Anyone Remember a Guy Named ‘Dwyane Wade’?

By Bethlehem Shoals
The forgotten man in the Shaq deal isn’t Shawn Marion -- we’ve heard heartwarming words from Marion, his former teammates, and the Phoenix media, even if some amounted to “he wasn’t that much of a problem this season.” No, that would be Dwyane Wade, who in less than two years has gone from World Champion, Next Jordan and League Savior to that proverbial best player on an irrelevant team.
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I’m not sure why the exit of the aging O’Neal caps off this transition; if anything, you’d expect the arrival of a stud like Shawn Marion to invigorate Wade’s situation. But in a way, it ends the first chapter of Wade’s career, and demands he start anew. While Flash may have finally gotten into Barkley’s Five, it’s time we face facts: Dwyane Wade is an injury-prone combo guard absolutely reliant on his athleticism. If the Heat continue to flounder, eventually he’ll feel the wrath of the “is he making his teammates better” criteria, and face questions about his ability to play through physical wreckage.
Granted, all these concerns will be grossly exaggerated, and Wade’s still one of the game’s five best players when everything’s clicking. The problem, though, is that these days that “five best” isn’t a given. Sooner or later, he’ll be judged the same as anyone else with his kind of game.
It’s not like Wade’s recovering from career-threatening surgery, or is Kobe after Shaq. And unlike classmates Bron and Melo, Wade’s a self-made star. He’s earned everything that’s come his way. But starting today, he’s got to do it all over again, to show the same brazen resolve that made untouchable in 2006:

The ball’s back in Dwyane Wade’s court. He shaped his own destiny once, and now it’s on him to do it again.
Some things are out of his control: The Heat will continue to stink, even if Marion and Wade lead the league in dunks. Wade might have to alter his game a little, either to avoid further damage or cope with the wear and tear he’s already accumulated already. There’s long been talk that Wade’s eying a return to his Chicago homestead; perhaps Paxson and his flatbed full of aging prospects will try and swing a trade. Then again, Marion might end up taking a more reasonable extension, the Heat have some cap room to play with ... all of a sudden, Miami could take a run at someone like Elton Brand by the time Wade can opt out in 2010.
Long-term, the situation’s far from settled. But Wade’s got a reputation to reclaim, and this task can’t exactly wait. As a superstar, he can’t sit around and expect someone else to take care of it for him. Because ultimately, Dwyane Wade’s going to be the one praised or blamed for what happens around him.
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Bethlehem Shoals, a.k.a. Nathaniel Friedman, is our newest blogger here at The Sporting Blog and will be covering all things NBA in this space about five times a week. He will also continue to maintain his personal site at FreeDarko.com. ↵