Many basketball fans and pundits alike consider Cleveland forward Lebron James as the best player in the NBA today. And that is certainly justifiable. James is averaging 28.5 ppg good for second in the Association as well as 7.4 rebounds per game and 7.0 assists per game. If he maintains those averages for the rest of the season it will mark the 3rd time in his young 6 year career he has averaged more than 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists per game for an entire season. James is considered one of the front runners for league MVP along with another player experts consider as the 1a to the King; L.A. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. Bryant’s team enjoys the best record in the NBA in no small part to the surprisingly consistent strong efforts night in and night out from Pau Gasol and recently Lamar Odom, but it is ultimately Kobe’s impact on the game that determines most Laker wins or losses. Byant is the leagues 3rd leading scorer at 28.1 ppg and adds 5.5 rpg and 4.9 apg. He is one of the games best finishers if not THE best finisher and is sure to have a say in who ultimately wins the NBA Championship this season.
The question rages on almost daily who is better Kobe or Lebron? Lebron or Kobe? If you had to choose one which one would you take? Quick, who would YOU take?
My answer in a FLASH … neither.
Wade has NEVER played in more than 75 games in any season of his career. He missed more than 30 games in each of the last two seasons. When healthy he was always considered an elite player but he played with such reckless abandon there was no telling when he would fall and not get up or worse …much much worse. Injuries to knees, shoulders and elbows have made Wade vulnerable to talks of early retirement and a career of unfulfilled potential. He owns career regular season averages of 25 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds per game; numbers that would rival ANY All Time Great. But how he will be ultimately judged is by how long he is able to play at a high level …
Dwayne Wade is finally healthy this season and he is looking every bit as dominant as the player that virtually single handedly won the first NBA title in Heat franchise history just 3 years ago when he was the 5th youngest Finals MVP in league history. His recent 5 game stretch has been other worldly … 34.8 ppg, 12.2 apg, 6 rpg and 3 steals per game. He is shooting 44% from 3 point range and 87% from the free throw line during that time and aside from being completely unguardable he is showing the rest of the league that the Kobe/Lebron best player debate is a little premature and irrational.
His list of accomplishments and honors are extensive and noteworthy:
2007-08: Won the gold medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China … came off the bench in all eight games during the Olympics and averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.25 steals, 1.9 assists and 18.8 minutes…despite ranking sixth on the team in minutes played he led the USA in points (128), scoring average, free throws made (26) and free throws attempted (41)…ranked second on the team in three-point field goal percentage (.471), tied for second in offensive rebounds (14) and blocks (18) and third in field goals made (47), field goals attempted (70) and field goal percentage (.671)…
2006-07: Earned All-NBA Third Team honors … won the PlayStation Skills Challenge at All-Star Weekend for the second consecutive year…was named the 2006 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, marking just the fifth time an NBA player was selected to receive the award joining Bill Russell (1968), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1985), Michael Jordan (1991) and Tim Duncan & David Robinson (2003)
2005-06: Was selected MVP of the 2006 NBA Finals…received All-NBA Second Team honor.
2004-05: Was named All-NBA Second Team and NBA All-Defensive Second Team
2003-04: Won the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Wade was drafted behind James, Darko Milicic, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh but no player in his historic draft class which had 4 Olympians no less has the accolades to match Wade. Finals MVP and Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year at age 25 is UNPRECEDENTED. Due to his lack of health stability he was virtually written off as fast as he ascended to stardom on the biggest of stages. His recent quote in the Miami Sun Sentinel says it all:
"The debate no longer is an abstract to Dwyane Wade. Yes, the Miami Heat guard said, he should be mentioned alongside Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant in the Most Valuable Player discussion. 'Where I came from last year, people were writing me off,' Wade said of his injury-plagued season that ended with the Heat a league-worst 15-67. 'You've got some people who call it a two-man race and you've got some people, who say, 'Don't forget about D-Wade.' I'm just happy to be in the discussion.' … In a rare moment of MVP candor, Wade said he has given serious reflection about how the honor should be determined. 'Most Valuable player to his team, simple as that,' he said."
Kobe Bryant MVP candidate; next best player - All Star Pau Gasol.
Lebron James MVP candidate; next best player – All Star Mo Williams.
Dwayne Wade MVP candidate; next best player – Udonis Haslem?
You know what Wade is right … he is dominating with 2nd options like a rookie or a washed up, injured power forward playing center. It is time we FLASH forward to what D. Wade is doing in this league today.
| Name | Comment |
| Stu Parker | wow. after reading this blog....You are spot on. I do not deny Kevin Garnett's ability as a player but HATE the BS stuff he does...All negative crap. |
| | This is a very unfair article. Garnett is an Olympic Gold Medalist, an MVP, an ALL STAR MVP, an ALL NBA member and an NBA Champion... you know how many current players can say that? 2 others (Shaq & Kobe) and they are all considered among the best players at their respected positions in the HISTORY of basketball. The same should be said for K.G. |
| | This is a very unfair article. Garnett is an Olympic Gold Medalist, an MVP, an ALL STAR MVP, an ALL NBA member and an NBA Champion... you know how many current players can say that? 2 others (Shaq & Kobe) and they are all considered among the best players at their respected positions in the HISTORY of basketball. The same should be said for K.G. |
| Ra | This is blasphemy. I hope a Celtics fan did not write this article. |
| KWAPT | How old is that clip of KG? C'mon..of course that was a punk move, but what was that, 10 years ago? It's simple: KG is a fierce competitor who uses intimiadation and mental toughness to strike fear in the heart of his opponents. If he is on your team, you LOVE him. If he is not, you may loathe him. But either way, he is a great player. You cannot deny that. |
| Alex | Wow, now we are going to call an Olympic Gold Medalist, an MVP, an ALL STAR MVP, an ALL NBA member, an NBA Champion, a player that has more 20-10-5 seasons than Larry Bird, Defender of the Year (2008 and most likely, this year) overrated? Hmm, right now I'm kind of smelling a bit of jealousy mixed with stupidity in this article. |
| Tweedster | This blog is poorly written, scattered and incoherent. Thankfully, someone else already tackled the inconsistencies and leaps of logic. Check it out hear:
http://celticshub.com/2009/10/22/did-you-hear-kg-is-overrated/ |
| Tweedster | Some actual statistics, and not just conjecture and strange conclusions based on the number of 'chips KG has.
http://www.celticstown.com/is-kevin-garnett-clutch.html |
| SP | ron campbell must love the Lakers. Or the Cav's. Or the Magic. but he doesn't know @$@@ about basketball! |
| Ed The Sports Fan | I'm sorry, there's no way in life Allen Iverson isn't in the starting 5, especially ahead of Nash. Give a damn about MVP's, Iverson's done more with much much MUCH less and totally revolutionized the game. Other than that, I think your decade team is cool.
-Ed. |