Where are they now?
March 31, 2006 | 12:00am
The year 2003 produced one of the most talented NBA draft classes ever. That draft was so good that, just three years later, these guys are already carrying the NBA as its brightest stars. The 2003 class has three All-Stars in Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. More impressively, it has already two MVP candidates in James and Wade. Other players of this class, such as Carmelo Anthony, Kirk Hinrich, Chris Kaman, Boris Diaw and Luke Ridnour are already key contributors on their respective teams. This draft may be one of the best and deepest in history, rivaling the 1996 draft class that featured Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant and the 1986 draft that featured Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan. With that in mind, it’d be interesting to project how the top three players from the ‘03 draft are going to fare in the future.
Clock winding down, game on the line. Who do you go to?
Carmelo Anthony is the best crunch-time performer of the bunch and steadily developing into the best clutch players in the league. A study by 82 games.com shows that Anthony leads the league in clutch shots, shots that either tied the game or put his team ahead with 24 seconds or less to play, since he entered the league with 10. He also leads the league in efficiency, hitting 62.5 percent of his game-on-the-line attempts. In comparison, Kobe Bryant has hit just seven - 28 for 25 percent of these kinds of shots and Chauncey Billups just five-24 for a 20.8 percent.
Who would you build a team around? Who’s the most talented?
Lebron James is obviously the most gifted in his class, and probably in the entire NBA. At only 21, he’s already stronger and faster than anyone else that plays his position. He’s posting sick averages of 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. The scary thing is, he’s only going to get better. The knock on King James however, is carrying his team to success on his shoulders, ala Michael Jordan. Whether it’s demanding the ball at the end of games and sinking game-winners or leading his team to the playoffs despite personnel issues, he still has a lot to prove. If there’s anything lacking from Lebron’s repertoire, it’s that killer instinct.
Who’s most likely to win the MVP? Win the title?
Dwyane Wade is probably the most feared. Wade is considered as a front-runner for this year’s MVP award. Although undersized for his position at 6’ 4", Wade has already proven he can handle almost anyone he’s facing, whether offensively or defensively. He’s a member of the All-NBA Second team and the NBA All-Defensive Second team. Statistically, he’s right on Lebron’s tail with 28 points, six rebounds, seven assists per game. Unlike James, however, Wade is already an accomplished post-season warrior. Wade has led his team to playoff berths since he entered the league. He has been a solid crunch-time player. He’s already drawing comparisons to Michael Jordan and right now, he’s probably the closest thing to MJ.
While Carmelo is the best in the clutch and Lebron is the most talented, Wade combines a bit of both and adds that to his toughness and defensive ability to make him one of the best today on both ends of the floor. Come playoff time, Wade can brag about something that neither Lebron nor Carmelo can. Wade is the only one capable of winning a title.
At least for this year.
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