D-Wade's comments to NBA Fanhouse....

[soap07]

Fanhouse came out and apologized...the WTC reference is a misquote. Wade apparently said if the team loses a couple games in a row, it'll seem like the world is crashing time...never mentioned the WTC.

[Snakehead]

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/07/18/heat-supporting-cast-has-become-better-than-expected/


"We're going to be wearing a bullseye. But that's what you play for," Wade said. "We enjoy the bullseye. Plus, there's going to be times when we lose 2-3 games in a row, and it seems like the world has crashed down. You all are going to make it seem like the World Trade is coming down again, but it's not going to be nothing but a couple basketball games."

also, Michael Jordan to ESPN on twitter said that he would've never called Bird and Magic to form a superteam.

A slap to the face of the Miami Thrice?

The Jordan comparison of teaming with Magic and Bird isn't really accurate.  LBJ, Wade, and Bosh aren't rivals or enemies.  If there was a comparison for today's game it'd be like LeBron, Kobe, and Rondo teaming up.  These guys have a real rivalry and their teams have faced off on the biggest stage.

Last time the Heat were relevant in the postseason LeBron and the Cavs were not.  Bosh has always been on bad Raptors teams.  It's not really an apt comparison in any way.

Of course Jordan would try to discredit others, that is his competitve nature.  Not surprising.

So is there a lack of competitiveness to Miami's move?  Maybe, but these three are friends and all want to play together.  It seems they are more concerned with making a winning team than their own legacies as dominating the league in a more lone wolf fashion. Did our Celtics not prove throughout the playoffs that against good defense a one man team will not win? I for one tip my hat to them.

[Moranis]

My five guys ahead of Wade
1. Kobe
1a. Lebron
3. Howard
4. Paul
5. Durant

Other players I would put ahead of Bosh (not in any particular order)
KG, Pierce, Gasol, Dirk, Deron, Carmelo

Players I would consider on par with Bosh and thus really are interchangeable
Amare, Boozer

[Snakehead]

My five guys ahead of Wade
1. Kobe
1a. Lebron
3. Howard
4. Paul
5. Durant

Other players I would put ahead of Bosh (not in any particular order)
KG, Pierce, Gasol, Dirk, Deron, Carmelo

Players I would consider on par with Bosh and thus really are interchangeable
Amare, Boozer

I don't know how Durant is ahead of Wade.  We're talking about a guy who is an amazing scorer but does really nothing else that well at this point in his career.  Wade scores and makes contributions rebounding, passing, and defending.  The guy has won a title, and almost soley due to his play in the Finals when he put his team on his back.  Durant's better because he had a competitive first round exit this year? I don't know how that is even a comparison.

And KG I would not overrate KG and Pierce at this stage in their careers.

I'd take Bosh over Amare and Boozer any day.  Amare has the leg up scoring wise but in all other areas Bosh is superior.  And Boozer is undersized and not better than Bosh in any area.

[Moranis]

My five guys ahead of Wade
1. Kobe
1a. Lebron
3. Howard
4. Paul
5. Durant

Other players I would put ahead of Bosh (not in any particular order)
KG, Pierce, Gasol, Dirk, Deron, Carmelo

Players I would consider on par with Bosh and thus really are interchangeable
Amare, Boozer

I don't know how Durant is ahead of Wade.  We're talking about a guy who is an amazing scorer but does really nothing else that well at this point in his career.  Wade scores and makes contributions rebounding, passing, and defending.  The guy has won a title, and almost soley due to his play in the Finals when he put his team on his back.  Durant's better because he had a competitive first round exit this year? I don't know how that is even a comparison.

And KG I would not overrate KG and Pierce at this stage in their careers.

I'd take Bosh over Amare and Boozer any day.  Amare has the leg up scoring wise but in all other areas Bosh is superior.  And Boozer is undersized and not better than Bosh in any area.

Durant is a much more efficient scorer in addition to being a better scorer.  He is also a better rebounder.  He also has a better Defensive Win Shares, though obviously neither guy is what you would call a good defender.  And surprisingly Durant is better at not turning the ball over. 

