Utah Jazz: Update on development of G-Leaguer Zaire Wade
A lot of noise was made when it was announced that the Utah Jazz G-League affiliate team, the Salt Lake City Stars, was signing the son of NBA legend Dwyane Wade.
Many felt it was an act of nepotism because of the fact that Dwayne Wade is currently a part-owner of the Jazz. But others were excited to see if the young guard could develop into a player anywhere near as explosive as his dad.
Since the start of the G-league season, however, the chatter around Zaire Wade has died down. Frankly, his play hasn’t given pundits much to talk about.
Strengths and weaknesses of the potential Utah Jazz project
In 13 games with the Stars, Wade is second to last in points, averaging only 4.6 points per game with 1.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists to go along with it.
Efficiency has been a struggle for the 6-foot-3 guard as he’s currently shooting a pedestrian 36.2 percent from the field. On the defensive side of the ball, Wade shows plenty of hustle but will need to fill out his frame before he can be taken seriously on that end of the floor. After all, he is currently listed at 170 pounds.
The bright side is that he’s only 20 years old, the youngest player on the Stars roster. On top of that, Zaire Wade has shown brief flashes of his father’s genetics, such as when he slammed home a two-handed alley-oop against the South Bay Lakers:
Plus, Wade’s jump shot oozes with potential. He’s currently shooting 36.0 percent from deep and has proven that he can get hot, as he did in scoring 12 points across 14 minutes of playing time against the famed G-League Ignite team, hitting two of his three attempts from beyond the arc.
The jury is still out on whether or not Zaire Wade will be able to follow his father’s footsteps and play in the NBA, but the Stars have provided a great platform for him to develop over the next few years.
