Most Overrated Athlete

Freak

Hyped? Yeah, for sure. He's definitely hyped -- maybe the most hyped rookie ever; or at least up there with A-Rod, Lindros, Lemieux, Vick, etc. Overrated though? It's way too early to say. No one is saying he's even close to the best player in the NBA at this moment, and for sure no one is saying he is playing at the level of Michael Jordan. If they were, then sure, he'd be overrated. My point is that basketball fans and critics are citing him to take over the NBA [i:post_uid8]eventually[/i:post_uid8], not just yet. I don't believe you can call him overrated until he's had the chance to prove himself. The same thing happened with Kobe when he entered the league, and look where he is now... and I don't mean in court.

Spinoff90

[quote:post_uid0="Freak"]Hyped? Yeah, for sure. He's definitely hyped -- maybe the most hyped rookie ever; or at least up there with A-Rod, Lindros, Lemieux, Vick, etc. Overrated though? It's way too early to say. No one is saying he's even close to the best player in the NBA at this moment, and for sure no one is saying he is playing at the level of Michael Jordan. If they were, then sure, he'd be overrated. My point is that basketball fans and critics are citing him to take over the NBA [i:post_uid0]eventually[/i:post_uid0], not just yet. I don't believe you can call him overrated until he's had the chance to prove himself. The same thing happened with Kobe when he entered the league, and look where he is now... and I don't mean in court.[/quote:post_uid0]
Yes but he deserves no hype at all until he proves himself which makes him overrated. Just because he played good against some high school kids doesn't mean he is going to be a good NBA player like everybody says. And when you go as far as calling somebody the next MJ because they played good in high school it is just pathetic IMO. Maybe if the hype was the next Vince Carter or something it would be better but I still don't think a rookie out of high school should be called anything more than a rookie out of high school.

Freak

That's what hype is though, Spinoff. Of course he hasn't proven himself, like you said, he's been playing with children the last four years. Thing is, he's not just some good high school basketball player, he is an absolute animal of a man at the age of 18. His skills are so pure it's really quite astonishing, from his vision on the court, to his vertical, to his passing. His weakness is supposed to be his jumpshot, and it's improved by leaps and bounds already since preseason -- a skill that no player is expected to have honed until they're at least a few years into their career.

I understand that you think no one is deserving of that kind of hype, and you're probably right, but if anyone is, it's this guy. I really hope he lives up to expectations too, because basketball has gotten so stale and boring, and it needs something jumpstart it.

In case anyone hasn't heard of him, remember the name Sidney Crosby. I'm sure at least Bouchie has heard of him, and maybe Rone, but he's the LeBron James of hockey. He's a kid from Nova Scotia, and he was getting LeBron-type attention at the age of fourteen, playing midget hockey. He's sixteen now, in his rookie season in the QMJHL, and he is absolutely tearing up the league. He's leading in points by a very wide margin, and will likely play a major role on the World Junior team this Christmas.

Spinoff90

Ok well even if he deserved the hype (which I still don't think he does) he doesn't deserve the endorsements yet.

Freak

NO ONE deserves those kind of endorsements.

DMW

I would take Lebron James on my team over Carmelo without having to think twice about it. He HAS lived up to expectations and Carmelo's great, but he's nowhere near the athelte Lebron is. I don't know what you have against him Spinoff, because watching them both play it seems pretty clear that Lebron is better now and will be better throughout the rest of his career. And yes, no one deserves those kind of endorsements.

Disco Raheem

I remember in some documentary Nike snagged up MJ when he was still a young player with some huge dollar endorsements. These people plan for the future.

Spinoff90

[quote:post_uid0="DMW"]I would take Lebron James on my team over Carmelo without having to think twice about it. He HAS lived up to expectations and Carmelo's great, but he's nowhere near the athelte Lebron is. I don't know what you have against him Spinoff, because watching them both play it seems pretty clear that Lebron is better now and will be better throughout the rest of his career. And yes, no one deserves those kind of endorsements.[/quote:post_uid0]
Stats say a lot more than just watching somebody play. Lebron is just the next Vince Carter. He can do nice dunks so people think he is so great.
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2003-04 Regular Season Rookie Leaders: Points
Player G FG FT PPG PTS
1. Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) 20 128 96 18.8 375
2. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) 20 128 56 16.5 329

2003-04 Regular Season Rookie Leaders: Total Rebounds
Player G OFF DEF RPG REB
2. Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) 20 46 91 6.9 137
2. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) 20 34 103 6.9 137

2003-04 Regular Season Rookie Leaders: Field Goals Percentage
Player FGM FGA FG%
9. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) 128 321 .399
10. Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) 128 322 .398

2003-04 Regular Season Rookie Leaders: Three-Point Field Goals Percentage
Player 3FGM 3FGA 3FG%
3. Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) 23 68 .338
5. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) 17 54 .315

2003-04 Regular Season Rookie Leaders: Free Throws Percentage
Player FTM FTA FT%
8. Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) 96 127 .756
13. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) 56 80 .700

2003-04 Regular Season Rookie Leaders: Assists
Player G APG AST
1. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) 20 6.4 127
6. Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) 20 3.1 62

2003-04 Regular Season Rookie Leaders: Steals
Player G SPG STL
1. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) 20 1.30 26
3. Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) 20 1.25 25

2003-04 Regular Season Rookie Leaders: Blocks
Player G AVG BLK
2. Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) 20 1.00 20
5. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) 20 .65 13

2003-04 Regular Season Rookie Leaders: Minutes Played
Player G MPG MIN
1. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) 20 40.0 799
2. Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) 20 35.3 705

2003-04 Regular Season Rookie Leaders: Double-doubles
Player DD
1. Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) 5
5. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) 2

2003-04 Regular Season Rookie Leaders: Turnovers
Player G TPG TO
1. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) 20 3.70 74
2. Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) 20 2.95 59

Now despite being rookies these two are the team leaders in points and are being depended on to help two teams that have struggled in past seasons (both were 17-65 last season). That is a lot of pressure for a rookie but so far Anthony has been able to help Denver. In the Central Division Cleveland is tied with Chicago for last place. In the Midwest Division Denver is tied for first. And if Denver wins 5 more games they will already have a better season than last year

Freak

I would agree that Carmelo is having the better season, and many people expected him to win Rookie of the Year. He's a more well-rounded player at this point in his career, thanks to a year of college ball.

As for Vince and LeBron just being pretty faces who can slam it home, I would have to disagree. Look at VC so far this year, he is absolutely tearing it up -- don't dig on him because of how good he looks doing it. LeBron hasn't even dunked all that much this year, he's a point guard (also why he has considerably more TOs than Anthony). You're thinking of a guy like Jason Richardson, who can just fly, but not too much else.

Creep

Speaking of Sidney Crosby, I'm sure if you heard of him you saw that pretty goal he scored, the one where he was behind the net and flipped the puck onto his stick and put it into the back of the net. Does anyone agree with Don Cherry that the move was a just a "hot dogging" move? I thought the kid was just showing what he could do. Just as Lebron is being hyped as the next MJ, Crosby is being hyped as the next Gretzky.