HoopWatch

Just last week, Miami Heat superstar guard Dwyane Wade went down with a possible season ending injury. He dislocated his� left shoulder. Now he has the option of either a regular rehabilitation or a season-ending surgery.

Wade may delay the surgery till after the playoffs, and may opt for a continued rehabilitation of his shoulder. But this could be risky, and it might backfire. One bad fall, and Wade’s career may be in jeopardy. I suggest, same as what Lebron James suggested, that Wade sit out the rest of the season, and undergo surgery now.

With Wade coming down, so do the hopes of the Heat repeating as champions. Let it be remembered that the man called “The Flash” single-handedly brought back the team to life in the Finals against Dallas, he, by his lonesome, brought the first ever NBA Championship to the city of Miami. Currently, they are gunning for the eighth and final seed of the East, gutting it out against New Jersey, Orlando and even New York. With Miami struggling this season, and with Wade carrying most of the load, the chances of Miami defending their title are very very slim, so do their chances of carving a backdoor way to the postseason wars. If ever they make it, there is a big possibility that they will face Detroit in the first round, and the Pistons are tough opponents. Their starting five is easily one of the best in the NBA. And without Dwyane, Miami isn’t that dangerous anymore.

I hope Wade makes the right decision. Miami should not risk Wade’s grave injury. The Heat will have to do without their superstar, and salvage every chance of competing well in the playoffs. They still have an outside chance of making it to the top four as they are only down 3.5 games behind the Washington Wizards in the Southeast Division. The other players like Jason Williams, Jason Kapono, James Posey and Shaquille O’Neal must bring their game to the highest level possible to compensate for Dwyane’s loss. They should, or it will be an early summer vacation for them.