Questions about Wade's "declining skills" seem to be a constant at Heat press-conferences and other media events, and the 30 year-old has had enough of the undue criticism.
"I'm not really worried about it, I'm going forward," Wade said about the media's obsession with his 'declining skills.' "If anyone asks me anything about that, I'm not answering. I don't want to talk about it. We can talk about all that when I get done playing basketball. Right now, I'm one of the best players in the league, and I come in every year and try to work as hard as I can to try to stay there."
A year ago, members of the media often referred to the Heat as Wade's team, so it's surprising to hear folks question his abilities a year later.
Sure, Wade missed his share of games last season, but his numbers weren't affected that much. He shot 49 percent from the field during 2011/12 season averaging, 22.1 points (3 points lower than his career average), 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. You'll have a hard time finding a single coach in the NBA who wouldn't take those numbers any day.
Regardless of what some basketball fans might think, Wade is still one of the best shooting guards in the NBA, and questioning his skills is simply unreasonable.
Given the fact LeBron James has established himself as the Miami Heat's leader; Wade probably won't score 30+ points per game -- like he did in the 2008/09 season -- during the upcoming season. However, his lower offensive output won't be a result of his age, but rather, his constantly evolving role with the Heat.
Wade has been around for quite some time, so I'm sure he can deal with a little criticism. It'll only fuel the eight-time NBA All-Star, and make him play that much harder.
David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter.
Sources:
Shandel Richardson, "An aging Dwyane Wade not ready for senior citizenship"
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