Critics seem quick to judge the other two-thirds of Miami’s highly-regarded “big three.” Just because Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh aren’t superstar status, doesn’t mean they aren’t still capable of holding a decently heavy amount of weight. Chris Bosh clearly isn’t the same player he used to be, but that is largely a result of the system he is in. Dwyane Wade hasn’t consistently performed at an all-star level since he turned over the keys to King James.
In game 4, however, Wade threw aside the significance of him being the second option. D-Wade played with that funk and poise that the young product out of Marquette had. Despite LeBron’s terrific numbers, Wade was a true star in game 4. Maybe we just don’t come to appreciate James’ performance as much because the Heat have been searching for that type of performance from Wade.
Chris Bosh (20 points, 13 rebound, 2 blocks) also played extremely well on Thursday and it was about time. Prior to game 4, Bosh had been so disappointing that the benefit of starting Chris “Birdman” Andersen over him came across my mind. Don’t call me crazy for actually saying that because Bosh hadn’t been playing with nearly as much energy and aggressiveness that Birdman had been playing with. On top of that, Bosh’s ineffective shooting largely took away the impact he had on the game.
Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh stepped up and rose to the challenge in a game 4 that Miami really needed them in. For the majority of the first three games, LeBron had been screaming for help. Wade and Bosh finally responded in game 4, which Miami won in a dominant fashion.
It’s not like we didn’t see any of Wade through the first three games. In all three games, Wade played his part in the first half, but for some reason, disappeared after half time. D-Wade erased that trend in game 4 as he was extremely active on both ends of the floor. On defense, Wade had the eye of a tiger as he anticipated every lazy pass made by San Antonio. Those six steals helped Wade capitalize on the offensive end, and he ended up with 32 points on 14-25 shooting.
We can’t just look at this situation as Miami being fortunate to finally have a great game from Wade. We must not forget who Dwyane Wade is and what he is ultimately capable of doing on the court. Nowadays, people act like they’re surprised when Wade blows up, but that shouldn’t be the case. The truth of the matter is that Miami needs Wade to act as a superior second fiddle.
In Bosh’s case, he doesn’t need to make spectacular plays like James and Wade do. Bosh really doesn’t have to focus on much but hitting open shots and holding his ground on post defense. Bosh doesn’t make a living off banging inside and being physical with players, but his tremendous length still takes a great toll on San Antonio’s offensive attack.
You can consider them the “big three” or you can simply play that term off. I don’t care what you think and Miami certainly doesn’t care what you think. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh aren’t here to label themselves anything other than “world champions.”
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