Dean Wade is out there doing exactly what the 76ers front office paid him to do on defense, but his straight-up refusal to shoot the ball is becoming a serious liability that’s killing their roster spacing. It’s early season, and this dude is supposed to bring versatility and passing, but his limited offensive production is making it harder for stars like Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to even operate.
The Numbers Are Screaming For Action
Let’s just look at the cold, hard facts. For a starter, averaging only 3.6 points across nearly 28 minutes a night is just not good enough. It’s way too low, plain and simple. We’re talking about a defensive-minded forward, sure, but he’s gotta contribute on the other end, right? His three-point shooting is sitting at just 30 percent, but the real kicker? That’s on a super low volume, making him a non-threat that opposing defenses don’t even bother respecting. Dean Wade is averaging a measly 4.5 field goal attempts per 100 possessions, and if you’re wondering, that’s the absolute lowest mark among all qualified players in the entire league. It’s a shocking stat.
Unheeded Directives and a Troubling Pattern
The worst part? This isn’t new. The 76ers front office and coaching staff *urged* Wade during training camp to actually increase his shooting this season. But those directives? They seem to have gone completely unheeded on the court. We just saw it against the Knicks a few days ago: Wade played 27 minutes, got a ton of open looks, and recorded *zero* field goal attempts. Zero! That’s not just a bad night, folks. That’s a pattern, and it’s stifling their entire offense. It makes you wonder what’s going on in his head. While his defense on OG Anunoby was exquisite in that matchup, and he quietly racked up 10 assists against the Pistons (doubling his previous career high, by the way), he only took five shots in 30 minutes in that Pistons game, despite showing off that playmaking flair. The front office brought him in for his defensive versatility and connective passing, and he’s delivered on that, but without the scoring aggression, it’s like he’s playing with one arm tied behind his back.
To truly maximize Dean Wade’s unique skill set, the 76ers desperately need him to become a much, much more willing shooter. Otherwise, this liability is going to keep dragging down an offense that has championship aspirations. It’s an early season problem, but one that needs a fix, fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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