Superstar praise and stifling defense highlight Dean Wade's vital, often-unseen impact on the Cleveland Cavaliers' playoff success.
There's a reason that Donovan Mitchell and James Harden called for the media to recognize Dean Wade's contributions after the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors in Game 2.
Who knows where the Cleveland Cavaliers would be at this early juncture of the NBA playoffs without Dean Wade's incredible defensive efforts on Brandon Ingram? The Wine and Gold's quintessential role player has been nothing short of spectacular in answering the bell for his coaching staff and teammates.
In the first two games of the Cavs' series with the Toronto Raptors, Wade has held Ingram in check, most recently stymying the former All-Star to a 3-for-15 performance from the field. And previously, in Game 1, he held him to only nine field-goal attempts.
On the offensive side of the ball, despite scoring only eight points on six shots, Wade has been praised for his screen setting, floor spacing, and for bringing weaker defenders into Cleveland's actions. There's a lot of conversation about the veteran forward's lack of production, but it's unnecessary given what he's been asked to do.
In an episode of Courtside with Cavs, Spencer German and I explained why Wade's impact goes beyond the box score and statistics:
I just want to communicate to people that there are such things as roles in basketball. Not everyone can score 20, score 30. In a game, that's not how it works. You get the ball to the hot hand, you see what's working, you react to that. Dean just knows how to get the ball to the next guy. If I have a criticism of Dean, other than not taking shots when he's open, I would say look to score instead of passing out of those drives.
But the way that he's moving the ball to the next guy, making the correct plays, and just not turning the ball over. That's another thing that Kenny Atkinson says. This guy just takes care of the basketball. He's low usage. He crashes from the corner, is on the offensive glass, and gets you offensive rebounds.
The series between the Cavs and Raptors shifts to Toronto for Game 3 at Scotiabank Arena tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Game 4 will be another afternoon tilt from up north, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
If necessary, April 29, May 1, and May 3 will be the dates for Games 5-7. Cleveland currently leads 2-0.
Watch the full episode of Courtside with Cavs, and remember to subscribe to our CavsRoundtable YouTube channel for more coverage of the Cavaliers through the 2025-26 NBA season.
You can follow our comprehensive Cavs coverage as a team here on RoundtableSports.
Cavs Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Cavaliers. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.