Who is the Best Player in the NBA? Semi-Finals # 2
1/30/2009 | Posted by
Scott Lunn
In my quarterfinal edition of Who is the Best Player in the NBA, LeBron James got the nod over Dirk Nowitzki, and Chris Paul edged out Dwight Howard as well. Today, James and Paul go head to head, with the winner facing off against Kobe Bryant in the Final.
Chris Paul vs. LeBron James
Interestingly enough, both of these players have drawn many comparisons to the same Hall of Famer in their short times in the league. Due to their ability to fill up a stat sheet in multiple ways, many have called both Paul and James the next Magic Johnson. While Paul is a true point guard and certainly has Magic's ability to pass the ball as well as score, LeBron is much closer to the actual mold. Magic had size much like James does, and while LeBron might not be quite as good of an assist man, he's certainly not a slouch, and the argument could be made that he's a superior scorer. Both Paul and James also have great ability defensively as Paul leads the league in steals with James right behind him in 5th.
Since the last article, both players have been named starters for the upcoming All Star Game via fan voting, adding to their already impressive list of accolades in their young careers. Here's a quick look back at their career highlights discussed in the previous article.
Chris Paul:
- 2006 Rookie of the Year
- 2006 All Rookie Team
- 2 Time All Star (2008, 2009)
- 2008 All Defensive First Team
- 2008 All NBA First Team
- 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist
LeBron James:
- 2004 Rookie of the Year
- 2004 All Rookie Team
- 5 Time All Star (2005-2009)
- 2 Time All Star Game MVP (2006, 2008)
- All NBA Second Team (2005, 2007)
- All NBA First Team (2006, 2008)
- 2007 NBA Finals Apperance
- 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist
While the two are quite close in age, James is just 6 months older, LeBron got a major jump start by heading straight to the NBA from High School, while Paul put in 2 years at Wake Forest before heading to the league. At 23, and 24 years old, the future for these two superstars looks incredibly bright. The question however, is who is the best so far in their careers. Stats and accolades aside, LeBron James has done more with less so far. He took Cleveland to the NBA Finals in 2007 despite little help from his supporting cast, and he currently has them amongst the best records in the NBA this season as well. While he has gotten a bit more help this year, Paul seems to have the better teammates in general.
Purely from a gameplay standpoint, there is perhaps no other player in the NBA that can dominate a game like James can when is at his best. He's 6'8, 260 lbs. and has incredible strength and power. He also shows uncanny quickness for size and is quite possibly the most explosive player in the league. Top it off with his ability to handle the ball and set up his teammates, and there is little to be desired, outside of a sometimes streaky jumpshot which has improved throughout his career.
Paul on the other hand has a fairly typical point guard build, and while he can score proficiently if needed, he is best served as a setup man, easily leading the league in assists this season at 11.1 per game. He has been known do take over games from time to time, but just not at the same level that LeBron can. While a very good player, at this point he still has to rely on teammates to help him get the job done, much more so than James.
Winner: LeBron James
Chris Paul is certainly one of the best young players in the NBA and is already on pace for an incredible career, but James, while only a few months older, already has Hall of Fame type numbers and accolades. LeBron came into the NBA with more hype than any player in memory and has yet to disappoint in the least. It's likely only a matter of time before he begins to rack up MVP trophies and quite probably NBA Championships as well.
Don't forget to check back next week as Devin and I go head to head and make our cases for the best player in the NBA. Can LeBron overcome the cagey veteran, Kobe Bryant? Or is the Mongoose too much for King James to handle?
Chris Paul vs. LeBron James
Interestingly enough, both of these players have drawn many comparisons to the same Hall of Famer in their short times in the league. Due to their ability to fill up a stat sheet in multiple ways, many have called both Paul and James the next Magic Johnson. While Paul is a true point guard and certainly has Magic's ability to pass the ball as well as score, LeBron is much closer to the actual mold. Magic had size much like James does, and while LeBron might not be quite as good of an assist man, he's certainly not a slouch, and the argument could be made that he's a superior scorer. Both Paul and James also have great ability defensively as Paul leads the league in steals with James right behind him in 5th.
Since the last article, both players have been named starters for the upcoming All Star Game via fan voting, adding to their already impressive list of accolades in their young careers. Here's a quick look back at their career highlights discussed in the previous article.Chris Paul:
- 2006 Rookie of the Year
- 2006 All Rookie Team
- 2 Time All Star (2008, 2009)
- 2008 All Defensive First Team
- 2008 All NBA First Team
- 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist
LeBron James:
- 2004 Rookie of the Year
- 2004 All Rookie Team
- 5 Time All Star (2005-2009)
- 2 Time All Star Game MVP (2006, 2008)
- All NBA Second Team (2005, 2007)
- All NBA First Team (2006, 2008)
- 2007 NBA Finals Apperance
- 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist
While the two are quite close in age, James is just 6 months older, LeBron got a major jump start by heading straight to the NBA from High School, while Paul put in 2 years at Wake Forest before heading to the league. At 23, and 24 years old, the future for these two superstars looks incredibly bright. The question however, is who is the best so far in their careers. Stats and accolades aside, LeBron James has done more with less so far. He took Cleveland to the NBA Finals in 2007 despite little help from his supporting cast, and he currently has them amongst the best records in the NBA this season as well. While he has gotten a bit more help this year, Paul seems to have the better teammates in general.
Purely from a gameplay standpoint, there is perhaps no other player in the NBA that can dominate a game like James can when is at his best. He's 6'8, 260 lbs. and has incredible strength and power. He also shows uncanny quickness for size and is quite possibly the most explosive player in the league. Top it off with his ability to handle the ball and set up his teammates, and there is little to be desired, outside of a sometimes streaky jumpshot which has improved throughout his career.Paul on the other hand has a fairly typical point guard build, and while he can score proficiently if needed, he is best served as a setup man, easily leading the league in assists this season at 11.1 per game. He has been known do take over games from time to time, but just not at the same level that LeBron can. While a very good player, at this point he still has to rely on teammates to help him get the job done, much more so than James.
Winner: LeBron James
Chris Paul is certainly one of the best young players in the NBA and is already on pace for an incredible career, but James, while only a few months older, already has Hall of Fame type numbers and accolades. LeBron came into the NBA with more hype than any player in memory and has yet to disappoint in the least. It's likely only a matter of time before he begins to rack up MVP trophies and quite probably NBA Championships as well.
Don't forget to check back next week as Devin and I go head to head and make our cases for the best player in the NBA. Can LeBron overcome the cagey veteran, Kobe Bryant? Or is the Mongoose too much for King James to handle?
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