The NBA is a make-or-miss league.
There’s no such thing as being a non-shooter.
You may or may not be an efficient shooter or a volume shooter, but not taking the shots when they’re there is simply out of the question.
Notably, that may have cost Dean Wade some minutes in the win over the Miami Heat.
At least, that’s how Jimmy Watkins feels.
When discussing the game, Watkins questioned Wade’s lack of aggressiveness and hesitation to take wide-open shots:
“The moment you stop taking them, it changes the entire equation on defense. Because again, we talked about how Dean Wade’s supposed to be the guy who has a little bit more of an established shooting track record than Isaac Okoro. If you look at his numbers, he’s got a little bit higher volume for his career and his percentages are a little bit better. But if you’re hesitating on shooting them, then that’s giving the game away to the defense,” Watkins said on the Wine and Gold Talk Podcast.
Wade only played six minutes in the win, and while the Cavs still rallied past the Heat with a 121-100 win, that’s not the kind of tone he wants to set to start the postseason.
Given his size, length, and lateral quickness, Dean Wade is one of the team’s X Factors.
The team is much better when he’s on the floor and taking and making shots, as he has the ability and size to match up against big wings on the defensive end of the court.
He’s also proven to be a willing and streaky shooter from beyond the arc, making him a more reliable option in key situations than the non-shooting Isaac Okoro.
The Cavs can boast a jumbo lineup with Wade and De’Andre Hunter and be a switching nightmare for opposing teams, but that’s only the case when everybody’s willing to take shots.
Of course, that doesn’t mean forcing things, but if the other team leaves you open, you have to make them pay for it.
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