Dean Wade has given the 76ers exactly what they wanted in some areas and far less than they hoped in another.
When Philadelphia targeted him in free agency, it was because of the things he does without the ball in his hands: defensive versatility and the kind of connective passing that keeps an offense moving. Early in the season, he has delivered on both fronts. The catch is that he has barely looked to score.
Wade is playing nearly 28 minutes a night, but the production on the scoring side has been thin. He is averaging 3.6 points and shooting 30 percent from three-point range on very low volume. The biggest red flag is his shot rate: per 100 possessions, he is taking just 4.5 field goal attempts, the lowest mark among all qualified players.
That is where the frustration comes in for the 76ers. They do not need Wade to carry the offense, not with the team’s deep collection of scorers.
But they do need him to be more than a stationary piece on that end of the floor. His ability to stretch defenses matters, and right now that value is being undercut by how rarely he actually lets it fly.
The coaching staff had already pushed him in training camp to shoot more this season, but the results have gone the opposite direction so far. Against the Knicks a few days ago, Wade found himself with plenty of open looks, yet he finished with zero field goal attempts in 27 minutes. His defense on OG Anunoby was excellent, but offensively he was basically invisible.
Then came the Pistons game, where Wade quietly posted 10 assists, doubling his previous career high. Even there, though, he managed only five shots in 30 minutes.
None of that has erased his value. His defense and passing have made him useful enough that the lack of scoring has not turned him into a liability. But that balance can only last so long.
Eventually, opponents will keep daring him to shoot, and if he stays hesitant, it will put a cap on what should be a dangerous Philadelphia attack. The 76ers need him to be aggressive in his own way, and they need it soon.
In Other News...
76ers Suddenly Have A Center Question Fans Will Want Answered
Jabari Walkers return gave the 76ers a useful jolt against the Hornets, as he worked his way back from a knee issue and logged 19 minutes while finishing with 12 points and six rebounds. With Joel Embiid out, Adem Bona got the start at center and Philadelphia pieced together its frontcourt rotation around the absences, a setup that made every available big man matter a little more than usual.
One name still stood out for what did not happen: Tacko Fall was cleared to play, but he never got into the game. In a matchup where the Sixers were already sorting through center options on the fly, that left a lingering question about how the team plans to use its depth at the position moving forward, especially if the injury situation keeps forcing the rotation to shift. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Embiid Is Creating One Sixers Concern During This Hot Start
Joel Embiid has helped fuel Philadelphias 6-1 start by doing a little of everything, giving the Sixers the kind of early-season stability they were hoping for. Through six games, he has been productive as a scorer, rebounder and passer, and his willingness to keep the offense moving has fit neatly into a strong opening stretch for the team.
Still, there is a small concern tucked inside the hot start: the three-point shot has not come with the same efficiency. Embiid is taking more looks from deep, but he has been far more effective when he stays closer to the rim or works from the mid-range, where his size and touch can create cleaner offense. For a team already getting plenty from him, the next question is whether dialing back those long attempts could make him even more dangerous. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Are Leading The East With One Scary Flaw Still Lingering
Through seven games, the 76ers have done just about everything right on the way to a 6-1 start and the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The defense has carried a lot of the load, ranking fourth in the league, and it has been enough to keep Philadelphia in position to win tight games, including ones sealed by late 3-pointers from VJ Edgecombe.
The concern sits on the other end of the floor, where the Sixers have been one of the leagues least reliable teams on wide-open looks from deep, hitting just 29.9 percent of those shots. Several key players are still below league average from beyond the arc, which makes the early record look even more impressive and also leaves a clear question hanging over how sustainable this start really is if the offense does not begin to normalize. [Read more 🡒]