Dwyane Wade has always had a tense relationship with the three-point shot. A career 28 percent shooter from beyond the arc, Wade shot a ghastly 16 percent on just 44 attempts in the 2015-16 season, his last with the Miami Heat.
His resumé with the Chicago Bulls, his new team and the one he will ostensibly retire with, hardly yet exists, but so far it has deviated from his work in South Beach in a meaningful way. Through two preseason games with Chicago, Wade has made 5-of-7 three-pointers, and has expressed a newfound dedication and interest in shooting from deep.
“I want to stay around,” said Wade, per a report from Sam Smith following last night’s 121-105 win over the Indiana Pacers. “I’d love to walk away from the game when I am ready and not be pushed out. So you always have to evolve. I’m good at what I’m good at, but you also can always get better. The old saying, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? You can. I’m an old dog around there, so I’m learning something new.”
Dwyane Wade says he, Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo have been encouraging each other to shoot 3s and feel comfortable doing so.
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) October 9, 2016
Whether it’s Wade or anyone else, the Bulls will need someone unexpected to add spacing to their offense. Their 2016-17 is deep with talent, but features a lot of curious holes, with none larger than their lack of established three-point threats.
