If the Heat fail to win a championship for the second consecutive year, LeBron James is going to take the blame. Much of that blame will be deserved. Should Miami fall to Oklahoma City, LeBron will be 0-for-3 in the NBA Finals. When you’re considered by many to be the best player on the planet, you should be able to win a championship on your third trip to the Finals no matter who the supporting cast is.
However, it is Dwyane Wade who has struggled much of the time in this year’s playoffs — not LeBron. James single-handedly won Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Boston. Wade, on the other hand, looked disinterested throughout much of the series. That’s why LeBron is calling for D-Wade to be more agressive in the NBA Finals.
“Sometimes I go to him and tell him I need one of those games from him,” LeBron said according to the NY Post. “I need one of those performances from him because he still has it. He knows he still has it too. But every player needs a little kick every now and then, no matter how time-tested they are. He needs to be DWade and not worry about deferring as much.’’
Wade agreed, saying that he wants to score more points and vowing to “be more aggressive.” What Russell Westbrook was for the Thunder in Game 1, the Heat need D-Wade to be going forward. Kevin Durant is the guy in Oklahoma City. Everyone knows that, but that doesn’t stop Westbrook from going off for 18 points in the second half and posting nearly a triple double — whether he was angry at Shane Battier or not. Wade is one of the best players in the NBA, but he takes too many possessions off and gets down when things aren’t going his way. Until he stops doing that for a full 48 minutes, the Heat cannot match up with the explosive Thunder.
H/T Pro Basketball Talk
Photo credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE
