ATLANTA -- It's still strange.

Dwyane Wade looks like the same player. He acts like the same person. But after he spent 13 seasons representing the Miami Heat, seeing Wade run up and down the floor as a member of the Chicago Bulls is jarring.

As the future Hall of Famer makes his much-hyped return to Miami as a visitor Thursday night, it's important to understand that Wade's role on the floor hasn't changed much between South Beach and Chicago.

"Be the voice that is being heard. When things are going good, when things are going bad, bring the team together. And I don't even know if that was necessarily asked [of] me -- that's just what I bring," said Wade, who won three championships in Miami.

"They know my pedigree, and I just do it."

Wade's pedigree and his name-brand appeal are two of the biggest reasons the Bulls jumped at the chance to sign the veteran guard over the summer after his contract dispute in Miami. The Bulls needed help selling tickets, and Wade needed a soft landing spot after a messy divorce with Heat czar Pat Riley. It was a match made in NBA homecoming heaven, and one that has paid some early dividends for a Bulls team in need of a boost after an underachieving 2015-16 campaign.

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg praises Wade's leadership at every turn, and some of his old rivals have embraced him as one of their own.

"He's a super-cool dude," longtime Bulls power forward Taj Gibson said. "He's super unselfish in the game and he really knows the game. He knows how to really get into guys the right way without being too mean or disrespectful. He's just a real team player and he's a good leader.

"He said, 'Taj, I hated you at first' because [we] were battling. But it's great to finally be on the same page."

Aside from the intangibles off the floor, the biggest difference in his play is that Wade is more comfortable shooting 3-pointers. Wade has made more 3s (10-for-23) through seven games this season than at any other time during his career in a similar stretch, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Of Wade's made shots this season, 24 percent have been from deep. His next-highest percentage in a full season was 16.1 percent (in 2009-10).

Hoiberg said that he and Wade watched tape together from his days in Miami and have made some adjustments to his shot.

"My teammates give me confidence to shoot it. It's not one time when I've shot a 3 and someone told me not to shoot it. So having confidence is huge."

Like he did in Miami, Wade takes that confidence from his own game and tries to spread it among his teammates. He prides himself on being a basketball chameleon. If his team needs scoring, he'll look to score more. If they need to open more passing lanes, Wade will look to get the rest of his younger teammates going. In Chicago, he has played all of those roles. (One noticeable difference is that Wade is not taking the same number of free throws as he had during his time in Miami. Entering Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks, Wade has taken just 29 free throws, the fewest he has shot in his first seven games since the 2003-04 season, when he was a rookie.)

The good news for the Bulls is that 43.9 percent of Wade's field goals have come off assists from teammates. If the pace continues, it would be the highest of his career, and it would be significantly higher than the 28.3 percent from a year ago.

"One year I led the league in scoring and one year I probably was the third option at times. But I've always been able to do my part to help my team be successful. And that's the same thing here -- understanding there's times when I'm going to be very involved in the offense and featured. And then there's times when I'm not.

"And I'm still in the process of figuring it out -- it's early in the season. For me, I enjoy it. Because it's challenged me in so many different ways. I'm not just a player that's played one way his whole career. I've had to play multiple [ways], I've had to wear multiple hats."

One hat Wade has worn since joining the Bulls is that of social activist. In the transition from Miami to Chicago, Wade's work off the floor will leave a deeper and more meaningful legacy than anything he accomplishes on it. Wade did plenty of charitable work in the Miami community during his 13 years in town, but his work in Chicago is more personal. Wade's cousin Nykea Aldridge was shot and killed in August while pushing a baby stroller.

Wade has been outspoken about the civic duty he feels to try to eliminate the gun violence that has crippled Chicago. That's why he has helped launch an initiative called Spotlight On, which celebrates students and young artists, athletes and musicians whose efforts make their community stronger and inspire others to do the same.

During each Bulls home game, Wade appears on the big screens at the United Center, introducing that night's "Spotlight" recipient, and the role of city spokesperson is something Wade takes a lot of pride in.

"My job is just to [focus on how] to help lead this team," Wade said. "Then there are other responsibilities that I'm taking on with my environment and the community. My involvement in the city of Chicago is a little different than it was in Miami, but besides that, everything else is just basketball."

At this point in his career, Wade enjoys the challenge and the mantle that comes with both roles. He knows his emotions will be running high when he steps back into American Airlines Arena on Thursday, but he is trying to handle it all in stride, like everything else he has done since stunning the basketball world in July.

"I think that's what happens when you're a Hall of Famer," Bulls All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler said of the easy transition Wade has made since joining the Bulls. "Basketball is just easy to [Wade]. It comes naturally. The guy's super smart. I think that's what it really comes down to. The guy just knows the game so incredibly well and he studies the game and himself and every other player on this roster.

"He's been that way for so long -- it's no surprise he's that way now."