Who was Lebron's best Teammate?

[SideshowBob]

Which player was Lebron's best teammate.

Relative to each other, not relative to Lebron that year (although you're free to answer that as well, just don't vote that way).

[RCM88x]

I think its unfair to judge AD until after the season. But I would say 2011 Wade still gets the top spot, probably would put 2012 Wade 2nd and 2016 Kyrie 3rd (I'd actually argue 2015 Kyrie was better than 2017 but can see him not being included due to injuries etc...)

AD has a very good chance of being at the top here if things keep going like they are for him, I have a feeling he's going to struggle a little more in the WCF and Finals (if they make it). The fit between them is just so strong, they play off each other great and unlike Bosh, Kyrie, or Love, Davis is capable of being elite defensively and holding or increasing leads when Lebron sits. Wade was really the only other guy capable to managing that it seems.

[Jaivl]

2011 Wade and 2020 Davis are the only sensible options IMO. Leaning Davis between them.

[MisterHibachi]

If AD finishes the year playing in the same ball park as he is now, I don't see how he's not first. It's between him or 2011 D Wade, with 2017 Kyrie and 2012 D Wade in 3rd and 4th place.

[trex_8063]

2011 Wade and 2020 Davis are the only sensible options IMO. Leaning Davis between them.

Agree they're the only two sensible options; though I personally lean toward '11 DWade between the two.

[No-more-rings]

It's clearly between 2011 Wade and 2020 Davis, most of the poll options don't belong. I would take 2011 Wade, but recency bias will have Davis leading the poll quite naturally.

[dontcalltimeout]

I think 2020 Davis is the best Bron teammate we've seen in almost a decade.

For me the question differs if we say, "who is the best next to LeBron?" The fit seems to be clearly better with Davis, although the point differential with both of them on the court is only marginally better than LeBron/Wade in 2011 (+10.2 vs +9.73).

On an average team though, 11 Wade slightly edges Davis out IMO. Wade's box score footprint looks like a slight decline in 2011 compared to the previous years, but that's only because he had to share the ball with two new star-level teammates. If you look at the minutes Wade played without LeBron, he was basically the same player he was in 2010. He ups his scoring, FTA, assists, shots at the rim, block & steal rate, all while maintaining a high rTS%.

But, like others have mentioned, if Davis makes it through the next two rounds looking like a disruptive DPOY with really resilient #2 offense, he'll have a really good case.

[KTM_2813]

I think that 20 Davis is clearly the best fit with LeBron, but deciding between 11 Wade and 20 Davis in a vacuum is harder. Honestly, I may go with Davis. This is way too crude and simple, but in essence, I think that Wade was marginally better at floor raising but Davis is significantly better at ceiling raising.

[Dutchball97]

It's only between '11 Wade and '20 Davis for me. With how good Wade was all season and all play-offs long I'll give him the edge for now but this could become AD if he finishes the year strong.

[Amare_1_Knicks]

In a vacuum, I think 2011 Wade is better than AD currently is. However, AD and Lebron have had an immediate on-court chemistry that 2011 Wade and Lebron simply didn’t have for the majority of that season.

Wade was so proven by that point, as a leader on both good and bad teams, as a playoff performer and as a superstar, in general. AD has gotten numbers his whole career but never had any success to speak of despite that, even when he’s had some above average rosters. Even this year — for as good as the Lakers have been (and AD has no small role in that, obviously) — Lebron is the engine that makes the Lakers run.

AD has always been an incredibly talented individual player but his numbers haven’t always matched up with team success. I’ll go 2011 Wade.

[Dupp]

I think this is AD “and it’s not close”. 2011 Wade may have been a better player but a way worse fit and that was evident on the court. Honestly the wade / janes dynamic worked better in 2012.


AD is just the perfect fit in every way possible and maximises Lebrons game so much more.




On a side note I came across a video on YouTube yesterday of fizdale talking about the 2011 heat saying they only ever practiced defense and didn’t work on the offense really at all.. Well no wonder they sucked on that end in 2011 and ended up crumbling because of it... strange decision.

[Doctor MJ]

I think its unfair to judge AD until after the season. But I would say 2011 Wade still gets the top spot, probably would put 2012 Wade 2nd and 2016 Kyrie 3rd (I'd actually argue 2015 Kyrie was better than 2017 but can see him not being included due to injuries etc...)

AD has a very good chance of being at the top here if things keep going like they are for him, I have a feeling he's going to struggle a little more in the WCF and Finals (if they make it). The fit between them is just so strong, they play off each other great and unlike Bosh, Kyrie, or Love, Davis is capable of being elite defensively and holding or increasing leads when Lebron sits. Wade was really the only other guy capable to managing that it seems.

Precisely this. AD may well top the list at season's end, and if he does, it bodes well for potentially more than one championship. Still a gauntlet to pass through though.

[Dupp]

I think you could almost argue 2017 Kyrie over 2011 wade here just because of fit. Like I said 2012 worked better than 2011. Obviously a lot of that is due to having a year under their belt and wade taking a back seat and giving lebron the keys so to speak. Maybe if they team up in 2010 and all the same stuff happens 2011 wade would have been like 2012 wade as a teammate but on steroids given he was still at his peak and worked better for wise also.

[SeattleJazzFan]

has to be AD if he keeps playing the way he's playing vs the Clippers. but he has to finish it out to surpass 2011 and 2012 Wade

[Joey Wheeler]

AD by a clear margin, both in terms of individual talent and fit.

[No-more-rings]

I wonder if this whole Wade being a poor fit next to Lebron would’ve still been a thing if they didn’t have arguably the worst 4-15 players in the league in 2011. Or if Lebron didn’t have the worst playoff series for a top 3 goat player in his prime. The 2011 Heat were better in the east playoffs than they were the other years too. But yeah Wade’s mediocre fit and 1/b role was holding them back .

[hype_2004]

None of them, it's Big Z from the beginning.

[Stan]

Definitely 2016 Love

[Franco]

I wonder if this whole Wade being a poor fit next to Lebron would’ve still been a thing if they didn’t have arguably the worst 4-15 players in the league in 2011. Or if Lebron didn’t have the worst playoff series for a top 3 goat player in his prime. The 2011 Heat were better in the east playoffs than they were the other years too. But yeah Wade’s mediocre fit and 1/b role was holding them back .

They were arguably the two best players in the NBA at that point in time, I don’t see why the Heat having a great season and the fit not being ideal are mutually exclusive.

[No-more-rings]

I wonder if this whole Wade being a poor fit next to Lebron would’ve still been a thing if they didn’t have arguably the worst 4-15 players in the league in 2011. Or if Lebron didn’t have the worst playoff series for a top 3 goat player in his prime. The 2011 Heat were better in the east playoffs than they were the other years too. But yeah Wade’s mediocre fit and 1/b role was holding them back .

They were arguably the two best players in the NBA at that point in time, I don’t see why the Heat having a great season and the fit not being ideal are mutually exclusive.

Not saying it’s mutually exclusive, but I am saying people really don’t seem to be looking at the other factors.