LBJ Is Reuniting With Wade

Welcome to The Truda Report everybody. Today I'll be giving my opinion on the Dwyane Wade signing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and how I see him working in their system. Make sure to share this article because it helps TTR grow.

The Cleveland Cavaliers signed Dwyane Wade to a 1 year contract worth $2.3 million. This is being widely regarded as an incredible signing by the Cavs, and some are even saying this puts Cleveland in the Warriors league. I laugh at that notion. There is no question that adding a future Hall of Famer always makes you better, but I don't see how this makes the Cavs threatening to Golden State. Cleveland already lost some of its 3-point shooting by trading Irving, and now adding Dwyane Wade means (expecting he starts) that the Cavs starting five at the season opener will consist of Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Kevin Love, and Tristan Thompson. Love is the only above average three shooter in that lineup, and even when Isaiah Thomas gets back on the court the lineup still isn't as threatening as it is when J.R. Smith is pulling the trigger from deep. 

In no way am I saying that J.R. Smith is better than Dwyane Wade, but this signing means that Cleveland is going to significantly slow the pace this year. Instead of being an up tempo, 3-point shooting, modern offense, they will be reliant on iso play. Just like I mentioned earlier this week, the Thunder don't impress me too much due to their lack of 3-point shooting. The same applies to the Cavs here, and I just don't see how that is going to give them the edge against the Warriors.

Just to be clear, I think that this signing now gives the Cavs the edge over Boston to make the Finals this year (before I was undecided), and this is an upgrade overall for their lineup. To those, though, who say this is going to make a best of seven Cavs-Warriors Finals more competitive than it was last year, I say this gives Cleveland at best one more game. Wade is clutch down the stretch and that can definitely give this Cleveland team a couple extra wins this year, but it doesn't put them in the Warriors league.