Small Forwards
LeBron James >>> LBJ should no longer be compared to his peers; instead, he should be measured against the all-time greats. I wrote a good article last year that compared him to Larry Bird, and I suggest that you check it out. I’m not going to waste time explaining why he was chosen on the list. However, I will briefly speak on his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers and how I feel about their chances to win the NBA Championship.
Quite frankly I don’t think this team is as good as the Miami Heat were when Lebron join them four years ago. I feel eventually they may be just as good as the Heat were, but at the present time, I think they are far off. Despite the pessimism, I feel they still might make it to the Finals. Not because of how good they are but just by virtue of how inferior their competition is in the East. Their only obstacle seems to be the Chicago Bulls, whose success depends on the health of Derrick Rose. And if I have to make a decision based on D. Rose’s health chart; then I would have to pick the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Career Stats: Points: 27.5 Rebounds: 7.2 Assists: 6.9
Kevin Durant >>> Real quick, who would you take first KD or Carmelo Anthony? I chose Kevin Durant but I like Carmelo’s game better. Does that make sense? I personally think the Melo game is a beautiful work of art. He can score from anywhere on the court and do it in a variety of ways.
The reason I selected Durant was because of his success and uniqueness. It is true that KD has had better players surrounding him than Carmelo. But I think Durant is able to function better with better players. I don’t think Carmelo wouldn’t be as effective if he played with Russell Westbrook or other All-stars. Melo and KD are pretty good rebounders and can be effective on defense when they try. A slight edge goes to KD because he functions a little bit better without the ball than Melo. He can transform into a spot-up shooter when other talented players are being double-teamed a la Westbrook. Truthfully deciding between the two is like selecting Apples or Oranges. You can’t go wrong either way.
Career Stats: Points: 27.4 Rebounds: 6.9 Assists: 3.5