NBA 2010-2011 Season - Page 113

In this space we'll break down the best individual matchup of the week to see who's the better player. But toss out career accomplishments or potential. This is about ability -- strengths, weaknesses, intangibles -- and who gives his team the best chance to win. It's about the only thing that matters when you step on the court on any given night -- who's better right now.

Positions don't define superstars. Their games do. Elite players take over in crucial moments, make their teams better and guard anyone who happens to be in front of them. In other words, a nightly checklist for this week's combatants.

In this clash of Chicago-born high flyers Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade, two of the most electrifying guards in the game go head-to-head for Windy City bragging rights. While Rose looks to become a permanent fixture in the ranks of the upper elite, Wade is having yet another All-NBA season despite a new role as sidekick to fellow superstar LeBron James.

Unless they get cross matched, Wade and Rose will only see each other face to face for a handful of possessions. But make no mistake, those possessions could decide the game.

Rose is riding a tidal wave of MVP buzz into the last third of the regular season. But he'll need much more than buzz to beat out D-Wade in this matchup.

VITALS

Derrick Rose
PPG: 24.6
RPG: 4.4
APG: 8.1
FG%: 44.2
FT%: 83.8
PER: 22.78

Dwyane Wade
Miami Heat
PPG: 25.5
RPG: 6.8
APG: 4.3
FG%: 50.0
FT%: 73.1
PER: 25.05

KEY STRENGTHS

ROSE: QUICKNESS
Rose makes a living with the quickest wheels in the business. His explosion after his nifty crossover makes him nearly unguardable. He can put enough space between himself and a defender to get off an uncontested 18-foot jump shot on the wing or the elbow, but he's best at using that quickness to get to the rim. What makes it dicey for defenders is that he can change directions two or three times from the top of the key to the rim without slowing down. His jump stop toward the rim doesn't drain momentum, allowing Rose to use his sculpted 6-foot-3, 190-pound body to power home a finish. Want to see him really move? Check the break. "When he gets the rebound and pushes it, we're unstoppable," says Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. "He's a freight train, and it's a basket or a foul every time."

WADE: SCORING CREATIVITY
On his forays to the rim, Wade possesses unparalleled artistry. He routinely takes and makes shots he doesn't practice. During the course of a game, his shots are like snowflakes -- each different from the next and beautiful to look at. Impeccable mid-air balance, hang time and an ability to shoot with either hand make him one of the game's best scorers in the half court. He's also got the strength to take the ball across his body without sacrificing control in order to get off a good shot. But it's not just flash, his creativity has a functional purpose, since Wade is reacting to the defense and simply moving the ball and contorting his body to avoid his shot being blocked. Fortunately for Wade, his exemplary shot-making skills often bail him out of even the most ill-advised attempts.

Advantage: Rose

KEY WEAKNESSES

ROSE: DEFENSIVE AWARENESS
Rose's focus on D waned early in his career, and he had a habit of reaching, which caused him to get beat more often than someone with his athleticism should. Under the defensive-minded Thibodeau, Rose has made the biggest defensive gains of his career, gambling less and improving his shot challenges. But in Thibodeau's zone-like system, which relies heavily on helping, Rose will still miss assignments from time to time, earning an earful from his coach. "He's better on the ball, but now we're working on recognizing defensive pictures quicker," Bulls assistant coach Ron Adams says. "And my goal for him is to grab five defensive rebounds per game."

WADE: HELP DEFENSE
Wade has gotten into the habit of roaming the floor in search of big plays but often finds himself in no man's land, leaving his man wide open. He has had a tendency to overcommit on help defense in the past because of his ability to cover so much ground, but at this point in his career, Wade must recognize help situations better and use more discretion when leaving his man. On Feb. 24 with the score tied against the Miami Heat, Rose drove hard down the left side of the lane while being guarded tightly by LeBron James. Wade left Luol Deng in the corner to help when it wasn't needed. Rose then hit Deng who drilled a 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining. The Heat lost 93-89.

