PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers have dealt with some early season injuries as they have begun to get everybody on the same page in an effort to seriously contend for a championship during this time with all of the talent on the roster.
Dean Wade, one of the many new additions to the roster, missed the first two games of the season due to an ankle issue he suffered in the team's preseason finale. He made his debut in Saturday's win over the Milwaukee Bucks and has started up front with Joel Embiid on the first night and then LeBron James on the second night.
"Obviously, the intensity from preseason to regular season is completely different, but overall, it felt good," said Wade. "Conditioning hasn't been too crazy, but feeling pretty good."
Through two games, Wade is averaging 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 3-for-6 from deep and providing a little bit of everything in terms of his defensive work. He has defended high scoring guards along with physical big men. One has to wonder how that ankle is holding up thus far and how he's fitting in with the Sixers on both ends of the floor.
"I feel like I'm fitting in pretty good," Wade said when asked of his fit as well as his ankle. "Still trying to figure out exactly what to do, especially on the offensive end. If I'm slipping screens, if I'm rolling, whatever, just trying to figure out what's easiest, what makes most sense. But overall, I feel pretty good. I think my fit is pretty easy on the defensive end. Just kind of switch everything, keep everything in front. But I'm feeling good."
As he continues to find his niche with a brand new team and a brand new set of teammates, Wade is watching film and continuing to understand where his shots will come from and that he has to take the open ones that are generated within the offense. Guys like LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Maxey are going to find him, and he's noticed that he's been passing up a lot of open ones when he watches on film.
"I've definitely passed up a couple that we looked at in the film session that I had to shoot," Wade said. "But overall, I thought we created some pretty good shots. It just takes a little bit of timing and first back-to-back of the season, so we’ve got to get our legs back, and they'll fall eventually. But as long as we're creating and generating open looks, I think that's all you can ask for."
Wade is a player with a high basketball IQ and understands how offenses work in this league. He may have passed up a few open looks, but he was looking to make plays for his teammates at the same time. He knows that as he and the Sixers move forward, he can't do that. His job is to shoot open jumpers within the offense.
"I don't think there is a balance to be honest," Wade said. "If you're open, you have to shoot it. I passed up two – I think it was two – in the Detroit game we watched today that ended up in turnovers. So an open shot is better, even if it's a miss, than a turnover. And so if you're open, you’ve got to shoot it. But I think when the ball gets to me and I'm open, I have to shoot it. I have no choice. That's the best shot that we're looking for probably at that time."
Typically, Wade will get the ball late in the shot clock compared to any early offense for Philadelphia. It's natural. The playmakers spend the early part of the offense breaking down defenses and finding ways to get open looks. So, when that process is done, Wade is usually open to knock down a shot. He just needs to step up and take those looks rather than passing them down.
"There is a balance of swinging the ball, but that's early in the shot clock, and so my shots are always kind of passing off when there was like 10 seconds left on the shot clock," Wade finished. "So I can't do that. I’ve got to be a little more aggressive on that, especially when it breaks the paint and then kicks out. I have to have my feet set ready to go."
The Sixers will face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday on the road.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Dean Wade discusses his adjustment to Sixers, gives update on ankle
