When the Miami Heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, they officially punched their ticket for the NBA playoffs, which get underway on April 14. In the immediate aftermath of the victory, veteran guard Dwyane Wade offered some perspective about what it means to the team and the approach needed for the challenge ahead.
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Expressing his happiness for teammates whose bid for the playoffs last year came up agonizingly short, Wade indicated that the enjoyment needs to be balanced with a stronger commitment to play hard every game. In each of the last two games, the Heat have had problems at home against teams that aren’t in playoff consideration, including losing to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. Two players that Wade specifically cited as being key to the win over Atlanta were center Hassan Whiteside and point guard Goran Dragic.
Wade played the first 13 seasons of his legendary career with the Heat before signing a two-year free agent contract with the Chicago Bulls in July 2016. When the Bulls announced their plans to rebuild prior to last season, Wade accepted a buyout from the team and subsequently signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. On Feb. 8 of this year, the Cavaliers dealt Wade back to the Heat, with the veteran injecting his leadership into a team that was struggling to earn a spot in the postseason.
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