DEVIL ACT

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Nobody expects this thing to happen so soon. Despite winning their last two games, everything is not rosy in South Beach. Internal squabble continues to unleash its ugly head on the Miami Heat. The celebrated trio versus the embattled head coach. It’s really not clear if the triumvirate has the blessing or the backing of the team president, who is rumored to take to over the coaching reins of the most celebrated team in recent years. The Heat’s resident star Dwyane Wade, who has been with his coach since he entered the NBA in 2003, is supposed to play the mediator in this epic struggle. But Wade surprisingly has sided with the man known to have the biggest ego in the basketball landscape and thus further igniting more flame into the fiery situation. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports recently wrote a very interesting and intriguing article about the mayhem in Miami.

“(Dwyane) Wade’s always been loyal, and that’s why it was so surprising to witness him bail this fast on (Erik) Spoelstra, whom Wade knows too well. Spoelstra is a good NBA coach. Everyone knows that Wade isn’t a star who plays hard all the time, knows that he takes plays off on defense. They know that Spoelstra did a terrific job coaching 90 victories out of that flawed Miami roster the previous two seasons.

As much as ever, the Heat need Wade to influence James. Only now, it’s clear James is influencing Wade. With Udonis Haslem out for the regular season, the locker room misses one of its vital voices. Now, Wade is struggling on the floor and (LeBron) James is the devil on his shoulder, whispering that he doesn’t need to be accountable, that there’s an easy fall guy for everyone: Spoelstra.

Those who know Wade well, who care about him, were disappointed Monday. When Spoelstra needed Wade to stand up for him, Wade never shrunk so small. Spoelstra was Wade’s guy, but Wade’s finding it much easier to align himself with James’ coward act than do the right thing. This was something that you’d expect out of Chris Bosh(notes), who’s never been a leader, never a winner, but Wade?

“He knows better than this,” one of Wade’s former assistant coaches said. “I’m not saying he hasn’t changed some, but he knows right from wrong. And this is wrong.”