Dwyane Wade has always had a special connection with the three. It's the number he wears on his jersey, he's now entering the third act on his NBA career, the Heat are seeking a three-peat and more importantly, it's a shot he can't seem to knock down. His third year in the league Wade made just 17% of 76 treys and there was a three-year stretch where he shot 727 treys before dramatically cutting that inefficient shot out of his diet.
This postseason, we witnessed the dramatic improvements LeBron James made as a shooter in the last decade and Game 7 was his show n' tell time. Meanwhile, Wade is still Brick City from behind the arc. After a postseason during which his body began breaking down like a jalopy on a dirt track, and the Spurs disrespected the two-time Olympic gold medalist by giving him a cushion that double-dog dared him to shoot threes, he's finally becoming self-aware about how gracefully his game ages. If Wade's interview with USA Today is to be believed, he's determined to finally become a better shooter.
Whether it's too late to teach an old dog new tricks is difficult to tell, but once Wade begins training for next season, improving his shooting should be priority No. 1.
"The older you get, the less you want to go inside and get banged around," Wade told USA TODAY Sports. "So I want to be more of a consistent outside shooter."
Wade has never excelled as a long-range shooter. He has a 28.9% career average from three-point range, and has taken decidedly fewer of those shots the past two seasons.
After shooting at least 200 threes each year from 2008 to 2011, he attempted a combined 122 over the past two seasons.
Cutting down on three-point attempts has allowed Wade to play to his strength as a slasher, but it's also taken a toll on his body.
"I just want to be a little more comfortable behind the arc," Wade said. "I know this year I didn't shoot as many threes, so if I have to, I want to be more confident in it."
