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There's an object looking much bigger than it appears each day in the rearview mirrors of the Eastern Conference's elite. Yes, that's the Miami Heat trying to pass Milwaukee and New Orleans on the left-hand side to join Indiana, New Jersey and Detroit for home-court advantage in the first round.

The Heat stands in sixth place in the East at 33-37, the closest its been to .500 since the first weeks of the season when Miami started 0-7 in what essentially served as Stan Van Gundy's training camp after Pat Riley's abrupt resignation. But the news here isn't just the team's turnaround or its season-high five-game win streak or its 11-5 record since the All-Star break. The real news is the play of rookie Dwyane Wade.

The fact he's actually playing.

Having already missed 21 of the Heat's 70 games so far, Wade has yet to go through an entire month without having to nurse a sprain, bump or bruise. A hip pointer on opening night eventually caused him to sit out two games in early November. A bruised right wrist kept him out for all but three games in January. February brought two more DNPs due to a sprained left ankle, and a bone bruise in his right foot left him sidelined in Miami's first three games in March.

The Heat knew it didn't have the next Jordan in the No. 5 overall pick, but it certainly didn't want the next Sam Bowie.

"With different injuries this year, it's frustrating, especially your first year. But I'm trying to be strong about it," Wade said. "Every time I get one, I try to bounce back and come back stronger or better."

When healthy, Wade has made the second biggest difference -- behind free-agent splashee Lamar Odom -- in Miami's revival from back-to-back lottery seasons.

A fearless finisher on the break, Wade is shooting a team-best 46.9 percent from the field, and his 16.4 scoring average ranks third among rookies behind you know who. Eddie Jones believes Wade would be included in Rookie of the Year discussions with LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony if he hadn't been so banged up.

"I always thought he could play like this," Jones said. "I was telling people about him at the beginning of the year in the summer time (and) from watching him play, I could tell he was really, really talented. I was looking forward to it. Hopefully, he keeps getting better."

Riley's master plan had Wade penciled in at point guard -- along with Jones in the backcourt and Caron Butler, Odom and Brian Grant up front -- in a lineup that was short on size but big on quickness. That starting five has been together the last four games, a stretch in which the Heat has averaged 100.5 points and shot 48.3 percent.

The emergence of Rafer Alston as a capable floor leader has enabled Van Gundy to let the 6-foot-4 Wade do what he does best -- score the ball in every way possible. He's led the team in scoring 18 times this season, including the last three games in which he averaged 20.7 points on 25-for-48 shooting (52.1 percent).

Wade's defense needs work, as does his handle (his assist-to-turnover ratio is a meager 1.35) if he's to stick at the point. But for the most part, he's stepped in and done everything the Heat expected when it passed on point guards Kirk Hinrich and T.J. Ford on draft night and gambled on the triple-double potential of Wade. He's been a welcome sight for Jones, who still leads the Heat in scoring (17.5) and shots (14.4) but can step aside on the wing and watch Wade go.

"I don't have to be depended upon to make every play now. I just have to make some plays," Jones said. "When you've got that kind of talent, they (Odom and Wade) make plays for me, too. I don't have to create my own; I have somebody create shots for me. Which is fun."

New Jersey and Indiana have been injury-bugged of late, the Nets losing Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin to left-knee injuries for what figures to be the rest of the regular season and the Pacers seeing their worst fear come true when Jermaine O'Neal went down Monday night.

The division leaders won't get any sympathy from one of the guys in South Beach.

"Hopefully I won't have injuries for the rest of my career," Wade said. "I think I got a lot already."

Joe Lago is the NBA editor at ESPN.com.