The NBA has seen a plethora of two-way guards who have elevated the shooting guard position. From George Gervin to James Harden , every legend dominated in his own way and changed it.
However, when discussing the best shooting guards of all time, some may overlook Dwyane Wade 's contributions, especially in the 2000s, when he, alongside Bryant , defined what it meansmeans to be an unstoppable scorer who carries their team through the playoffs.
The snub in the all-time discussions at the position may stem from Wade's involvement in the Miami Heat 's Big 3 with LeBron James and Chris Bosh , when his overall impact decreased due to the caliber of players he played with.
That era in Wade's career, Jeff Teague , is the primary reason why the former Finals MVP's legacy is downplayed by many.
"The young D-Wade, when that first run happened, when he made that run against Dallas, we'd be like 'Damn, he was incredible.' But after that? He played with Bron," said Teague on the Club 52 Podcast.
In the 2006 Finals, Wade was arguably the best player on the planet. Despite having Shaq – albeit not in his prime – as his main partner, D-Wade carried the Heat to a 4-2 win against the Dallas Mavericks in one of the greatest performances in a Finals series ever, highlighted with 40-point performances in Games 2 and 4.
In his first seven years, Wade averaged 25.2 points per game as the heart of the Heat's offense. However, after Miami formed the superteam , it was evident that Flash's production had waned, as he had only tallied 17.8 per game in the last 11 years of his career.
Granted, Bron's impact on the court revolved around him getting the ball and attracting defenses. He was also younger compared to Wade, who mostly relied on his Flash-like speed to pick defenses apart in the 2000s. By the 2010s, however, it was clear that Wade's speed had declined as the NBA transitioned into more perimeter-based offensive systems.
Wade won two more championships with the Heat. Still, he was mostly relegated to a sidekick role, with LeBron becoming Miami's main man. He had suffered an even steeper decline in the latter part of the decade, becoming a veteran trying to reignite his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls before retiring with the Heat in 2019.
When comparing D-Wade to today's star shooting guards, no other player comes close to his style of play more than Donovan Mitchell .
"I'm not saying Donovan Mitchell is better than D-Wade, because I think D-Wade, what he was doing, taking those teams to the Finals and stuff like that. But after that Finals run, I think Donovan Mitchell is just as good as D-Wade," Teague said, referring to how Mitchell compares to the post-Big 3 era Wade.
"I think he can shoot better than D-Wade. I think D-Wade would tell you, "He can shoot better than me," continued Teague.
The Cleveland Cavaliers star possesses the same burst and energy D-Wade had early in his career. Similar to what Wade did for the Heat, Mitchell elevated the Utah Jazz to a perennial contender with his lethal scoring ability years after getting drafted.
Although Spida had failed to lead his team to a championship, as Wade did, he has developed into a more complete scorer than Wade ever was in his career. The 29-year-old Mitchell is also currently putting up better production and shooting percentages than Wade at the same age.
Beyond the numbers, Wade's legacy remains a notable mention when discussing the greatest shooting guards of all time. Wade had defended in a chokehold when he came into the league, courtesy of his lightning-quick speed with the ability to deliver when it mattered the most.
There was even a time when people considered Wade to be better than the Black Mamba. After all, no other guard has ever carried their team to a championship in only their third season in the league.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
