Wade Watch
Wade was his usual spectacular self during the preseason. On Oct. 27 — two nights after missing a preseason game against the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets because of the flu — Wade scored 25 points, dished out seven assists and grabbed four rebounds in a 104-90 victory at Orlando.
In the Heat's season opener Wednesday night, Wade recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds, six assits, two steals and two blocks in a 97-78 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. He was 9-for-18 from the field, and 5-for-7 on free throws. However, he also committed an uncharacteristic seven turnovers.
Though the final score suggests a blow-out, the game was tied at 57 with 2:39 left in the third quarter, before Miami went on a 27-7 run capped by a breakaway Wade dunk that gave the Heat its biggest lead at 84-64.
On this night, Wade's performance was outshined by newcomer Antoine Walker, who opened his career in Miami with an impressive double-double (25 points, 16 rebounds). Walker was 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, and added four assists and only one turnover to be Miami's top performer.
Diener's Dribbles
In Orlando's seven preseason games, Travis Diener's playing time varied greatly. Against Houston on Oct. 12 he was on the court 22 minutes, but in the final regular season tune-up versus Miami he played only four minutes. In the preseason he averaged 10.7 minutes and 3.3 points per game while going 6-for-25 from the floor, including 4-for-15 from beyond the arc.
In Wednesday night's 90-78 loss to Indiana, Diener did not see any playing time.
Though he is not seeing any time on the court, and likely will not see much this season, Diener is getting a chance to refine his writing skills with a "Diener's Diary" section on the Orlando Magic website.
One excerpt from the diary on Orlando's NBA.com website: "Our practices at Marquette were extremely intense and extremely energetic, so this morning's session was about the same. I don't think I'm going to see anything that I haven't seen before, as far as from a conditioning standpoint. Coach (Tom) Crean demanded a lot of hard work and intensity, and I think Coach (Brian) Hill is the same way."