Best Player iN His Prime

Hmm, Allen Iversons numbers look fantastic.
So does T-Macs.

love it. He was the scariest…just in my mind. I know there are the others, but man.

T-Mac , A.I and (Lebron) were all unbelievable in their prime’s, lebron sort of because he IS NOT in his prime yet.

Iversons fall this summer has been well documented but there for a few years with Philly he scared a lot of people.

dwyane…. 30+ ppg on 49%FG?! dam… and don’t forget the blks and the stls

Michael Jordan.

As far as this list goes, for the brief time he was healthy, I’d take McGrady right after James and Bryant. He was unbelievable.

1. James (if we’re talking prime, you realize we’re still waiting on LeBron, right?)
2. Bryant
3. McGrady
4. Iverson
5. Wade
6. Pierce
7. Anthony
8. Allen

see the stats for each player during their MVP years as well. I think Iverson’s number will look great! Well I know you put the best statisctical seasons though already

Whoa Adi , Wade over A.I why?
I think T-Mac in his prime was soo unbelievable it’s not even funny. he was unstoppable

Yeah, you’re probably right. Iverson was better in his prime. I switched it.

He lead a team of bums to the Finals, and is one of the most unstoppable scorers ever. You are a very smart and insightful poster Adi.

Prime Wade and prime AI are very close. I actually thought AI should have won MVP the year Nash got his first one. But AI was always a volume shooter and needed to have a team built around him. I think Wade does a little better job allowing his teammates to get theirs. Plus he defends better.

But I got say Kobe had the most spectacular year of all these guys when he dropped 35.4 and was first team defense. He averaged 41 points for the entire month of January that year. He went crazy, it was one of the single best individual seasons in the last decade. And to think it resulted in only a 4th place finish in the MVP voting is crazy.

Yeah Kobe blew up, but he had to his team stunk, he went bonkers for those points though, he was the definition of a ball-hog that year. and his team didn’t go no where.

That’s why I said put up the MVP Year for Iverson, incredible. I love the guy. That’s why I hope he comes to the Rockets, even if it’s just one year. I’ll buy his jersey so fast, too bad ‘Mac took the Number 3 and Ariza has 1. I think by owning that jersey it’ll always remind me, it was Allen Iverson, but it wasn’t “The Answer” not that guy who dominated the league and took everyone on because I only remmeber that Allen Iverson wearing the Number 3.

That team almost went past the Phoenix Suns who I believe were the Number 2 seed or Number 1 meaning the Lakers were 7 or 8. Kobe did some great stuff that season, but all for nothing. Allen Iverson led his team to the Finals, but…he did lose against Kobe BUT Shaq was there too and they did take the first game!

He led a team that started Smush, Luke, and Kwame with Brian Cook and sasha as the top reserves to 45 wins in a very tough west. They also pushed the Suns to 7 games and were one defensive rebound away from advancing. If anything, the Lakers record should have helped his mvp credentials.

adi u shoulda kept wade over ai….

ehhhh, maybe your right, but i do think he was the worst teammate ever that year.

well, he could have been a much better “teammate” but then they would have missed the playoffs entirely.

T-Mac on the Magic was just plain scary

Give me Dwayne Wade. Dude is amazing.

Based on the numbers I am seeing, I am surprised to say it, but it’s McGrady. The guy was unbelievable. I am just disappointed that we have never gotten the chance to see the best of him and Yao together. Wade would be 2nd for me.

By the way is that really Ray Allen’s best season? His shooting percentages seem kind of low for him.

Iverson was a player unlike any before or after. He was the best ball-handler in the league by a mile – possibly the best in league history. He sustained contact despite his small frame, and he paved the way for players like Wade to drive to the hoop with wreckless abandon.

As a scorer, Iverson was on another level than Wade. His jump shot was much better, and in general, he could score in more ways.

Wade’s a better passer than Iverson was. He’s stronger and a better defender, as well.

But Iverson was the best one-man offense the NBA has seen in the last 20 years, at least, and possibly ever. What other player can you remember requiring less help on the offensive end than Iverson? Maybe LeBron James, but I’m not sure he’s there yet. 

Here are those same seasons as they rank in terms of PER. It’s worth noting that PER is hardly a perfect method of ranking players and that Carter and Allen both had seasons with higher PERs than the ones chosen to represent them, though neither would actually change ranking if their best seasons were used.

1. James: 31.7
2. Wade: 30.4 
3. McGrady: 30.3 
4. Bryant: 28.0
5. Iverson: 25.9
6. Carter: 24.5 
7. Pierce: 23.6 
8. Anthony: 22.1 
9. Allen: 21.6 

Thanks for the PER point of view… supports my case for DWade.

I’m gonna have to disagree with Iverson over Wade… Yes Iverson paved the way for guys like Wade to recklessly attack the hoop, but that doesn’t mean he’s better. To me, that’s like saying 80’s hiphop is better than ppl like nas, jayz, common, talib, etc. simply because they paved the way. Yes, it was a unique and amazing feat. No, it doesn’t mean that the pioneer was the best.

Like you said, DWade is a better passer, a stronger and better defender, and you forgot to mention DWade’s obvious advantage in rebounding.

Iverson may have been a better jump shooter, but what good does it do you if you’re only going to be able to hit at 44%FG and 32%3FG? DWade understood his limitations and wound up with 49%FG, which is quite impressive for a guard, and a similar 31%3FG…. so, to me, Wade made up for his lack of a jump shot by taking a better selection of shots…

I’ll agree DWade is a little more offensively one-dimensional, but, especially with the hand-checking rules of today’s game, who can blame him? You also forgot to mention AI’s one-dimensional defensive strategy? Gamble, Gamble, Gamble.

is why stats are OVERRATED! True fans know it, but hardly anyone else understands why. Stats don’t tell nearly enough. Now, where are the stats for that?

McGrady was absolutely unstoppable in his prime

“this is why stats are OVERRATED! True fans know it, but hardly anyone else understands why. Stats don’t tell nearly enough. Now, where are the stats for that?”

stats that talk about EFFICIENCY are, IMO, more valuable than things like PPG, RPG, APG… etc. And they DO tell a lot about a player. the % of possible rebounds a player grabs, the % of shots they make… that’s important