But given his poor shooting, questionable defense, and need to have the ball, aren't the main guys -- Irving, Bron, Love, Thompson -- better with Smith, or some other 3-and-D guy, than Wade?
Can you even realistically play Wade w/ Korver and whoever else they have on that bench who can't defend or move particularly well anymore (Frye? Jefferson?).[/b]
I suppose he can help their bench score during the regular season, which may give them more of a chance at securing the #1 seed (not that it's likely to matter).
Phosita this is my read as well. He is definitely a name, but when you look at fit and their roster it just doesn't make any sense. What is their guard rotation with Wade
Bledsoe (or other starting point guard acquired for Irving): 34 Minutes (he is not going to want to play much less than this coming up on a contract opportunity)
Rose: 30 minutes (on a one year minimum contract hard to see him happy playing less than this)
Jr Smith: 25-30 minutes (who knows what Smith thinks, he is a loose cannon, but he has almost never played less than 27 minutes since he came into his own and is still 31)
Wade: 30 minutes? 25? He obviously isn't giving up massive money in a buyout to be a cheerleader
Calderon: Would he expect to play 5 minutes a game given his elite spot up 3 point shooting alongside Lebron? Would not think they would sign him first day of free agency to never play..
That right there is at like 120-125 minutes for 96 minutes available for two guard spots. Maybe they are going on tiny but Bledsoe, Rose and Wade playing together would be a pretty brutal defensive group. Smith is listed at 6'6 but he seems smaller than that and would get eaten alive by Hayward, Durant, Leonard, George, Butler or any number of the elite small forwards in the league...