Without question, Miami HEAT shooting guard Dwyane Wade is one of the best players in the NBA today. He is a devastating offensive force, capable of putting his entire team on his back and carrying them to victory. Wade can get to the hoop anytime he chooses, can get to the line and make his free throws, is capable of making the extra pass like a point guard, and is an improving jump shooter.

In short his offensive game has very few flaws, which begs the question: How does a defensive player or an opposing coach prepare to face Dwyane Wade? Is it possible to shut him down? Can he be contained? Or does a team simply have to accept Wade will do what Wade does, and instead focus on his HEAT teammates?

As it turns out, there really aren't too many good answers for the defense.

"The best thing is to stay off him, give him jump shots and try to keep him in front of you," said Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl, chuckling. "But when he's making the jump shot, it's probably a double-team.  You've got to send two at him early and see if he tries to beat you or will concede and pass it.  He's special.  His speed and ability to get to the rim and into the paint is back.  There's no question he lost a little bit the last couple of years, but its back now."

Karl is referring to the fact that Wade missed 31 games each in 2006-07 and 2007-08 after leading the team – with center Shaquille O'Neal – to the 2006 NBA championship. His numbers suffered during those two seasons as well, but in 2008-09 he has played in all but one game, averaging a career-high 29.9 points a game.

"He's averaging 30, so he's probably going to get 30," said Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle. "You know that going in. You've gotta have multiple things ready and you've got to double-team him because he's great. It's difficult. He can slice and dice any defense almost by himself, just taking the ball and dribbling through everybody. Five guys have to be dialed in to what's happening with him, and you have to be very precise . . .and hope he misses some shots."

Players have a similar notion – you have to know where he is at all times.

"What you try to do is make those guys as inefficient as possible," said Houston Rockets swingman and defensive extraordinaire Shane Battier. "If they're going to score 20 points, your goal is to make them take 20 or more shots.  Those guys are going to get their points.  You're not going to shut them down; locking somebody up and not letting them score, that's a fallacy.  You just try to make them as inefficient as possible, don't foul them and make them hit a lot of tough shots.

"Understand that he's really explosive.  You try to stop the easy things that you can control.  You get back in transition; try to take away his transition bucket which is hard because he's one of the top three transition guys.  You don't have any silly fouls and send him to the line to get him going from the free throw line.  You just try to get him in the half court.  You know he's going to score and you don't lose your wits when he does.  You stay disciplined and try to make him hit a few jumpers."

Double-teaming a player with Wade's abilities doesn't necessarily improve one's chances of getting a defensive stop.

"It's tough," continued Battier. "Yeah, on pick and rolls - your best bet, if you have mobile enough big men, is to try to trap on the pick and roll and make him give it up and make someone else beat you.  That's a lot harder to do than it sounds."

What about those other guys? With the HEAT the "other guys" include ever-improving rookie forward Michael Beasley, big man Jermaine O'Neal, rookie point guard Mario Chalmers, and three-point shooting sensation Daequan Cook. Who do you leave open?

"It depends on how good you think those other guys are," said Los Angeles Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy. "If there are guys in the game who don't make shots, well go double on Wade. If the guys on the floor are like [Los Angeles Clipper sharpshooter] Steve Novak, then no. If you've got shooters surrounding him then if you keep all of those guys out of the game, maybe that's the best course. It really just depends on who is playing with him."

"It's really difficult with those type of guys cause the only thing you can really do is sacrifice the fact that you may double him and make someone else shoot the ball," admitted Houston Rockets head coach Rick Adelman.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson wants to push Wade further and further away from the basket.

"Keep backing up.  Keep backing up.  Keep throwing up walls in front of him.  You've got to make him think shoot rather than penetrate. Once he gets penetration, he gets up in the air and he can find all his teammates from that spot.  If you can stop that penetration somewhere around that free throw line . . ." 

As Jackson intimates, that's a big if. He's also, like Dunleavy, wary of a double-team, noting specifically the shooting abilities of Cook and Chalmers.

Players, as Battier mentioned, don't necessarily have it easier. They are the ones who lace up their shoes, look Wade in the eye, and decide exactly what they are going to do to stop him at any given moment. That could mean anticipating what Wade will do, which is never easy – even for a superstar.

