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

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade, who contributed a lot to the team both offensively and defensively last season, even starting several games for the team, has more to prove this season with the addition of a new highly-touted draft pick in big man Evan Mobley and offseason trade acquisition Ricky Rubio. Both these players are in-line to be significant contributors and should help out the club in a variety of ways, thus creating more of a pile of extra players such as Wade who will be pressing to get in those key bench rotations this season.

There has been some recent conversation and reporting from Cavs training camp this preseason about what head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is possibly considering as far as the bench and playing time for each of these guys. Here was on that from Bickerstaff on Wade, via Evan Dammarell of Fear The Sword and the “Locked on Cavs” podcast.

So that would suggest Wade will get playing time off the bench. However Bickerstaff also said this in recent media availability, via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

With a nine-man rotation, then where does that put Wade? It seems that Cedi Osman, Dylan Windler, Lamar Stevens and Wade will all be battling it out for one or maybe two rotational positions. I’ve always shared my liking for Wade to be a bigger part of this team and I certainly believe he should be given a regular role off the bench for several reasons. Here are a few of those reasons.

Reason #3: Wade held his own last season

With the injuries to (now former Cav) Larry Nance Jr. and Kevin Love a year ago, Wade got an opportunity to play a lot off the bench and even started a number of games throughout the season.

He did well last year and certainly drew the attention of his coaches, teammates and fans. He started 19 games last season. He ended up averaging six points and three-plus rebounds a game, and he had 15 games where he scored in double figures. In the last ten games of the season he scored 12 points or more five times. And he had an earlier stretch of games last March where he scored in double digits eight games out of twelve with the high mark being a 21-point outburst.

He ended up having 15 games where he was on the floor for thirty minutes or more, too. He contributed with his rebounding as well, having 20 games where he had more than five boards.

With the team fighting injuries last season, Wade was on the floor especially the second half of the year. I also loved the fact that when he was playing he was playing fundamental ball and rarely got into foul trouble. In the games he played he only had nine games where he had more than three fouls. We’ll discuss part of this a bit later because it has to do with his impressive defense as the Cavs head coach suggested with his recent comments on Wade.

You never got the impression last season that Wade was over his head in managing what he could. He made good decisions on the floor both offensively and defensively and rarely was the guy on the Cavs turning the ball over or making mistakes. He was even at times tasked to defend the opponents’ best players on the outside as he was stretched to play defense, but never gave up too many easy baskets.

#2: Wade’s defense is solid

Defense is the name of the game and it wins games. I believe that wholeheartedly and I believe Wade believes that too. Wade grew up in Kansas in the small town of of St. John, a place I’m familiar with as well as I lived in Kansas for 26 years.

Playing hoops and learning the fundamentals, especially the importance of defense was pressed upon him a lot as a kid. It’s got a lot to do with why he’s playing in the NBA now. Not many kids that get to the NBA early in their careers can maintain their time in the NBA because they don’t improve or try and get better especially on the defensive side of the ball.

With more time on the court last season he improved in most defensive categories. He had 35 steals in the 63 games he played in. He also recorded 21 blocks, and finished with 177 rebounds.

It was also the eye test and when Wade was out there on the defensive side of the ball he typically wasn’t getting burned or having his opponent get by him out on the perimeter, down along the baseline or in the lane. Some of those things don’t get posted in the box score but those intangibles are a huge part of why the Cavs played better with him on the floor.

#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).