Team still on the mend

Jason Kapono continues to improve and doing shooting and non contact
drills. Dwayne Wade created a distraction to practicing team-mates when
he had his first long workout on a nearby court.

Here's the article in Ft lauderdale's Sun-Sentinel newspaper:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/sfl-
wade032707,0,6883775.story?coll=sfla-sports-heat

Heat's Wade optimistic about return

By Michael Cunningham
Sun-Sentinel.com
Posted March 27 2007, 2:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- Heat coach Pat Riley continues to caution that Dwyane Wade's
return this season is an "if" proposition, but Wade sounded as if it's
probable after his first extensive on-court work at practice on Monday.

Wade, out since Feb. 21 with a dislocated left shoulder, participated in
some half-court drills with four members of the Heat staff chasing him on
defense. There was no contact, but Wade looked strong handling the ball
and shooting it and said there's no pain in the joint.

He said the plan is to progress to contact work when the team returns
from a three-game road trip that ends Sunday at Detroit. Wade stopped
short of saying he definitely would return but at one point said: "I am
very confident and positive when I come back I will have no worries."

"Unless the doctors say otherwise, I am going to continue to believe I
will be with my team come late in the season and the playoffs," he said.
"I am very positive about it."

Wade is feeling so good about the shoulder that he now says surgery might
not be necessary. Previously, he had said he'd eventually need surgery
even if he does return this season.

"[Surgery] is still an option but I am very positive it might not be an
option," he said. "Right now it is more an option than not but if I keep
working hopefully I won't have to."

Wade suffered the injury when he got tangled up with Houston forward
Shane Battier while reaching for the ball. He said re-injuring the
shoulder in a similar fashion would be a concern, and that he would have
to be "smarter" on defense by getting in better position and not reaching
as much as usual.

"My main thing is as long as it isn't where I hit somebody and it just
pops out," he said. "It would have to be something that happened last
time for it come out. I still have a couple more weeks to get it
stronger."

Wade said he hasn't felt pain in the shoulder for some time. He described
the feeling as "discomfort" because he can't yet do things with the left
arm that he can with his right and isn't sure when he'll reach that
point.

Wade said he doesn't envision taking part in full-blown practices next
week but plans to test the shoulder with some contact in drills.

"It's the end of the year, the team is not going all-out [in practice],"
he said. "There would be a lot of three-on-three sessions for me with
some of the guys and some of the coaches to get confidence back in my
shoulder taking contact and be able to give contact, also."

Wade said he spends two hours per day in intense rehabilitation sessions.

"There has been a lot of days where rehabbing has been tough but I keep
pushing because I want to get back out there with my teammates," he said.
"So no matter how hard it gets, I know all the work is for a great cause.
I want to come back and help us defend our title."

The Heat has posted a 12-5 record without Wade. It's 106-89 victory
against Atlanta last night, combined with Washington's 103-97 loss at
Utah, moved the Heat into first place in the Southeastern Division for
the first time this season.