Cavs: Was the ‘D. Wade 5’ last season’s best lineup?

Cavs: Evaluating the D.Wade 5 lineup – 2. Dean Wade at the 4

Let’s be clear. Any of the ‘D. Wade 5’ members deserve consideration for their name on the door here. They each played an important role in its 113 minutes of positive Net Rating wonder.

But despite seeing him throughout the season in other lineups, Dean Wade still stood out to me. Wade flashes everything the modern NBA 4 demands – shooting, defensive versatility and off-ball awareness. He just gets it.

Offensively, Wade played a big part in this lineup without ever needing the ball. He was quick to initiate screening actions to get things started including handoffs, swift pick-and-pops and flare screens. This was all done with the purpose of setting up Sexland/Allen actions and maximizing the space around them by coordinating with Okoro on the perimeter.

While Wade lacks foot speed, he attacked close-outs with multiple dribbles and made accurate passes. He had no hesitation launching three-pointers, including in semi-transition, which he mixed up with hard runs right to the front of the rim. The space (and attention) he brings is by itself enough to impact an offense.

Defensively, Wade was just as impressive. He may not possess elite tools on that end but he competes hard and shows good help awareness. I noted a number of highlights, which included forcing a Russell Westbrook drive into a difficult pass and rejecting Stephen Curry and Dejounte Murray who went after him in switches. John Wall was probably the only player I observed who beat Wade off the dribble, but he made sure nothing was easy. Wade’s foul rate of one per every 16 minutes played last season was impressive considering the role he’s required to play.

Wade brings a lot of basketball minutiae to the table too. He moves quickly to box out on the defensive glass and pressures rebounders on the other end. He appears to know plays in advance and calls them out for teammates. His movement early in the shot clock often sets the tone for a possession. He mixes up pick-and-pop action with fake screens and dribble re-actions into quick hand-offs. He has good hands, anticipates passes and has the body control to launch into vertical help. My favorite Wade play came against the Pacers where he rotated quickly to challenge Malcolm Brogdon at the rim, leading to his own pull-up 3-pointer in transition. It seemed to capture the essence of everything Wade brought, and brings.

All of these factors were invaluable to the ‘D. Wade 5’ and it should be clear to everyone that Dean Wade is here to stay.