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The 33-year-old Wade was voted to a reserve slot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team by NBA coaches late last month, marking the 11th All-Star berth of his illustrious career. But after missing Miami's last six games with the balky wheel — with absence No. 7 coming Wednesday, when the Heat renew acquaintances with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena — Wade decided it'd make more sense for him to wait to return to the court until after the All-Star break, affording him ample time to rest, rehabilitate and make an honest go of getting healthy enough to pair with Chris Bosh for a post-All-Star playoff push.
Miami sits at 22-29 after Monday's win over the New York Knicks, tied with the Charlotte Hornets for the seventh and eighth seeds in the East, a game up on the Brooklyn Nets and 2 1/2 games clear of the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics. While the emergence of big man Hassan Whiteside has helped spark Erik Spoelstra's club, injuries and stagnant offense have made it difficult for the Heat to stay afloat amid the dregs of the lesser conference, and Wade knows he needs to be as healthy as possible for the stretch run, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press:
"I felt like this was best," Wade said. "I wasn't going to play much either way. I think with the circumstances, I think the smartest thing to do is let someone else come in and really enjoy the All-Star experience. ... I think I owe it to the Heat fans to at least play in a Heat jersey first [rather] than go out there in the All-Star Game and play a couple minutes." [...]
"We're going to make to make sure we're playing our best basketball," Bosh said. "And hopefully this thing can come together." [...]
"It's going to be an interesting second half of the season for us, because we've got something to play for," Wade said. "We'll see how we respond."
With Wade bowing out of this weekend's festivities, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver must now make his third selection for an All-Star injury replacement, after tabbing DeMarcus Cousins to step in for Kobe Bryant and choosing Damian Lillard to take Blake Griffin's spot on the Western squad. His choice seems likely to come down to one of the following:
• Sharpshooter Kyle Korver, whose blistering 52.8 percent mark from 3-point land leads the NBA and helps open up so much opportunity for his teammates on the East-leading Atlanta Hawks;
• Brandon Knight, the leading scorer and assist man for the surprising 29-23 Milwaukee Bucks, and one of only 11 players averaging at least 17 points, five assists and four rebounds per game this season (the other 10 are all All-Stars);
• Kevin Love, who's got a better case than you might think despite all the static surrounding his spot with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the moment;
•Aand Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic, carrying the offensive load for a team in turmoil and joining All-Star Cousins as the only other player in the league averaging at least 19 points and 11 boards per night.
Which way Silver will lean remains unclear, but Wade knows who he'd pick if he had his druthers:
Wade wasn't the only veteran guard to share that opinion on Tuesday afternoon:
Silver could soon have another slot to fill. After aggravating the left knee on which he knows he'll need surgery during Monday's loss to the Heat, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony said Tuesday that he was very sore, casting doubt as to whether he'll be able to suit up for the Knicks' Wednesday meeting with the Magic in Orlando or the All-Star Game itself:
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
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