After being spotted wearing a white shirt during practice earlier today, the decision to bring Dwyane Wade off the bench was confirmed, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
Wade has struggled mightily after three games with his new team, scoring in single digits in every game after head coach Tyronn Lue gave him the green light to start at shooting guard prior to the start of the season.
The 35-year-old had totaled 17 points in his three nods as a starter, shooting an inefficient 28 percent from the floor and a whopping 2.7 turnovers per game — a high amount given his low usage rate throughout this young season.
The man he replaced; shooting guard J.R. Smith, hasn’t done much better coming off the bench either, totaling only 19 points thus far — but Lue is giving him his starting position back after a 21-point loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
While neither has been very efficient during their time on the floor, Lue is searching for answers for this new-look roster, and tinkering with the starting lineup could give him a few options early in the season as far as finding the best fit.
Wade has been a starter his entire career, but has reportedly asked for this change himself after Lue previously warned him this would be the best fit coming into the start of the season.