PHILADELPHIA -- Every team needs a glue guy. A team needs the guy that's going to do every little thing possible that will help his team get a win. For the Philadelphia 76ers, that guy is Dean Wade.
In Friday's 98-93 win over the New York Knicks to open up NBA Cup play, Wade started in place of the injured Jaylen Brown and his stat line wasn't impressive. He went scoreless, didn't take a shot, and had two rebounds, one assist, and three steals in 26 minutes.
"It felt like he was everywhere, right?" asked Tyrese Maxey after the win.
It certainly did. Wade was defending Knicks star Jalen Brunson, then he was switched onto Karl-Anthony Towns. Then he had to guard OG Anunoby. Wade was all over the place on the defensive end and even though he passed
up some open 3s he received in the offense, he was making the right plays for his teammates.
"He’s great," Maxey added. "He’s great, man. He’s been great, though. He’s in the position where some nights he’ll start, some nights he won’t start, some nights he’ll play five, some nights he’ll guard Jalen Brunson, he’ll guard KAT. He’s – I love Dean Wade."
Wade is a glue guy. He's a guy that every championship contender needs. He does every little thing that doesn't show up in a box score as he finds ways to be impactful. Even LeBron James had to give him some love after the win.
"Yeah, Dean, I mean, stat sheet don't always determine what winning plays and the things that he was doing tonight defensively, and the things that he was doing offensively, getting us extra shots and things of that nature," James said. "Just being in the right place at the right time."
As the Sixers move forward into the rest of this 2026-27 season, Wade is going to play a huge role in the team's success. James knows it. Maxey knows it. So, forget about the box score when evaluating Wade. One has to watch the film and see the little things he continues to do to help a team on a regular basis.
"You can always count on him, and you know, I said at training camp, or whenever you guys ask me during one of the preseason games," James reflected. "I said, ‘Dean is a perfect player for every team. He can play for any team. He’s always going to make winning plays.’"
The Sixers will take on the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Multiple Sixers stars single out Dean Wade after Cup win over Knicks
