Cavs: 3 reasons to keep Dean Wade in the bench rotation

#1: Wade’s three-point shooting acumen

All those hot summer days of shooting hoops while growing up in Kansas have paid off for Wade now as his shooting has always been a strength of his along with all the little things that I mentioned earlier that often don’t show up in the traditional box score. This is why I love this kid.

As for the shooting, he put up way more three-pointers than twos, and had his share of success as an impact shooter, which led to him being a notable contributor in one promising lineup, in particular. He took 213 three pointers last season, making 78, whereas he shot 98 two-pointers making 56. So his three-point hit rate was around 37 percent, not bad for a 6-foot-9 big man playing the three or four spot for the team.

The hustle plays, the sprinting back on an opponents transition to to the hoop, the going after the loose ball or getting those 50/50 balls are all Wade’s secret ingredient and it’s what is so attractive to coaches that really understand the game and know how to coach well.

I also refer back to my own daughter’s days of playing hoops at the University of Buffalo a few years ago. She too grew up in Kansas. That’s beside the point. But what I always heard from her coach then was that my daughter just made her team and teammates better when she was out on the court. My daughter didn’t blow up the stat sheet. But her coaches knew they had a player that was helping their team win a lot.

That’s how I see Wade for the Cavs. He simply makes his team and teammates better when he’s on the court.

I realize that this next season will be different for the Cavaliers with the new additions. Wade will have to really earn his time out there this season. Regardless, I certainly hope that the Wine and Gold and Coach Bickerstaff really give Wade that opportunity.

With some of these more flashy additions, like Rubio and big man and 3-point sharpshooter Lauri Markkanen, let us not forget about the kid from Kansas and what Wade can and will do for these Cavs this year, provided he sticks around (his deal is non-guaranteed).