A Hero, A Legend, A Superstar

Many people would argue that Michael Jordan is the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball. After his retirement, it is clear that there are three people in the league right now who can take that away from him, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Dwayne Wade. Out of these three players though, who is the best?

Kobe Bryant is a stellar athlete. He came into the NBA right out of high school in the 1996 draft. In his first three seasons he mostly came off the bench. Then in 1999, when Phil Jackson became the head coach Bryant suddenly became a premiere guard in the country. He won NBA championships one after the other along side Shaquille O'Neal. However, in my opinion, Kobe Bryant is only as good as he is today because of the people he has been surrounded by all his career. When Jackson stepped down as head coach in 2004 Bryant took a tumble and his career began to slouch. Then in 2007, when Jackson came back Bryant's slump ended, and he was surrounded by players such as Paul Gasol and Lamar Odom. Kobe Bryant is clearly not the next greatest player to ever play the game. Yes, Bryant will be in the Hall-of-Fame and go down as one of the best ever, but there are some things that have really hurt his career, the law suit against him being the worst offense.

Lebron James also came right out of high school and was taken first overall in the 2003 NBA draft. Like Jordan, James also wears number 23, is the best player on his team, is time and time again an NBA MVP candidate, and is endorsed by many companies all across the country. Lebron James sells. However, James has yet to win an NBA championship. When it comes to debating a new all-time greatest player ever, James' name will always be brought up in the conversation, however, it is clear to me that Lebron is not a clutch player. He has yet to come through for his team when it matters most.

Dwayne Wade, like James, was drafted in 2003, out of college, unlike Kobe and James. I think college is key to a player's success. Yes many NBA players have become superstars out of high school, but college improves an athletes fundamentals. The college game teaches players how to be better at what they do. Dwayne Wade quickly emerged as a productive guard in Miami. He averaged 16.2 ppg, 4.5 apg, and 4.0 rpg he rookie season and took his team to the playoffs. Then, he won a NBA Championship along side Shaq in 2006. Today, without Shaq, Wade is still able to keep his team in games. He is that leader of his team who has the most experience and is a veteran.

I believe that Dwayne Wade is the next M.J. He has the quickness of His Airness and he is able to throw it down just like Mike. Wade is a hero to the people of Miami, soon to become a legend of the game, and is currently a superstar. He has been marketed on video games and has his own shoe. Wade is truly the next Michael Jordan because of his leadership, playing style, off the court responsibility, and respect for the game.

Pistons Bust

The deal that brought Allen Iverson to Detroit has obviously turned out to be a bust. Chauncey Billups and Denver are now in playoff contention in the Western Conference while Detroit has lost 9 of their last 11 games and is at a mere .500 record of 29-29. Right now, Iverson is injured and Rodney Stuckey is starting in his place; and during those two games, the Pistons have beat the Magic and the Celtics, a premiere team in the East. That has to tell you something. Iverson is not a good fit for the Pistons. He is used to being that guy that everyone tries to get the ball to. In Philadelphia it was all about him, and in Denver it was just him and Carmelo Anthony, however, in Detroit, there is a team. Everyone in the starting lineup can score double figures on a consistent basis if they really want to. With Iverson out, and Rip Hamilton back in the starting lineup, he has scored and led the team with 31 points in the win over the Magic, and 25 in the win over the Celtics. I don't mean to rant on Iverson, I mean he is one of the best players in the game today, just not with the Pistons. Right now he is averaging career lows with only 18 points a game.

Michael Curry, the Pistons new coach needs to learn a few new things. I know I am not one to tell him how to do his job, but if I am him right now, I have to be thinking, "gee, I am the head coach of a team that is 29-29, but has a roster full of all-star talent, I must be doing something wrong." If I am him, here is what I do. First, I would start by putting Iverson on the bench, he can be my sixth man. He would be a great player to have come off the bench, he would give my team an extra boost of energy when they need it, and he would score a few point. Starting at point guard I would have Stuckey. Stuckey reminds me a lot of Dwayne Wade. The way he passes the ball and can go inside with such fineness is very impressive, all while still being able to hit an outside shot. At shooting guard, I would have Hamilton, no question about it. His 31 and 25 point performances in the last two games have to say something about his talent level, especially if it comes in a game against the NBA's defending champions. Small forward would remain Tayshaun Prince. Averaging 13 points and 6 rebounds a game is a pretty decent performance, and he is the best you got at this position. I would start Antonio McDyess at power forward because of his leadership and veteran presence on the floor, and Rasheed Wallace at center, well because he is one of the best defensive players in the league, and he is a big man who can step out and shoot a three pointer once in a while.Right now, the Pistons are only four losses shy of not reaching the 50 win mark for the first time in 7 seasons, when they went 32-50. I would hate to see this happen because even though they are not my favorite team in the Central Division, they are my hometown team. The AI deal has turned out to be a bust, yes; the Pistons could have been much better with Mr. Big Shot, yes, however, the past is the past, and there is nothing we can do about it. Hopefully Head Coach Curry will do the right thing and make Iverson the sixth man, maybe then the Pistons can pull out some wins in the end of the season and have a decent playoff run.