Recent reports by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst of tension between Miami Heat backcourt mates Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade have been dismissed by head coach Erik Spoelstra. From Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald:
• Spoelstra, on a Brian Windhorst ESPN report of “uneasy tension” between Wade and Dragic: “It’s silly. Goran and Dwyane, not only are they playing much better with each other, which takes time — they’re both aggressive ball dominant players — but they enjoy each other. They enjoy when the other guy is able to be aggressive. They want each other to be able to play their games. And it’s getting better.”
Of controversial reports about the Heat, [Spoelstra] said: “We’re used to it. Before playoffs even started 3 1/2 weeks ago, we said it brings out everything. A lot of noise. When you lose, there will be a lot of surprising
The report from Windhorst stated that tension between the two derives from both being ball-dominant players; they both need to be the primary ball-handling player to thrive, and they can’t both be. Spoelstra may have dismissed this as “silly,” but is it? It certainly makes sense. Ball-dominant shooting guards often struggle next to ball-dominant point guards. Look at Monta Ellis, for example. Whether it’s Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings, or Rajon Rondo, he’s always had difficulty playing with point guards who want the ball in their hands.
For Wade, this is the first time playing with a ball-dominant point guard who’s on par with him. Back in his superstar days, he was always the first option, and didn’t have to worry about sharing the ball too much. In the LeBron era, he shared the backcourt with Mario Chalmers, who played off-ball. Now, he has to share with Dragic. Even at age 34, Wade is better than Dragic, but they’re at least comparable.
