Dr. Tom Crean Cures Wade’s Basketball Game

This is why Tom Crean is a very good coach.

It's also why, when he's done coaching, he just might be ready for a new career as the basketball equivalent of Dr.Phil.

We'll explain that.

Crean cares. He goes the extra mile. He has a knack for bringing out your best. And he doesn’t forget you when you’re gone.

Granted, forgetting Dwyane Wade would be hard. The guy is a standout NBA player in the middle of a Hall of Fame career with the Miami Heat. Before that, he led Marquette to the Final Four with Crean as the coach.

So when Wade had a miserable game against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night (only five points on really bad shooting), he knew what to do. He headed to Bloomington, got some inspirational coaching from Crean and, guess what? He was back to his dominating self.

This was bad news for the Pacers, who lost 101-93 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, but this isn’t about the Pacers.

Wade had 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Teammate LeBron James added 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists as the Heat tied the series at 2-2.

James’ numbers, by the way, haven’t been seen in a playoff game in 25 years.

Maybe Crean’s magic rubbed off on him as well.

So what did Crean do to get Wade back on track? Well, he let Wade watch a Hoosier workout, let him hang out on campus, administered a little golf cart driving therapy (does Dr. Phil have that?), talked a lot (Crean, who has enough energy for five men, dished out a helping of it to Wade) and then they watched a lot of film together.

No, it wasn’t Dark Shadows, a reinvention of a classic 1960s horror soap opera staring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton. It wasn't the Avengers, where a bunch of gorgeous-looking people dressed in tight costumes defeat the bad guys.

At least, that’s what Wade said.

Anyway, they apparently watched a tape of some of Wade’s missed and made shots. They watched it together and Crean helped critique the good and the bad. Then Wade returned to his Indianapolis hotel room and watched some more.

Two days later, it paid off.

What does that mean for the rest of the series?

Does this mean Crean will get a part-time job as Wade’s personal life-skills coach? Could you see the day when Dr. Phil gets the TV ax and Crean gets the call, so he can pace on stage dispensing wisdom on the move for those who have issues normally reserved for Housewives of New Jersey?

We’ll have to see.

*****

It looks like Trey Lyles, committed to IU in the Class of 2014, is going to get some international experience courtesy of Canada.

According to the Indy Star’s Kyle Neddenriep, Lyles will be on the Canadian junior national team for the FIBA Americas U18 Championships in Brazil.

Does this mean Lyles has turned his back on the United States?

Not exactly.

The 6-9 Lyles was born in Canada. Now, he plays for Indianapolis Tech. The opportunity came up and he took it. He’ll head to Canada in a couple of weeks to prepare for the tourney, which runs June 16-20.

All this will be great preparation for when he arrives in Bloomington. And if he struggles along the way, there's always Dr. Tom to turn to.