And I'm not overrating KG or Pierce, they actually play defense which more then overcomes their comparative lack of offense next to Bosh.

Boozer is a far better rebounder then Bosh (and a better defender) and as you said Amare is a better offensive player then Bosh (and I know Amare gets crap for not rebounding but he is a career 9 board per game guy with a 14.7% REB Rate (Bosh for his career is 14.9%)), which is why you can interchange them. 

[shiggins]

My five guys ahead of Wade
1. Kobe
1a. Lebron
3. Howard
4. Paul
5. Durant

Other players I would put ahead of Bosh (not in any particular order)
KG, Pierce, Gasol, Dirk, Deron, Carmelo

Players I would consider on par with Bosh and thus really are interchangeable
Amare, Boozer

Are you guys serious?  Wade is possibly the best player in the league.  He got the five seed this year with possibly the most awful roster in the entire league.  You put Wade on that Lakers team they still win the championship.  Switch Wade with prime Shaq and friends, they probably win more championships than Kobe for the simple reason that he doesnt throw a temper tantrum and ruin 2004.

In 2006, he took a team of out of shape old Shaq...Antoine, broken GP, jason williams and won the whole thing with them pretty much single handedly.

DWade is being thoroughly underrated around here. 

[Timdawgg]

My five guys ahead of Wade
1. Kobe
1a. Lebron
3. Howard
4. Paul
5. Durant

Other players I would put ahead of Bosh (not in any particular order)
KG, Pierce, Gasol, Dirk, Deron, Carmelo

Players I would consider on par with Bosh and thus really are interchangeable
Amare, Boozer

Are you guys serious?  Wade is possibly the best player in the league.  He got the five seed this year with possibly the most awful roster in the entire league.  You put Wade on that Lakers team they still win the championship.  Switch Wade with prime Shaq and friends, they probably win more championships than Kobe for the simple reason that he doesnt throw a temper tantrum and ruin 2004.

In 2006, he took a team of out of shape old Shaq...Antoine, broken GP, jason williams and won the whole thing with them pretty much single handedly.

DWade is being thoroughly underrated around here. 

+1 TP

[soap07]

Now I'm confused. Fanhouse apologized and said they misquoted Wade. Then Wade comes out and apologizes for comments that Fanhouse said he didn't make? What?

[GreenFaith1819]

My five guys ahead of Wade
1. Kobe
1a. Lebron
3. Howard
4. Paul
5. Durant

Other players I would put ahead of Bosh (not in any particular order)
KG, Pierce, Gasol, Dirk, Deron, Carmelo

Players I would consider on par with Bosh and thus really are interchangeable
Amare, Boozer

Are you guys serious?  Wade is possibly the best player in the league.  He got the five seed this year with possibly the most awful roster in the entire league.  You put Wade on that Lakers team they still win the championship.  Switch Wade with prime Shaq and friends, they probably win more championships than Kobe for the simple reason that he doesnt throw a temper tantrum and ruin 2004.

In 2006, he took a team of out of shape old Shaq...Antoine, broken GP, jason williams and won the whole thing with them pretty much single handedly.

DWade is being thoroughly underrated around here. 

Well, I don't know about that (underrating Wade) - Shaq was in pretty good shape in 2006..I think that was perhaps his last truly dominant year in the league. He wasn't in Laker shape, but still he was in the top 3 of Centers then.

Plus, MIA had Zo Mourning..in a relief role for Shaq, Zo played really well in 2006, and was a great shotblocker. Zo won his ring and basically retired after that.

Antoine was a solid contributor for MIA in 2006, as well...and in that clinching game he had like 17 pts and 9 boards..most of it in garbage time, but still his contributions helped.

Sure - Wade was a top player then (certainly top 15 in 06), and he is among the top 3 in the game right now, but IMO he rode the coattails of a fading Shaq to his first and only title.

MIA was not winning the title in 2006 without Shaqtus, IMO. And Zo allowed Shaq to be as effective as he was.

Again - I just think people remember Wade as being the lone superstar on that 2006 title team in MIA. IMO, that year was more about Shaq (and Alonzo Mourning and Toine and GP) paving the road for Wade.

