The D Wade Maintenance Plan

The Miami Heat coddled Dwyane Wade the entire 2013-14 regular season. He missed 28 games, mostly due to his recurring knee troubles. They put an enormous amount of pressure on LeBron James to carry the load for them, and, for the most part, he did. The Heat wanted to save their more fragile star for their fourth attempt at a Finals run in four years. 

So far, their strategy has worked. Wade was magnificent for the first two rounds and has been for the last three games against the Pacers too. In game three last night, he constantly penetrated into the teeth of the defense. Wade created many midrange floaters for himself in addition to a few easy baskets for cutting teammates. 

Coming into the series, I believed Lance Stephenson would outplay Wade in the individual matchup. Stephenson has played great, but Wade is currently playing at another level. He has been incredibly efficient from the field in all three games this series and has consistently frustrated the Pacers' bigs with his crafty array of midrange finishes. Wade has been the more valuable player thus far.

In order for the Heat to win their third straight championship, Wade must maintain his high level of play. If he falters, the Heat may not be able to get out of the Eastern Conference, even with the one game lead they've already built. They need a legitimate second scoring threat to be able to continue their quest for a three-peat.