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Both are better than Kobe, definitely.
Career numbers:
AI - 26.7 ppg, 6.2 apg, 2.2 spg
Wade - 25.2 ppg, 6.2 apg, 1.7 spg
I say The Answer. Better talent. Played every game like it was his last. More heart. More feared.
Anyone disagree? Then...
Discuss.
Both are better than Kobe, definitely.
AI and I don't even think its that close.
We would NEVER see AI get wheel-chaired off with a shoulder injury. By that standard, he is already better than Wade.
AI is one of my favorite players to watch all-time, but Wade was easily a better player at his peak (and probably career), I don't see how anyone could see it otherwise. We're talking about a guy that put up 30 PPG at over 49% shooting with 7.5 APG in a year. Wade shoots about 49% in his career. Wade has had incredible playoff runs. Wade has done all of this with herpes.
AI shot below 43% from the field for his career. Fearless, but was a chucker who's only successful playoff run had a team built around his chucking. No defense, just gambled in the passing lanes.
Wade easily.
Wade is easily the better player. Better defensively, more versatile offensively. Iverson was very good, but Wade is better.
Close one. Suppose i'd have to say AI. Sure he had problems but everyone does. He was pretty feared back in his heyday.
5 years averaging over 30 ppg for a career average of 26.7.
Led a ty Philly team to the finals. He was pretty good. I see him as a player most will half forget in 10 years time though.
Wade's peak wasn't very long but it was easily better than AI's because of how much more efficient Wade was.
Wade's a better all around player because of size and defense. But in his peak, Iverson was just a complete gangsta on the court.
If we're going by peak as in one or two seasons, I'd go with Iverson. If we're going by peak as in best stretch of their careers no matter how short or long, Wade's 1 or so month run in the 2006 playoffs over those 20 or so games is probably historically hard to top by anyone named other than Michael Jordan or Wilt Chamberlain. If we go by a stretch of one playoff run, it's Wade.
^ Wade had his best series against the Piston back in 2006. I don't know his numbers, but he drove to basket like crazy in that series and unlike in the finals, he earned the points as his shot was falling.
Didn't you guys have the best record in the league that year? I remember you'all having like 4 all stars that year? They were like the Spurs this year until they ran into their OKC Buzzsaw.
Wade, definitely.
AI had too many flaws in comparison to Wade. Too small, poor man defender, AWFUL shot selection, killed teammates rhythm, etc...
I know he is not your favorite but dont be obtuse. Lebron maybe better than Kobe, Duncan and Shaq have strong cases for being better in their prime too. But neither AI or Wade are close to being better than Kobe.
AI was a monster who helped mediocre squads overachieve. Wade had an insane playoff run, but that le did come with a barely post-prime Diesel. AI, to a fault, always believed he was the best player on the court at any given time and had that killer instinct that you just can't teach. Gotta go with The Answer.
Wade easily. I'm a big Iverson fan, but I never saw him have a series like Wade against Detroit in 06.
crofl you don't get it do you. Come on son, they taught as sarcasm at the great UCLA.
Crofl classic Lkr thread...^ Wade had his best series against the Piston back in 2006. I don't know his numbers, but he drove to basket like crazy in that series and unlike in the finals, he earned the points as his shot was falling.
Didn't you guys have the best record in the league that year? I remember you'all having like 4 all stars that year? They were like the Spurs this year until they ran into their OKC Buzzsaw.
Wade easily and not just because that Pistons series but his career numbers all around. Wade is more efficient, a much better defender, more versatile and has a championship. People remember the Dallas series more because it was the finals but Wade has had monster series against some of the top defenses in the league.
Many of these great players who just happened by luck to be caught up in the Jordan comparison era are sold short when it comes to appraisal.
If I had to chose, I would take Wade over AI even if only for defense.
I don't think I've ever seen one single player just unable to miss for an entire playoff series the way Wade played and shot the ball that series. I vividly remember sitting at a bar playing pool with my brother and watching Wade throw his body around as he often did with no regard for his body and then flip circus horse shot after circus horse shot and making EVERYTHING. There was one particular drive where Wade got caught in the air and having to twist and contort his body because of good help defense (I believe by McDyess) and he had his back to the basket and throwing some stupid, crazy shot over his head and it went in, plus the foul of course. Right there, I basically said, yeah, it's over. That might have been like only game 2 too (not sure but I think it was still early in the series). What made matters worse for the Pistons and Pistons fans was that both Antoine Walker and Jason Williams were shooting the ball extremely well at different stretches of the series. Made it very difficult to double or collapse the defense. It wasn't even so much Shaq's presence than it was Wade going superman and role players hitting shots.^ Wade had his best series against the Piston back in 2006. I don't know his numbers, but he drove to basket like crazy in that series and unlike in the finals, he earned the points as his shot was falling.
Didn't you guys have the best record in the league that year? I remember you'all having like 4 all stars that year? They were like the Spurs this year until they ran into their OKC Buzzsaw.
I do believe the Pistons had the best record in the league. And their defense, while not as good as the previous two years, was still very strong. The Pistons tried a bunch of different things. Rip, Billups, and Tayshaun guarded Wade. They did pinch at the top of the key and at the elbows to cut off driving angles. Still didn't matter. Wade was ridiculous. And legitimately ridiculous. He wasn't just relying on questionable foul calls, even though he got his share. He just wouldn't miss.
AI was no slouch during the playoffs either... don't forget he dropped 30 in his first playoff game and still holds the record dropping 48 in his very first NBA Finals game...
I vaguely remember Wade shooting something like 70% from the field in the first 3 games of the Pistons series. It was ridiculous.
Didn't Wade catch the flu before the finals? IMO that changed the series as he wasn't 100% in the first two games. I think they could've split and come back to Miami 1-1.
People underestimate that Heat squad due to the phantom whistles. They had a great coach and their role players were playing lights out. I don't think you beat a Pistons squad (and their defense) by not being legit. Their (Pistons) defense went south after that season.
I would always tell the little kids that looked up to me as the playground legend that I was: "If you want to be good as AI you have to work as hard as Kobe."
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