Wade better than Kobe

Ok, maybe the title is a little misleading and should say, 'will be'. Right now, I think you can defer to Kobe, but not by a whole lot. Sure, Kobe has a whole collection of highlights and clutch performances - most of those coming at the side of the Daddy. But his individual talent is not to be denied as Kobe is surely one of the top - if not the best - guards in the league.

But Wade is right there.

Did you see his 38 point performance against Indiana? Without Shaq? It isnt just his points that are impressive. Wade shot 13-24, while the rest of his team, without the surging Damon Jones, shot just .286 (12-42). Of those 12 shots made, Wade got 8 assists. He also had 5 steals.

But even those numbers, which Wade produced after having a scary tumble while flying to the hoop, are not as impressive as how Wade got them. Wade has recently been putting on display more and more his jumper. A very lethal jumper in which he just stops and pops - totally indefensible. He was 8-16 on jumpers, several of them of the quick strike variety just mentioned. If he can incorporate this aspect of his game more frequently, following in the footsteps of another guard known for driving to the hole with ferocity but taking a nightly beating - Michael Jordan, then this Wade kid might just be allright. Not that you could tell anything is wrong with him - no indication he is playing with tweaked ankles, bruised and strained ribs. He is tough. Allen Iverson tough. And mentally? Wade is sharp and plays the game like a 10 year veteran, not like a 2nd year kid just starting to get acclimated to the NBA lifestyle - let alone the shock playing with Shaq must bring to the system.

And yes, like Kobe, Wade is going to benefit huge from Shaq's presence. It will speed up Wade's development - something that we did see flashes of last season. Flash, after all, did hit a clutch shot against the Hornets in the playoffs. Flash also dunked all over Indiana's lesser O'neal model. Got the poster on my wall to prove it.

But how does this make Wade better than Kobe and not just equal? Well, if you value something like team chemistry and test of character, you see Dwyane Wade also takes that from Kobe. Just ask Shaq: he has played with both. And although he may be biased it does seem that a kid Shaq had to, as he claims, drag out of bed at the All Star fesitivities is much more appealing on several levels. For one, the reason why Shaq had to go and grab his all-star partner was because he was exhausted from the season thus far. Wade leaves it out on the court - he doesnt cheat anyone. Not his teammates, not his fans. No one.

As the talent grows, everyone should just enjoy watching Dwyane Wade develop. Well, everyone except opposing coaches. Last night was just a glimpse of how this kid is growing - the Heat may have lost last night, but Wade gave them a fighting chance against one of the arguably better (though currently disappointing) teams in the league. He did it with Shaq on the bench. His game continues to soar to the heights of which Kobe has raised his. And once he is there, Wade will prove to be a better teammate to Shaq. And better than Kobe.