This article actually tells a pretty good story of how the team is coming together. Now won 6 straight. I actually believe Wade needed time to work himself into shape and find a comfortable role early on. But now...watch out! The second unit was a problem vs the Warriors last year. Seems to have been prioritized.
Dwayne Wade enjoying role as leader of Cavaliers' revamped bench
By Chris Fedor, cleveland.com
cfedor@cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue was noncommittal when asked about Dwyane Wade keeping the role of second-unit anchor when the team finally gets to full strength.
But the answer wasn't needed. Wade has earned that job.
"I enjoy it. I think we all do," Wade said following the Cavs' 119-109 win against the Brooklyn Nets. "In that second unit we stay talking. When we're on the bench our whole job is to, you know, come in and make a positive impact on the game and if we're down we're out there talking about what we need to do to help us get back. If we're up we're able to talk about what we need to do to extend. It's about getting stops in that unit. If we get stops then we can just play freely."
In the first half, the Nets outscored the Cavs by six points during the minutes with the second unit on the court, something Wade lamented following the game.
It wasn't the group's most productive night. That frustration shows how seriously he takes the new responsibility. Letting the opponent surge with LeBron James sidelined was a problem in past seasons, but Wade has made a concerted effort to change that.
He shouldered more of the offensive load early in the third quarter after James went to the locker room to get stitches just above his upper lip after bumping into Tyler Zeller.
At that time, the Cavs trailed by three points and James was having a quiet night -- by his standards. When he came back, the Cavs were still in a hole, only it was manageable.
"I thought we did a good job," Wade said. "Definitely always try to be a positive so we definitely played better in the second half and we had to. But when he went out and got the stitch we had to continue to stay aggressive, continue to make the push and when he came back in we continued to do that until it became a one-possession game and each time down the floor we gave it to our best player, the best player on the floor, and that's what he was."
James finished with 33 points, including 23 in a masterful fourth quarter, increasing his league-leading scoring average to 10.0 points in the final period.
As Wade said, when the Cavs needed him most, James morphed into superman. But every super hero needs a sidekick. Even at 35 years old, late in his career, Wade has shown there's still some "Flash" in his game.
And each night, he looks more comfortable in this new sixth man role, one he requested after early-season struggles as a starter.
"Him being (on) the second unit, being able to control that second unit, be aggressive and we run everything through him," Lue said. "That gets him in a better rhythm. I think he understands it and he enjoys it."
In three games as a starter, Wade was averaging 5.6 points on 28 percent from the field to go with 3.3 assists and 2.7 turnovers. He looked old and out of place on a team with title aspirations, as opponents outscored the Cavs by two points with him on the floor.
Since being moved to the bench, Wade has flourished. He's averaging 11.1 points on 44.8 percent from the field to go with 4.1 assists and 1.9 turnovers. He has a plus-minus of 4.2.
"He's been big," Love said of Wade's growth. "Tonight in particular, especially when 'Bron was out, he gave us everything. And he got to the basket quite a bit. Got us into the offense. Was finding guys miss or make. And he's done a good job of that. He's been much more vocal now that he's got really comfortable in his role."
With the ball in his hands, Wade can be more of an offensive focal point, the way he's been used throughout his Hall-of-Fame career. Earlier this season, he called himself a rhythm player. Being with the starters kept him from finding that. With James, Love and Jae Crowder, the shot attempts weren't available and instead of being the primary or secondary option, Wade was third or fourth in the pecking order.
That isn't a problem anymore.
Playing alongside sharpshooter Kyle Korver and stretchy Channing Frye, the court is spread, allowing Wade to ferociously attack the hoop, scoring around the rim like his prime years or getting to the foul line. He can also get teammates involved, a necessity given how many specialists dot the second unit.
It's just a better fit, accentuating Wade's strengths, and giving the Cavs the second-unit playmaker they've missed since Matthew Dellavedova's departure.
Early this season, Wade was searching. He was wondering about his role. He wasn't himself. Now he's showing the leadership and high basketball IQ the Cavs raved about when he signed.
"He's one of those guys, he's always talking, he's always talking the game, he does a great job," Korver said. "He's had to read defenses for so many years, now people are guarding him. He's really passing that on to everybody. He's really seeing what's there and he's relaying it in a good way. You can just yell at everybody and tell everybody what to do or you can...he's done a really good job just talking to everybody. He's added to this group in a lot of ways, but that's definitely one of them."
Wade can still fill it up too. He scored 18 points on 8-of-13 from the field against the Nets. It's the seventh time he's hit double figures. He also added a team-high five assists and four rebounds.
After a rocky start, Wade's found his place as leader of Cleveland's revamped second unit, a group he's helped become one of the league's best.
"It's a fun unit for us and I think it's going to be a very important unit for us as we get deep into the season and in the playoffs," Wade said. "That's the reason I wanted to come here and be a part of it."