Winning With Wade

The beginning of this NBA season was a rough one for Dwyane Wade. A banged-up ankle forced him to sit out a handful of games, and when the Miami Heat was winning with him riding the pine, people began to suggest Miami was better off without him. A #WithoutWade hashtag took Twitter by storm, and the usually restrained ESPN had analysts wondering if Miami should trade Wade for a big man to play alongside LeBron James. But recently, D-Wade has proven that all of those people pretty much have shit for brains. The man has been on a tear like we haven’t seen since his rookie season. He’s averaging a mind-boggling 67 percent from the field. And even more balls-tastic, he’s been doing most of his damage in the first half, averaging 14.3 points. His numbers take a slight dip during the second half, but by then he’s handed the reins of kick-assery to LeBron, which has helped the Heat blow out the competition on a nightly basis. Wade has been a dominant force this season and, as a bonus, now joins James as a favorite to win the league MVP. Without Wade indeed.

Tue., March 6, 7:30 p.m., 2012