Dwyane Wade Should Be the Closing Point Guard For Miami Heat In Close Games
By Jared Doyle
@outofboundsjay
Steve Mitchell- USA Today Sports
The point guard controversy for the Miami Heat has been relentless all season. It started with Norris Cole being inserted into the starting lineup at the beginning of the season, which worked to some varying degree. When Cole has struggled, though, Shabazz Napier has been given a chance to prove his worth, especially at the beginning of the season in close fourth quarter games. Recently though, Napier has fallen completely out of the rotation, which points to head coach Erik Spoelstra wanting to go in a different direction with the minutes he allocates to the position altogether.
What has proven to be the best fit is when Dwyane Wade is the point guard, especially at the end of close games in the fourth quarter. The lineup with him at point guard allows other players like Mario Chalmers and Danny Granger to play alongside him, providing the lineup the additional scoring punch it needs to close out games. Having a secondary scoring option when Wade is double and triple teamed is vital, and against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas, Spoelstra elected to have both Granger and Chalmers on the court with him — and it paid dividends. Granger in particular hit some crucial shots late in the fourth quarter that gave the Heat breathing room to finish out the game strong, securing a 101-91 victory.
Once Chris Bosh returns, the starting lineup will be reset once again, but attention has to be paid to how well the lineup plays when Wade is running the point guard position. The best player on the Heat’s roster needs the ball in his hands when it counts, and that player is Wade without a doubt.
Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @outofboundsjay, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
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