Fast-break and half-court hybrids present Dragic and Wade with a similar advantage. Defenses are so concerned with Dragic's end-to-end aggression that they sacrifice speed when getting back just to put more than one body between him and the basket.
That invariably creates snap one-on-one opportunities for Wade, whose first step off the catch remains too quick for, well, just about everyone:
Not surprisingly, both Wade and Dragic shot better than
60 percent in these situations. Even less surprisingly, the Heat know what they have in this dyad and want to adjust their approach accordingly.
"There's no question," head coach Erik Spoelstra said following the regular season, per the
South Florida Sun Sentinel's
Ira Winderman. "I want to play faster next year, and to be able to play with pace."
Now, if playing with pace were that easy, the Heat would have already done it. But they need the personnel to do it first.
Some of their problems will be solved with Bosh's and McRoberts' returns. Neither is lightning-quick, but both are faster alternatives to Whiteside and Haslem.
Beyond them, though, the Heat will have to look outside for talent that fits their desired model—younger, faster wings who increase the freedom with which Wade and Dragic direct the offense.
Proper Spacing
Two words: more shooters.
The Heat won't maximize the potential of Wade and Dragic if they don't run more spacing-friendly lineups. It's not only a matter of increasing drive-and-kick opportunities for both guards; it's a way of counteracting Wade's own limited offensive range.
Certain players make three-pointers a more pivotal part of their offensive rapport as they age. Attempting more jump shots is easier on the legs than perpetual rim assaults.
But while Wade was more liberal with his outside looks this past season, jacking up more than 100 for the first time since 2010-11, he's not a consistent outside presence. He prefers to work with the ball in his hand off the dribble or from inside the post.
The challenge, then, is putting players around him who move well off the rock or can merely drain spot-up opportunities off his passes out of double-teams and crumpling defenses. And Dragic himself does both really well.
More than 16 percent of his total shot attempts were standalone three-pointers during the regular season, of which he drilled a scintillating 37.8 percent. He doesn't dance around the three-point line or curl off an inordinate number of screens when displaced from the ball.
Rather, he's more inclined to play the part of bystander, looking on as Wade backs deeper and deeper into the middle, creating the illusion of a predesigned isolation or post-up set that compels Dragic's man to provide help.
Then boom.
Wide-open trey:
Allowing Dragic room to explode off the arc and slash toward the basket is equally important. That's difficult to do when Wade is sharing the block with two traditional bigs or even if he's jostling for space with one.
But when he's alone, it opens the layup pipeline:
but come opening night he'll be back to 225