Advantage: Push

SECRET SKILL

ROSE: THE REVERSE LAYUP
Rose is among the best at using the rim to shield the ball from an attacking big man, a big reason why the reverse layup has become his most reliable weapon. When he drives the baseline, the help defense will collapse down from the top looking for a block. Rose will take off from the immediate side of the rim and bait the defense into jumping before reversing and finishing safely on the opposite side. But he smartly utilizes the move when he drives down the middle of the lane as well, simply shifting the ball to the opposite side of the rim from which the help defender is approaching. Rose will also use the rim as a shield in transition to avoid the come-from-behind block, essentially ruining any angle a trailing defender might have.

WADE: THE SIDESTEP
It's not really in Wade's game to run over defenders. Instead, he has developed a highly effective move to skirt would-be defenders. When he penetrates the lane in half court or transition, after picking up his dribble and taking his first step, he pushes off his right foot and steps wide around the defender who's looking to draw a charge. He often follows it with a scoop shot or runner variation. Known as a Eurostep, opponents often complain Wade travels because his two steps come in opposite directions and the second is extra long and a bit drawn out. "People get aggravated because you play good D and he goes right around you," former teammate Dorell Wright says. They can complain all they want but it's a legit move and effective as any in the league.

Advantage: Wade

INTANGIBLES

ROSE: HUMILITY
In an age of boisterous superstars and unchecked bravado, Rose's quiet humility has endeared him to his teammates. "I think his personality is great for this team," fellow Bull Joakim Noah says. "Everything he does is sincere, and guys want to play hard for him." Just as important, his humbleness has served him well in a tough town to be a superstar -- especially for a homegrown talent. "There's so much pressure that comes with playing in Chicago," former Bulls guard Jamal Crawford says. "Everybody wants you to live up to MJ. They want you to do the impossible. Because he's so humble he keeps everything in perspective and never gets bothered by it."

WADE: TOUGHNESS
Wade is known for picking himself up when he's down. Literally. Wade probably hits the ground more than any player in the game yet shows uncanny resiliency in shrugging off a myriad bumps and bruises. One of the reasons Wade is able to survive his collisions with the hardwood is that he's become an expert at falling down, sliding on his butt or pushing off the floor with his hands to lessen the impact. But sometimes it's unavoidable. Against the Orlando Magic on Feb. 3, Dwight Howard hit Wade in midair, dropping him six feet onto his back. To Wade's credit, he picked himself up and went to the free-throw line before returning to play the fourth quarter.

Advantage: Rose

PLAVER POV

"Rose is a true MVP candidate right now. He's playing the best basketball of anyone in the league. He's just dominating games, and he's one of the best athletes around and only getting better. Everyone said his shooting was weak, and he's answered that. I love his approach to the game and the intensity he brings. He really deserves all the credit he's getting because he's legit. People are always talking about him as the MVP for a reason. He's just a special player."
-- Deron Williams

"Wade is as tough a cover as you'll find. His body is strong and solid and his big hands are like mitts. That gives him a huge advantage offensively because he can do so many different things with the ball. He's so crafty with his shot fakes and the way he splits double teams, too. His smarts make him really hard to guard. Everybody knows he's going to go left, but there's really nothing you can do. You just have to hope he's having an off night. He's the best there is right now."
-- Dorell Wright

WINNER

DERRICK ROSE
By the slimmest of margins Rose has proven himself the better player. He may lack Wade's charisma and panache, but Rose edges him in a number of significant areas that matter more to superstardom. Wade is a marquee slasher, but Rose gets into the lane even more easily and is already a better shooter from the elbow and behind the arc.

No guard is better at getting to the line than D-Wade, but Rose is not far off ( 6.3 to 8.7 FTA on almost three fewer drives per game) and shoots a much higher free-throw percentage (83.8 to 73.1). And, despite the fact he handles the ball on every possession, Rose is averaging only 0.3 more turnovers than Wade.

"He's playing like he's unstoppable," Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo says. "He's so explosive, and now he's knocking down shots so he's basically doing everything."

This season Rose is on track to become just the seventh player in history to average at least 24 points and eight assists.

"There is a certain type of desire to be great that select guys have," says Adams, the Bulls assistant. "Michael Jordan had it. And Derrick has it, too."

Rose is looking for something else MJ has. If the next six weeks hold to form Rose will likely become the first Bull to win MVP since Jordan and, in the process, officially claim the throne as the best guard in the league.

Hahaha take that Miami! On a different note, anyone as surprised as I am that Lakers actually beat the Spurts at their home court?