Deron Williams was drafted by the Utah Jazz 3rd overall in the 2005 NBA Draft. He didn’t start right away for the Jazz but still managed to be named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He followed up his rookie campaign by starting 80 games for the Jazz in his second season and starting all 82 games the following year. Both of these seasons he led the Jazz back into the post-season but both fell short of a championship. It’s hard to judge a player as best in the league with such a short body of work, but Williams makes a good case. In his first three seasons, he averaged 8.1 assists per game, 15.3 points per game, and 3 rebounds per game. In his two post-season appearances, he averaged 20.2 points per game, 9.2 assists per game, and 4 rebounds per game.


Kobe Bryant isn’t the biggest fan favorite, but he should be. Kobe has been a game changer ever since he was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets (only to be traded to LA soon after). Kobe has a much larger body of work, so it’s difficult to have a fair comparison between the two players. Kobe’s first three years weren’t exactly picture perfect. He came off the bench for his first two years and started during his third, but LA fell painfully short of a championship. Following that season, the Lakers acquired Shaquille O’Neal and things changed. We could go on forever with a debate on who was more important to LA’s championship run, but that isn’t the point of this article. I think, without getting stats involved, that this debate between Williams and Bryant is an easy one.

Winner: Kobe Bryant

I tried not to involve the stats of Kobe because like I said above, he has a much larger body of work to show off than Williams. I think what this came down to for me was I don’t even think Deron Williams is the best point guard in the league, let alone the best player. If I were building a team tomorrow, Kobe would be my pick to build around. He is a leader and it’s only a matter of time before the Lakers win a championship with him. Maybe it five or seven years we can have this debate and Deron Williams will be the more accomplished player, although I highly doubt it, but for today this is no competition at all.

Dwyane Wade vs. Chris Bosh


Dwyane Wade was part of the famous NBA Draft of 2003 that included his competition in this round, Chris Bosh, and also stars Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James. D-Wade has a championship ring and I think any fan of the NBA would say that without Wade, there is no way the Heat beat the Mavericks. Wade has fallen off a little bit in terms of media attention recently. He suffered through an injury plagued season in 2007-2008 which certainly hasn’t helped his cause. He came back strong in the 2008 Olympics and led Team USA in scoring throughout the tournament. Since that time, he has helped lead a very young Miami Heat team so far this season and looks to be back in form. So far in his career, Wade has averaged 4.9 rebounds per game, 6.5 assists per game, and 24.4 points per game.


Despite the lack of a championship, Chris Bosh is definitely in the conversation. Since being drafted fourth overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, he has led Toronto to their first ever division title. He is also Toronto’s all-time leader in blocks, free throws, and rebounds. At this point in his young career, he averages 9.1 rebounds per game and 19.4 points per game. He led the Redeem Team with an average of 6.1 rebounds per game, even though he was the back-up to Center Dwight Howard. Bosh has also been named to the NBA All-Star game in three consecutive years (05-06, 06-07, 07-08).

Winner: Dwyane Wade

After reviewing all the information above, I have to give the nod to Wade. Though he has been a little more banged up, his numbers are better as a whole and he has proven he can lead a team all the way. He showed it in the NBA Finals and also showed in the Olympics just how valuable he can be when on his game.