Dwyane Wade has now played for the Chicago Bulls in 15 games. Heading into December, how well has Chicago’s biggest free-agent signing played?
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Current Per-Game Averages: 30.5 minutes, 18.9 points, 2.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.9 turnovers, 44.3 percent shooting, 38.5 percent 3-point shooting.
The Bulls shocked just about everyone this summer when, seemingly out of nowhere, they signed Wade to a 2-year, $47 million deal.
Fans had many different reactions to the signing. Some were shocked that Wade would ever leave the Miami Heat, where he had previously played for his entire career. Some were excited to see him play again in his hometown. Others were annoyed. After all, the Bulls’ General Manager Gar Forman and Vice President John Paxton told the world heading into the off-season that they would become a “younger and more athletic” team.
Signing the 34-year-old Wade and replacing Derrick Rose (who is 28) with 30-year-old Rajon Rondo isn’t the best way to follow through.
Despite the sudden change of events, many people acknowledged that Wade was still a very good player, especially after his fantastic play in last season’s playoffs, and would likely be a strong leader in the locker room. However, critics were quick to point out that the Bulls’ starting five, assuming at the time that Taj Gibson would start, which he did, has no high-percentage three-point shooters.
After one month of play, it’s clear that Wade’s value to the Bulls is important, and for several reasons.
One of the things that Wade has brought to Chicago is his ability to make every game more watchable and enjoyable. He does this because of his name-recognition and also through his uncanny ability to make difficult shots: Floaters, moving deep mid-range shots, post fadeaways, his trademarked eurostep… the list goes on and on.
These difficult shots have come in handy at the perfect time… when the Bulls offense occasionally becomes stagnant and, well, horrible, Wade has been able to hit tough shots to get the team – and the crowd – back into the game.
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It’s true that his overall field goal percentage isn’t strong – at 44.3 percent, he is shooting the worst overall from the field in his career – but he’s made up for it by being a capable passer and tertiary ball-handler. This was something Mike Dunleavy could never offer Chicago, and it allows head coach Fred Hoiberg more first-string starters to run the offense when the bench is on the floor.
Additionally, Wade has helped disprove initial doubts of the Bulls’ ability to space the floor by shooting a career-high 38.5 percent from three. This is impressive, not only because it’s his highest mark by more than 8 percent, but because he’s shooting 3.5 per game, which is his highest average ever.
Wade’s ability to knock down threes has been extremely helpful for the Bulls, especially in these first 15 games because Doug McDermott, the Bulls’ best three-point shooter and near-executioner of Paul George, has been out with a concussion.
Another area where Wade has shined has been in the final moments of games. The Bulls often struggled and lost to many teams during the past few years by not being able to deliver in the final minutes of games, and this is something Wade (alongside Butler) has been able to fix. Wade has knocked down several clutch shots thus far, including this:
This second video highlights his entire scoring performance versus the Utah Jazz, but he hits two big shots starting at 1:38.
Finally, and arguably most importantly, Wade has made an impact in the locker room and on the team with his leadership. He has been a huge supporter and friend to Butler, and immediately deferred, calling the Bulls “Jimmy’s team.” Mentoring younger players has also been big–the younger players are active listeners to his advice and enjoy his presence–something that didn’t really exist in Chicago’s murky and “Who’s the leader?” locker room last year.
Wade is getting older and he certainly isn’t “Flash” anymore, but he has adapted (look no further than his 3-point shooting) and continues to play at a very high level. He also has been a fantastic mentor for Butler and all of the younger Bulls players, ultimately giving him a grade of…