The Cleveland Cavaliers have made quite the off-season splash with the trade of superstar Kyrie "Uncle Drew" Irving in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, and Ante Zizic. Not to mention the 2020 draft pick that was the icing on the cake. But the Cavs also acquired former MVP Derrick Rose, wingman Jeff Green and LeBron's best friend, Dwyane Wade. With the season looming, teams are beginning to fortify their lineups. As for the Cavs, they have already decided on their starting lineup for opening night which includes LeBron James, Kevin Love, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, and now Dwyane Wade.
Whether D-Wade was to start was dependent upon his performance juxtaposed with J.R. Smith's. Needless to say, D-Wade outperformed J.R. during the preseason, averaging 13 points on 61.9% from the field while chipping in 3.5 rebounds and 2 assists. On the flipside, J.R. averaged 5 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists. But when previously asked about potentially coming off the bench behind D-Wade, J.R. said:
As long as we win, I don't care, Honestly. If anything, it prolongs my career. I don't got to do as much, I ain't got to chase as many defenders around and so instead of me playing 18 years, I can get to 20, 21 years.
LeBron weighed in on the Cavs starting squad remarking:
Jae, D-Wade is a big 2-guard, I'm a big small forward. ... D-Rose is a big point guard, We have the versatility and the ability to fly around with the athleticism that we have and the IQ we have as well. We can do a few different things defensively.
