The Dean Wade experience with the Philadelphia 76ers so far has come with plenty of mixed reviews.
It almost feels like the same kind of experience the 76ers had with PJ Tucker, when the team's former front office invested a three-year, $33.04 million deal in the Three-and-D standout, and everybody debated his value. Most fans believed his lack of shooting and scoring made him a waste of money. Players and coaches defended him like no other.
We're kind of approaching that territory early on with the Dean Wade experience. Wade is in year one of a four-year, $38.7 million deal. He is expected to play the same role that Tucker once played. Do the dirty work on defense, shoot open threes, and sometimes play small-ball center.
Comparing the numbers
During Tucker's only full season with the Sixers, he attempted 1.9 shots from three per game and averaged 3.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. A lot of his value didn't pop up on the stat sheet.
Wade has appeared in just five games for the Sixers, but his numbers are similar. He is attempting 2.0 shots from deep per game, averaging 3.6 points, and coming down with 3.0 rebounds. Ask anybody on the Sixers about him, and you get similar answers.
"It felt like he was everywhere, right?" Maxey said to reporters last week, when it was stated that Wade didn't log any points against the New York Knicks. "He was great. He's been great. .. I love D. Wade."
LeBron James has already repeated himself twice when talking about Wade. Last month, the superstar forward stated that Wade could play on any team on the world and have an impact, due to his style of play. He said it again last week, stating that "Dean is a perfect player for every team, and he's going to make winning plays."
We all see the contract numbers, and it's obviously not ideal to see a $38 million man logging zero-point performances in two out of his first five games in a scoring league. Still, to Wade's credit, he's gaining the proper co-signs from his teammates. The analysts have been quite complimentary about what he's putting together on film as well.
It's a long season, and there are a lot of hoops left to be played, but Wade is bringing exactly what the 76ers paid for to the table. Over seven seasons in Cleveland, he wasn't a high-volume three-point scorer. The 76ers just want him to be a willing shooter and a quietly good defender. It's really the PJ Tucker experience all over again.
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