Former K-State star Dean Wade suddenly thriving as NBA starter for Cleveland Cavaliers
Coming off the bench to play a few minutes here and there for a NBA team is good work if you can get it.
The money is excellent. The demands are manageable. And you’re almost never nervous when you get on the court.
Dean Wade had become so accustomed to that life as a reserve forward with the Cleveland Cavaliers that taking a nap became a pregame ritual for him before the Cavs played in each of their first 31 games this season.
But now the former Kansas State star is learning what it’s like to be a NBA starter. The injury plagued Cavs unexpectedly thrust Wade into the starting lineup last week, and he has remained there for four straight games. As you might expect, he no longer dozes off on game days. He’s too excited for that.
“It’s really like a dream come true,” Wade recently told Cleveland media. “You always dream of this growing up playing basketball, starting in the NBA.”
Wade will almost certainly return to the bench when the team’s top two power forwards, Kevin Love and Larry Nance, recover from injuries. But Wade has made the most of his opportunity to shine.
After not playing more than 19 minutes in any of Cleveland’s first 31 games, he has played at least 20 minutes in four straight. He scored 11 points in one of his starts and grabbed 12 rebounds in another. Most importantly: the Cavs are 4-0 with Wade in the starting lineup. Some local fans have begun jokingly calling for him to enter the MVP race.
His season averages (2.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.6 assists) remain low, but he has turned some heads over the past week. One of his put-back dunks even gained extra life on social media.
K-State basketball coach Bruce Weber says he has texted Wade after most games this season, but he has taken an even bigger interest in Wade’s recent play.
Wade helped the Wildcats reach the NCAA Tournament three times and share a Big 12 championship while he was in Manhattan. Weber is proud to see how much Wade has matured since he was a scrawny freshman out of tiny St. John, Kansas.
“I used to always tell him, ‘Dean, you are an NBA player. You belong there. You’re good enough and you have got to believe that,’” Weber said. “That was my text message to him (the other) night. I said, ‘You belong here, now take advantage of the opportunity.’”
So far, so good.
“I think the ability to make shots helps this team,” Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Wade last week. “When another shooter is on the floor, it creates that much more space. I think he’s been a really good team defender. He’s protected our smaller players. He’s played pick and roll well, defensively he’s communicating well, and then he also helps us on the glass.”
Wade has shown enough to the Cavaliers to earn a fully guaranteed contract that is reportedly worth $1.5 million for the remainder of the season.
It might be a while before he takes his next pregame nap.
This story was originally published March 2, 2021 at 10:51 AM with the headline "Former K-State star Dean Wade suddenly thriving as NBA starter for Cleveland Cavaliers."