lefty
02-10-2007, 03:20 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime_spursheatlakerscavs
Who's your franchise player
ESPN.com
Looking at Sunday's ABC doubleheader featuring the Spurs-Heat (ABC, 12:30 p.m. ET) and Lakers-Cavs (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET) we asked our experts to choose their franchise player between Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.
Jim O'Brien, ESPN.com: My pick would be Tim Duncan. He has proven to be an outstanding leader in every sense of the word. He is the ideal face of an NBA franchise on and off the court.
He might not be as explosive as the other three players but he is a perfect player to build a team around. He is a terrific post player who has been extremely consistent over the past decade.
Night in and night out he plays very effectively at both ends of the court and is the great stabilizer for his teammates. He does all of this without craving the spotlight, which makes it a very comfortable environment for all of his mates.
Kiki Vandeweghe, ESPN.com: I would choose LeBron James. First off he has the youth. I am going to want him for the next ten years.
Arguably anybody would start their franchise with Kobe or Duncan for what they've accomplished, but they are a bit older. LeBron has exhibited the individual skills to make him a superstar in this league for a very long time.
The wonderful thing is that there are several candidates you would want to start you franchise with, but out of them all LeBron seems to be the best.
Jon Barry, ESPN.com: I would have to go with Tim Duncan. The main reason is not that any of the other guys aren't worthy enough, but that there is a lack of big men nowadays.
Center and point guard are the two most important positions to fill, particularly the big men and they just don't seem to be coming around often enough.
Duncan is as fundamental and competitive as it comes. He is also a good guy and someone you can rely on. You can't ask for more.
David Thorpe, ESPN.com: Ten years ago I would have taken Duncan. Five Years ago, Kobe. But today, I'll take Dwyane Wade, the reigning Finals MVP and current NBA leader in PER.
Teams are recognizing the need for increased scoring power with the way the game is now being called by the officials.
A franchise has to have a go to scorer that can stop any scoring skid and pile on the points when he is hot. Kobe is marvelous, but Wade is not yet at his prime and is already an unstoppable force. He is ultra-competitive and is genuinely liked by his teammates. He's the perfect player to build a franchise around.
Jeff Weltman, Scouts Inc.: I'm going to make this easy on myself. The operative word here is starting.
If I'm starting a team, I have to build a team from the ground up, meaning that it will take me a few years to assemble a supporting cast around my star.
So I'm crossing Kobe (28) and Duncan (30) off my list. Wade is an explosive, high-energy player whose work ethic and competitiveness would be exemplary around my young players. However, at 22, I'm guessing that LeBron James is yet to show us his best stuff: his combination of age, size and versatility makes him too tough to pass up in this drill.
Who's your franchise player
ESPN.com
Looking at Sunday's ABC doubleheader featuring the Spurs-Heat (ABC, 12:30 p.m. ET) and Lakers-Cavs (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET) we asked our experts to choose their franchise player between Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.
Jim O'Brien, ESPN.com: My pick would be Tim Duncan. He has proven to be an outstanding leader in every sense of the word. He is the ideal face of an NBA franchise on and off the court.
He might not be as explosive as the other three players but he is a perfect player to build a team around. He is a terrific post player who has been extremely consistent over the past decade.
Night in and night out he plays very effectively at both ends of the court and is the great stabilizer for his teammates. He does all of this without craving the spotlight, which makes it a very comfortable environment for all of his mates.
Kiki Vandeweghe, ESPN.com: I would choose LeBron James. First off he has the youth. I am going to want him for the next ten years.
Arguably anybody would start their franchise with Kobe or Duncan for what they've accomplished, but they are a bit older. LeBron has exhibited the individual skills to make him a superstar in this league for a very long time.
The wonderful thing is that there are several candidates you would want to start you franchise with, but out of them all LeBron seems to be the best.
Jon Barry, ESPN.com: I would have to go with Tim Duncan. The main reason is not that any of the other guys aren't worthy enough, but that there is a lack of big men nowadays.
Center and point guard are the two most important positions to fill, particularly the big men and they just don't seem to be coming around often enough.
Duncan is as fundamental and competitive as it comes. He is also a good guy and someone you can rely on. You can't ask for more.
David Thorpe, ESPN.com: Ten years ago I would have taken Duncan. Five Years ago, Kobe. But today, I'll take Dwyane Wade, the reigning Finals MVP and current NBA leader in PER.
Teams are recognizing the need for increased scoring power with the way the game is now being called by the officials.
A franchise has to have a go to scorer that can stop any scoring skid and pile on the points when he is hot. Kobe is marvelous, but Wade is not yet at his prime and is already an unstoppable force. He is ultra-competitive and is genuinely liked by his teammates. He's the perfect player to build a franchise around.
Jeff Weltman, Scouts Inc.: I'm going to make this easy on myself. The operative word here is starting.
If I'm starting a team, I have to build a team from the ground up, meaning that it will take me a few years to assemble a supporting cast around my star.
So I'm crossing Kobe (28) and Duncan (30) off my list. Wade is an explosive, high-energy player whose work ethic and competitiveness would be exemplary around my young players. However, at 22, I'm guessing that LeBron James is yet to show us his best stuff: his combination of age, size and versatility makes him too tough to pass up in this drill.