Be Like Wade

Talk about good timing.
Right after I put up my last post about how nice LeBron and Wade are they go off for 33 and 34 points, respectively, to close out the Celtics.

Remember what I said about these guys taking turns?
Well, Wade kept Miami afloat in the first half while LeBron took things over down the stretch.
And my goodness, that stretch at the end of game 5 was a sight to behold.

After going 1-3 against the Celtics in regular season, Miami flipped the switch to beat Boston 4-1.
What was the biggest difference you ask?
That's easy.
Dwayne Wade.

His numbers in the regular season against the Celtics:
13 points, 4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists a game on 28% shooting.

His numbers in the playoffs against the Celtics:
30 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists a game on 53% shooting.

I would say that more than doubling your scoring output and almost doubling your shooting percentage makes a difference.
A big difference.

Honestly though, what did you expect from this guy?
He is a bad man.
That we all know.

But maybe what we don't know is, how do you get that bad?
What sort of moves/drills do you practice?
How do you prepare for games?

Why don't we see for ourselves.

First off, I absolutely love how Wade comes out and warms up by doing some ball handing.
It seems like most of the NBA players that I have seen before games come out and just shoot right away.
That can't be good and to me is absolutely shocking.
Well, Wade isn't like most NBA players.
Therefore it is cool to see him get a bit of a rhythm with some dribbling drills.

Also, compare this routine to that of Ray Allen's.
Allen's routine consists mostly of spot up shooting.
Wade by contrast mixes it up and does a lot off the dribble.

Form fits function.

The difference in each player's routine caters to the strengths of their respective games.

What makes Wade so special is that not only can he get to the rim, but he can also shoot. Most importantly he can create his own shot.

Check out some of the moves he puts in on video 3. In particular, look at his dribble right then cross-over behind the back move into his jump-shot.

That looks a little familiar doesn't it?
Practice makes perfect.

Another comparison between Wade and Allen.
One of the things I took away from seeing Allen shoot was how "human" he looked. Meaning, for some reason I though he would make just about every shot he took. Actually, a lot of the feed back I received from posting his pre-game routine was regarding the disbelief with how much he missed.
I mean, he "only" shot 58% from NBA three's.

In contrast, I can't believe how little Wade misses.
And I'm not trying to play him.
His jumper is wet.
One of the comments I got for these videos on youtube was "D. Wade doesn't miss!"

Then, look at how he finishes his routine, with some pseudo one-on-one drills.
Question. How can I get that job?
I'm sure I can be just as good at letting wade score on me before games to give him confidence.

One final comment.
Look at the speed at which Wade is going through his routine.
Not super fast. But at his own pace.
Maybe during drills in the off-season or in practice it's different.
But still, I have always been a believer in doing certain drills slower (at least to start) to focus more on mechanics and techniques.
This certainly would make sense before a game.
Going slower doesn't mean you're not going hard or going right.
Look at the sweat Wade builds up.

And we certainly can't argue with the results.

So, there you have it.
Give these drills a go.
Who knows, maybe one day you can be as bad as Dwayne Wade.