"When I guard somebody, I try to lock them down completely, period," said Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. "I'm trying to take them out of the game. Some nights I'm going to get busted up. Some nights I'll hold them down. If I'm going to lock into somebody I'm going to try and make their night miserable.  After the game they're like, 'Damn, he made me work!'"

Wade averaged 31.0 points a game in two games with the Lakers this season; he made Kobe and his teammates work as the HEAT and Lakers split the season series.

Even players with a long history of defensive prowess have issues with a player like Wade. And not just Wade, but all the great scorers in today's game, players like Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Bryant himself.

"Those type of guys, they play the same way," said Rockets forward Ron Artest. "They can just score the ball. They hit big shots. At the end of the day you don't win by yourself even with guys like Wade. He needs a team. "

Artest, Bryant, and Battier are all considered fairly good defenders. Players who aren't as gifted defensively sometimes sound a little frustrated just at the idea of defending Wade.

"He's a tough cover," said Dallas Mavericks sixth man Jason Terry. "You know, he gets the benefit of the doubt when he drives to the basket. He likes to create contact and he scores in bunches. He can get to anywhere he wants to on the court, so he's tough."

So you can just imagine what it's like for a rookie.

"He's just a great player," said Orlando Magic rookie shooting guard Courtney Lee. "It's definitely hard to try and stop a player where every time he's going to have the ball and has the green light to shoot every time. Just have to go out there and compete and trust the information as much as possible.

"Let me tell you something about Dwyane. Every time he's going to shoot close to 40 shots and he's going to make almost half of them, so he's going to get big numbers. I mean, you put up that number of shots you're bound to get points.

"He's good at attacking the rim, so when he's hitting his shots it just makes his game complete."

Still, Lee tries not to let the idea of Wade get to him.

"I just try and go out there and do the best I can do on defense and work my defensive assignment," promised Lee. Easier said than done, obviously.

It's worth noting that Wade is only 27 years old and is still improving. Coach Karl has one idea on why, apart from the fact Wade is just now rounding into the prime of his career.

"I just think the experiences with the Olympics helped," said Karl. "He was very good for the Olympic team, very responsible. I think that experience, like it did for Melo, helps you understand winning a little bit more. I think there's a drive and passion he has to shut some people up. A lot of people made some comments about him, and I think he's motivated by it."

Those kinds of things stand out to a rookie who is intent on learning everything he can like Courtney Lee.

"I look at every aspect of his game," said Lee. "He comes poised with the ball and with his speed he gets to the rim.

"It's fun to play against him, a player like that. It's fun playing at this level period."

One might also think that at this level of basketball players and coaches might not be easily impressed, that plays the average fan marvels over and get continuous play on SportsCenter might simply draw a shrug from the experienced. Not so. Wade impresses everyone.

"I've seen a number of times he's done stuff in a game where I've said 'Wow,' - him, Kobe, LeBron, all the three of them," admitted Dunleavy. Battier also noted a running, game-winning three-pointer that just made him shake his head in disbelief.

On the flip side of the equation, the HEAT know teams face them with a game plan for stopping Wade, even if it doesn't seem to work very often. Because of that Wade's coaches need to continually refine their own game plans so if one team sees something that works the next team doesn't pick up on it in game film and apply it the next night.

"We spend some time in practice working on ways to get Dwyane open, but we've already seen probably everything we'll see and we've been able to execute against it," said HEAT rookie head coach Erik Spoelstra. "Dwyane is also an extremely intellectual player, he really is. As instinctive as he is, which is one of his greatest skills, he also has the ability to intellectualize the game. Once he's seen something once or twice, it's tough to surprise him with that same thing again."

While that might initially sound cocky, read it again. It's less cockiness and more a statement of fact based on what the HEAT have experienced.

For Wade himself, he knows he's the defensive priority, but he welcomes the challenges with open arms.

"It helps me focus, no question," said Wade. "I know if I don't bring my A or B game it's going to be a long, long night. I understand that and I have to get ready to do my job. My job is to go out and lead this team, whether it's wins or losses. My job is to lead this team as best I can."

The Miami HEAT is currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, trying to hold off the Philadelphia 76ers. Preseason prognosticators said Miami would return to the NBA Draft Lottery in 2009, but with Wade leading the league in scoring the HEAT have blown those out of the water. Dwyane Wade, one of the game's best offensive players, isn't going to give defenders a break anytime soon.