Anyone would be hard-pressed to find a more formidable projected starting five in the NBA than the one the Philadelphia 76ers are expected to trot out next season, assuming they are fully healthy. Be that as it may, the biggest x-factor in their quest to win the championship is not even one of their stars, but a role player they recently signed this offseason in Dean Wade.
Wade, who was plucked off the market by the 76ers to the tune of a four-year, $38.7 million contract, was projected to be a starter for the team until they were able to win the LeBron James bidding war. Well, there is not a single soul on the planet who will bench the latter for the former, so the most likely outcome is that Wade will come off the second unit. That being said, he figures to be a critical piece for the team's championship bid.
Dean Wade will be the biggest X-factor for the 76ers next season
The 76ers' slew of All-Stars are established performers in high-stakes situations. Teams will come at them already expecting those guys to come out swinging hard and finish the game with their usual numbers. That being said, defenses will undoubtedly keep doubling down on them and try to exhaust them into doing every single thing on the court, especially when it comes to the intangibles.
That is where Wade can help and contribute as someone who can prevent the team's stars from having to exert so much energy on the smaller, yet equally important facets of the game. While his exact role on the team remains to be seen, the front office did not commit to him just to see him be a marginal contributor.
Wade was brought in to provide a healthy supply of defensive versatility, spot-up shooting, and connective passing to the team. Of all the players on the current roster, he is the one plug-and-play piece whom the coaches can deploy at any time to smooth out any lineup. Without him, that range of optionality is simply not there.
The kind of malleability that Wade brings to the table is one that will prove to be especially useful come playoff time. If he can sustain his high impact despite his low usage in recent years, he will make life easier for his more sterling teammates by doing the dirty work and not committing a lot of mistakes.
Championship teams always have that unsung hero who sometimes hits a crucial shot or makes an all-important defensive play. For the 76ers, that is Dean Wade, and those things are exactly what he was brought in to do.
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