Wade comes up clutch in euphoric return, but Heat need more

Miami-Wade county belonged to Dwyane again, even if his euphoric return was far from his best.

Wade returned home Friday after his awkward two-year dalliance through Chicago and Cleveland. In classic Wade fashion, he came up clutch to seal a much-needed 91-85 win for the Heat over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks.

The second-best shot-blocking guard in NBA history stayed with the hyperathletic Eric Bledsoe in the open court, then blocked his layup to preserve a narrow four-point lead with under a minute left. That stop was followed by a three on the other end by Wayne Ellington which snapped a painful five-game losing streak.

Hidden beneath the hoopla was a mostly blah game from Wade. He was the hero but he was by no means impressive.

The Heat's biggest problem all season has been their inability to generate offense, which was made painfully obvious as they shot 36 percent from the field against the Bucks. Head coach Erik Spoelstra wrings every drop out of his squad with innovative sets and clever substitutions, and his players can lock down anyone, but their inability to score limits them to being a fringe playoff team.

Wade isn't changing that. This game should slash any grand illusions that he could be the driving engine he once was. He's better than what he showed tonight, but the 25th-ranked offense needs more than what the 15-year veteran can provide.

He finished with three points on 1-of-6 shooting along with two boards, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. Wade got stuffed badly twice on drives to the rim, had a handful of sloppy turnovers, and was a minus-3 in 22 minutes.

The win came mostly on the backs of Ellington, Tyler Johnson, and Bam Adebayo. Johnson was fearless in his forays to the rim, Adebayo outmuscled the Bucks' skinny defenders, and Ellington rediscovered his outside stroke just enough to supply some sorely needed scoring.

Wade's role will be to lead a bench unit that badly lacks creativity. Dion Waiters was supposed to be that player, but his ankle injury robbed him of the magical moments he supplied last season. Wade rediscovered his lob connection with Hassan Whiteside, but he was otherwise stifled and couldn't space the floor. Given time, Wade will establish chemistry and find some way to fit in, but he's no longer a game-changer.

Then again, that's not Wade's role anymore. This team doesn't need him to be a star - that responsibility falls on Whiteside and Goran Dragic - but it does need Wade to symbolize what the franchise is about.

The Heat need him to give fiery speeches in huddles, inspire the American Airlines Arena crowd, and be fearless in all the important moments as with his block on Bledsoe. Even on his last legs, Wade can still instill confidence.

This is his house, his team, and it always will be. Wade is home again, and the Heat will take him as he is.