I usually don’t buy into players being touted as the next MJ. I don’t buy it for LeBron James (yet) and I never really bought it for Kobe (although he’s pretty close when it comes to pure physical talent).
After Flash’s performance in the finals, though, I feel for the first time like the comparisons are valid. It’s not just physical ability, though he has that in spades. He’s also the first player I’ve seen that has the same kind of intangibles.
In Game 3, when the Heat were trailing by double digits in the 4th quarter and in danger of going down 0-3 in the series, Wade refused to let the Heat lose. He put his team on his back and won that game. That spark lifted the team carried over for the rest of the series. I think it’s legitimate to call that Jordan-like.
He’s also legitimately Jordan-like in how he performs in the clutch. His free throw percentage (which is already very good) goes up in the 4th quarter. He never seems to feel pressure. He takes and makes game ending shots like it’s a pre-game shoot-around.
Other Jordan-like similarities include his hustle to loose balls and rebounds, his ability to get out of jail and find a way to the rim when he should have had no chance and his ability to read the court and make smart decisions. When he gets doubled or tripled, he always finds the guy with the open look.
It’s too early to say that his whole career will be Jordan-like but this one post-season performance certainly was.
So what do others think. Is it valid to compare Flash to MJ? Should he be considered the best player in the NBA right now?