[Roy Hobbs]

Sure - Wade was a top player then (certainly top 15 in 06), and he is among the top 3 in the game right now, but IMO he rode the coattails of a fading Shaq to his first and only title.

Shaq definitely helped Wade earn a title, but Wade didn't ride anybody's coattails.  Wade averaged 28.4 points per game in the playoffs that year; Shaq averaged 18.4.  In Miami's four wins in the playoffs, Wade went for 42, 36, 43, and 36.  In two of those games, he had 10+ boards.  Shaq's point totals?  16, 17, 18, 9. 

Wade was by far Miami's best player in the 2006 playoffs.  He shouldn't be discredited for playing alongside a diminished Shaq.

[GreenFaith1819]

Sure - Wade was a top player then (certainly top 15 in 06), and he is among the top 3 in the game right now, but IMO he rode the coattails of a fading Shaq to his first and only title.

Shaq definitely helped Wade earn a title, but Wade didn't ride anybody's coattails.  Wade averaged 28.4 points per game in the playoffs that year; Shaq averaged 18.4.  In Miami's four wins in the playoffs, Wade went for 42, 36, 43, and 36.  In two of those games, he had 10+ boards.  Shaq's point totals?  16, 17, 18, 9. 

Wade was by far Miami's best player in the 2006 playoffs.  He shouldn't be discredited for playing alongside a diminished Shaq.

That's true, Roy, and but my point is that no matter how good Wade was, he wasn't going to win it without Shaq or Mourning that year. Even in their lessened states, they were very effective in MIA winning that title.

[celticsclay]

I don't even care what he said, these guys just need to shut their mouths. It is 3.5 months till the season starts.

[GreenFaith1819]

I don't even care what he said, these guys just need to shut their mouths. It is 3.5 months till the season starts.

True.

I think I've heard enough of Wade and Co for a lifetime.

[Snakehead]

Sure - Wade was a top player then (certainly top 15 in 06), and he is among the top 3 in the game right now, but IMO he rode the coattails of a fading Shaq to his first and only title.

Shaq definitely helped Wade earn a title, but Wade didn't ride anybody's coattails.  Wade averaged 28.4 points per game in the playoffs that year; Shaq averaged 18.4.  In Miami's four wins in the playoffs, Wade went for 42, 36, 43, and 36.  In two of those games, he had 10+ boards.  Shaq's point totals?  16, 17, 18, 9. 

Wade was by far Miami's best player in the 2006 playoffs.  He shouldn't be discredited for playing alongside a diminished Shaq.

Roy is right.  Saying Shaq was Miami's best player should get you slapped.  Couldn't possibly be more incorrect.

The only weaker team outside a lone superstar I remember seeing in the Finals is LeBron's Cavs team.

[Roy Hobbs]

Sure - Wade was a top player then (certainly top 15 in 06), and he is among the top 3 in the game right now, but IMO he rode the coattails of a fading Shaq to his first and only title.

Shaq definitely helped Wade earn a title, but Wade didn't ride anybody's coattails.  Wade averaged 28.4 points per game in the playoffs that year; Shaq averaged 18.4.  In Miami's four wins in the playoffs, Wade went for 42, 36, 43, and 36.  In two of those games, he had 10+ boards.  Shaq's point totals?  16, 17, 18, 9. 

Wade was by far Miami's best player in the 2006 playoffs.  He shouldn't be discredited for playing alongside a diminished Shaq.

That's true, Roy, and but my point is that no matter how good Wade was, he wasn't going to win it without Shaq or Mourning that year. Even in their lessened states, they were very effective in MIA winning that title.

While it's true that Wade needed contributions from his teammates, Wade's playoff series against Dallas may be as close to one player winning a Finals series by himself as I've seen.  Antoine was the second leading scoring in that series, and from memory, he averaged something like 14 points per game.  Miami didn't have great defenders, they didn't have great scorers (outside of Wade), they didn't have great shooting, they weren't overly efficient:  they just had Wade (and maybe a little extra help from the refs).