When it comes to Dwyane Wade, the general consensus is that he is the third greatest shooting guard of all time. Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan being the two in front of him of course. One quick look at his NBA resume, and it is easy to see why this sentiment is shared among the basketball stratosphere.
During his career, Wade notched three rings, 13 All-Star appearances, eight All-NBA selections, three All-Defensive selections, a scoring title, an All-Star Game MVP, a spot on the 2003-04 All-Rookie Team, and of course, a Finals MVP. With all of this in mind, it is time to take a look at what Dwyane Wade’s most underrated season of his career was throughout his Hall of Fame-worthy agenda. Without further adieu, let’s delve into the Heat legend’s most overlooked campaign.
Dwyane Wade: His Most Underrated Campaign
Dwyane Wade: His 2008-09 Season
Wade was on an absolute tear in the 2008-09 season. Unfortunately, this was the season the Heat started to slow down in terms of being a legitimate contender (at least until LeBron James and Chris Bosh came a couple of seasons later). The team still finished with a winning record of 43-39 but finished third in their own division. They would eventually be bounced in the first round of the playoffs in a seven-game series against the Atlanta Hawks.
A Hawks roster that consisted of Al Horford, Josh Smith, and Mike Bibby nonetheless. However, Dwyane Wade was far from the reason for the early playoff exit. The superstar averaged 29.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game throughout the series. No other player on this particular Heat squad even averaged above 14.0 points per game throughout this series! If anything, Wade was the only player on this roster who gave the Heat a fighting chance, especially when you look at the supporting cast around him.
D-Wade’s Numbers in the 2008-09 Campaign
This was the year that Dwyane Wade won his scoring title. A year that saw the Flash average 30.2 points per game. However, this was not the only area he stuffed the stat sheet in during this campaign. Wade also came away with 7.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game. This assist total was a career-high for him with it being tied with his 2006-07 assists average. Not to mention, he also tallied an effective field goal percentage of 51.6 percent. Wade’s advanced numbers were off the charts as well.
During the 2008-09 season, Wade averaged an offensive rating of 115, also tied for another career-high (the other time being the 2005-06 season). On top of this, he also tallied a player efficiency rating of 30.4. You guessed it, this was yet another career-high. As if this was not already impressive enough, Dwyane Wade also averaged an insane assist percentage of 40.3 percent! Terrific for an off guard. While the Heat lost in a heartbreaking way in the 2008-09 season, Dwyane Wade still had one of the best seasons ever that is often overlooked. All of this is why the 2008-09 campaign is the most underrated season of the legendary Dwyane Wade’s career.
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