Throwdowns > Completed

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  • May 08, 2007 10:28 PM ET

Lebron was a better pick than Carmelo or Wade

LoS-I Am Torgo (13-9-1) vs Big Ben68 (38-4-0)
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Don't get me wrone, Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade are fine players, but I think Lebron was the best pick for the Cavaliers.
With his style of play, I don't think Wade will be able to stay very healthy in the future. He is constantly driving the lane and absorbing hits. Furthermore, he is not the physical specimen Allen Iverson is, who plays a similar style.
As for Carmelo, I just don't think he can carry a team the way Lebron has. Lebron has carried a team just as far as Carmelo, with much less talent around him. Even with Iverson at his side, Carmelo couldn't get the Nuggets past the Spurs. Could you imagine how far the Cavaliers would go with a point guard, a reliable no. 2 scorer, and better scorers down low?


Well, here I go. Wade already has a ring unlike Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James, though James is a fine player from what I hear, but he isn't a leader and is unable to hit the late shots when things are on the line. Back to Wade; Wade with the help of Shaq and the rest of the Heat he was able to acquire a ring early in his career meaning he still has the chance at a few more. With Riley at the coaching helm and a pretty good supporting cast (though aging and in need of an influx of youth) they could still be a threat in the near future at a championship. Anthony with the help of Iverson could be big time in Colorado, but Iverson is aging, though still quite good from what I???ve seen. But without help, no basketball team can acquire a championship.

Hope that was good???basketball is not my forte.


The Miami Heat are aging; Shaq won't play much longer. At the least, he is getting far less effective with each passing year. The supporting cast is for the large part old as well. When these players, specifically Shaq leaves, I don't think Wade will be able to keep them at the championship level they have been at. This especially holds true if his body keeps absorbing punishment and he keeps getting injured. I also can't see Riley coaching much longer.
Lebron is in a similar situation that Michael Jordan was in early in his career. He has to carry a team that doesn???t have much around him. Still, basically by himself he kept the team at a playoff level until the team built a supporting cast around him. Lebron has done much the same, leading the Cavaliers to the playoffs almost by himself. Without him the Cavaliers would be near the bottom of the East. Without Wade the Heat would still be a solid, if not great team. Without Carmelo the Nuggets would still be a solid team as well.


So you pretty much just agreed with me? Shaq was pretty much a non factor most of the season (injured and ineffective when he played) so he is mostly an intimidation factor for the Heat. Though I truly hope Lebron James can garner that so far elusive ring (which he???ll get before the end of his career much like John Elway did in 1997 and 1998). Carmelo Anthony just needs to continue to work well with AI and the rest of the Nuggets squad and all three of these guys will have a ring sooner or later (and possibly more if things continue to improve). But Lebron may be carrying the Cavaliers (which would lead to some ineffective play late because of his exhaustion), but one player cannot carry his team for an entire career, look at Marino. He never had a championship, yet he always made his team better and they always competed on game days. Without Wade the Heat would be a team of old men trying to keep of with the spunky youth of today. Without James, the Cavs would be pretty much dirt. And without Anthony the Nuggets (if they had AI) still might be pretty good.


Carmelo Anthony is more of a Glenn Robinson type of player. He will score his points, but does not help his team that much on the defensive end. Obviously he is a better offensive player and ballhandler than Robinson, but he needs to work on his all around game more in order to carry the Nuggets. Lebron is already an outstanding all around player, and excels in all facets of the game, and that is why I think he is more suited to carry a team.


But if Lebron was better in all facets of the game compared to Wade and Anthony, then why doesn't he have that ring instead of Wade? Wade pretty much carried his team through this season and last year in the playoffs and Finals. Also, Anthony has the supporting cast to get to the Finals and win, but they didn't and probably won't. Wade got injured a lot this past year and absolutely got smoked in the playoffs against the Bulls (everyone probably knew that). Injuries destroy good teams, just look at the Heat. Injuries crippled the team they lost Shaq, Wade, and Riley (the coach) for different pieces of the season and at times all at once. Yet they still made it to the playoffs, albeit they got whooped, but that isn???t the point. Wade has the jewelry and was only trying to defend his crown???and he was the better pick of the three in that draft.

Comments (24) Add A Comment

May 8, 2007  10:41 PM ET
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how many championships has Lebron won?
how many has Dwayne Wade won?

May 8, 2007  10:43 PM ET
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0 to 1, respectively.

May 8, 2007  10:46 PM ET
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thats all u need to know ahout this debate.

May 8, 2007  10:47 PM ET
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YES! Believe me, I know almost nothing about basketball and everything I wrote was straight from memory....

May 8, 2007  10:50 PM ET
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Wade had his championship with a lot of help; Lebron has gotten the Cavaliers close by himself.

May 8, 2007  10:51 PM ET
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Lebron is a great player but remember him passing when he had a chance for the clutch shot. Thats all that needs to be said. Carmelo and Iverson losing to the spurs was much more about how good the spurs played as opposed to how the nuggets played. Wade carried the heat last year. Until Lebron wins a championship his first pick will won't be justified.

May 8, 2007  10:58 PM ET
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There really is only one true way to find out...have them switch teams for a year!!

May 8, 2007  10:59 PM ET
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Well, Big Ben if you're going to say I'm agreeing with you then I think you defiently agreed with me in that last argument. Those last few sentences you just repeated what I said.

May 8, 2007  10:59 PM ET
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Actually I didn't, if you read them carefully.

May 8, 2007  11:00 PM ET
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My closing argument was based upon the way you closed your's so I made them show what I wished to be known.

May 8, 2007  11:01 PM ET
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wade has shown hes more of a complete player than james. he can win a game

May 8, 2007  11:07 PM ET
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I have nothing to counter with, but I want to see how the voting goes for awhile.

May 8, 2007  11:09 PM ET
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Oh, come on.


Well, that's cool...I guess I can wait a bit...but not too long. I would like to know the winner by morning, but not everything goes the way you wish.

May 8, 2007  11:12 PM ET
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Yeah no problem you beat me fair and square, no hard feelings. It was a good throwdown.

May 8, 2007  11:13 PM ET
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Are you forfeiting?

May 8, 2007  11:35 PM ET
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hey i think LEBRON is the much better player of the three...He has to carry the Cav's on his back and plays in a tough division...D-Wade had a lot of help with shaq and 'melo, well what can you say he scores points but even with the help of iverson he hasn't accomplished much....

THROWDOWN WARRIORS "THE SPARTANS OF SPORTS"

May 8, 2007  11:35 PM ET
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Well, I kind of wanted to wait in case more Throwdown Warriors voted.

May 8, 2007  11:36 PM ET
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Wait as long as you wish, but at some point you either gotta forfeit or continue the argument...either way I don't care.

May 8, 2007  11:50 PM ET
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Hey Warriors NEVER FORFEIT...its the Warrior Way...maybe by accident like bolthead did but never on purpose...its a good argument on both sides...don't give up shadows!

 
May 8, 2007  11:51 PM ET
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I hope he continues arguing, but he thinks I've won, which is amazing in my case. But that's not the point...we're finishing this in the morning anyway.

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