "Flash," showing the form that makes him one of the all-time greats.
Chris Fedor, cleveland.com
Photo: Associated Press
How he fits
Since 2014, when James returned to Cleveland, the front office has prioritized shooting. One of former General Manager David Griffin's first moves following James' arrival was a blockbuster trade for stretch-forward Kevin Love. Griffin then added Mike Miller and James Jones while keeping his eyes fixated on sharpshooter Ray Allen -- though Allen never ended up coming out of retirement.
Griffin never stopped looking. In the past few years, he grabbed J.R. Smith, Channing Frye and Kyle Korver in midseason deals, building a spaced-out roster, which worked brilliantly alongside James and Kyrie Irving.
With their countless defensive flaws getting exposed more frequently, the Cavs adopted a "Layups and 3s" offensive philosophy, creating an identity centered on that end of the floor. This past season, they ranked second in 3-pointers made, attempted and 3-point percentage. Their reliance on the 3-ball picked up even more during the postseason.
It's possible new GM Koby Altman doesn't share the same vision. Maybe the Finals loss against Golden State was an eye-opener, seeing that adopting the Warriors' style wasn't the intelligent approach. Perhaps the numerous roster changes combined with the loss of Irving forced a different plan. Either way, Wade doesn't possess the same 3-point shooting prowess that has been central to the Cavs' recent success.
A career 28.7 percent bomber, Wade improved slightly to 31 percent in his lone season in Chicago. Over the last three years, Wade has made just 81 triples. His lack of a reliable outside shot may lead to a condensed court, which could take some time to adjust given how the Cavs have played the last three seasons.
Another playmaker
Midway through last season, James barked about a "top heavy" roster and repeatedly mentioned the need for another playmaker.
But truthfully, a dearth of playmakers was obvious to everyone, including members of the front office who first pointed that out following the 2015 Finals loss against the Warriors.
Veteran point guard Deron Williams arrived at buyout season, appeasing James and giving head coach Tyronn Lue a veteran to run the second unit. Only Williams couldn't function against the Warriors and the early-season issues popped up again at the most critical point of the year.
Adding Wade gives the Cavs that long-desired playmaker.
According to Synergy Sports, Wade finished seventh in the NBA among non-point guards in creating 10.6 points per game in the pick and roll. With Irving in Boston and Isaiah Thomas sidelined to start the 2017-18 season, Wade can control a bulk of the offense, likely running pick-and-rolls with Tristan Thompson or even pick-and-pop actions with Channing Frye -- using the stretchy big man like Chris Bosh in Miami.
Offensive versatility
Attacking in the pick-and-roll isn't Wade's only way of contributing on the offensive end. He was pretty effective in isolation situations, which will allow him to fill some of the void left behind by ISO-heavy Irving.
Wade used ISO at a 12 percent frequency, scoring a respectable 0.88 points per possession in those situations. While that is far below Irving's mark of 1.12 ppp, it's equal to Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and Eric Bledsoe, among others.
In Miami, during his best years, Wade showed an ability to score off the ball, becoming an accomplished cutter. While that has dwindled over the years as he's lost athleticism to a variety of knee injuries, Wade still has the smarts to make those kinds of plays.
Running alongside James, perhaps the league's best point guard, and Rose, who said during Media Day that his job is creating shots for teammates, could help unlock that part of Wade's game once again.
According to NBA stats and information, he was only used as a cutter on 0.5 possessions per game, at a frequency rate of 3.1 percent. He averaged 0.7 points off cuts during the 2016-17 campaign, his lowest in the last 10 years.
He should also add some post-ups to the Cavs' offense. Then again, if they are unwilling to stick with Love in the post it's fair to wonder whether the Cavs will be disciplined enough to run similar plays for Wade. They should. According to Synergy Sports, he ranked second among guards in post-up scoring, while boasting a 46 percent effective field goal percentage in those situations.
Starter or 6th Man?
While it's more important how Lue manages his end-of-game rotation, the starting lineup will be a tough question as well.
Would Wade, who has started all but 11 games in his 14-year career, be willing to come off the bench? What about Smith, who started all 77 games of the regular season during the 2015-16 season and only came off the bench six times last year?
"As long as we win I don't care, honestly," Smith said. "If anything, it prolongs my career. I don't have to do as much. I don't have to chase that many defenders around. Instead of me playing 18 years, I can get to 20, 21 years."
Smith certainly had the correct response on Monday. But it's probably not what's best for the Cavs.
Thomas is out until the end of the calendar year, with Rose getting the first crack at the starting gig. His presence in the lineup already leads to some outside shooting woes while raising more concerns about spacing.
Rose is a 29.8 percent 3-point shooter and is coming off a career-worst 21.7 percent during his one season with the New York Knicks. He's at his best driving to the basket, going 250-of-457 (54.7 percent) from inside five feet. On shots outside that range, Rose was just 210-of-520 (40.3 percent).
His second-best weapon last season was the mid-range jumper, canning 47 percent of his attempts. But that shot, unless it was Irving, wasn't a big part of the Cavs' offensive arsenal.
Swapping Smith for Wade, creating a Rose-Wade backcourt, doesn't seem like a savvy approach. Toss Thompson in the middle and James, whose outside jumper runs hot-and-cold, and suddenly the Cavs have one starter (Love) shooting better than 37 percent from long range. They'd quickly go from one of the most dangerous deep-shooting groups to a restricted one.
The Cavs need Smith's floor spacing. Even when he's misfiring, the threat of him igniting at any moment tends to affect the defense.
If Wade's willing, he would best be suited for a Sixth Man role, anchoring the second unit. This would allow him to play alongside sharpshooters Korver and Frye while Jae Crowder or Iman Shumpert attempt to bring the defensive edge.
Offensively, this particular role would allow Wade to become the focal point. He could handle the ball and attack the basket, getting free driving lanes because of the gravity from Korver and Frye.
Added depth
Some will debate whether the Cavs are better than last season. But it's tough to go that far given Irving's importance to Cleveland's high-octane offense. Even some within the Cavs pause when asked that very question -- a telling sign.
They are deeper, probably able to justify playing up to 13 players. Lue, who got comfortable using 10 players last season, won't venture much beyond that number again, but will need to juggle the minutes better and have honest conversations with everyone before the season tips off. The Cavs will also have many more options, better equipped to play a variety of lineups depending on what the matchup requires.
In a potential Finals matchup with the Warriors, the Cavs will now have the ability to go small, a necessity agaisnt that team. Imagine a group with Smith, Wade, Crowder, James and Love -- James and Wade serving as the primary ball-handlers. That's just one of many options for Lue, who will face his stiffest test yet as head coach.
Wade will turn 36 in January so the expectations should be lowered. After all, his name carries more significance than his game at this stage of his career. The Cavs don't suddenly have a Big Four. Do they even have a Big Three anymore?
Still, adding him to the roster is a no-brainer, giving the Cavs another quality piece in their quest to dethrone the Warriors and allowing Wade another chance at a title -- even if his specific role is unclear.
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