Dwyane Wade vs. Carmelo Anthony: Who's the Better Player?

And, as if he didn't accomplish enough in the 2009 campaign, he capped it off by becoming the only player in league history to post at least 2,000 points, 500 assists, 150 steals, and 100 blocks during a single season. Simply put, Dwyane Wade was "Amazing" this year.

Since I listed all of Wade's magnificent accomplishments, it is only fair to provide a counter-argument for Anthony.

Anthony is a an Olympic gold-medalist, the USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2006), a two-time NBA All-Star, a three-time member of the All-NBA third team, and rookie challenge MVP. In addition, he has a numerous amount of collegiate awards, including winning an NCAA championship with Syracuse in his freshman year.

While Anthony has had plenty of success in the regular season and as a scorer overall, he hasn't made much noise in the playoffs. This year was the first time in his six-year career that he even made it past the first round of the playoffs. In Wade's six-year career, he has made it to the postseason five times and advanced past the first round three of those times.

If those awards and merits aren't enough to prove that Wade is the better overall player and scorer, let's look at simple statistics. D-Wade has career averages of 25.2 PPG, 6.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Anthony has career averages of 24.2 PPG, 6.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. Wade is a career 48 percent shooter from the field, while Anthony is a 46 percent shooter. So, other than rebounds, Wade beats out Anthony in every statistical category and let's not forget-Carmelo is four inches taller than Wade.

But, the main thing that irked me from Barkley's pompous statement was the fact that he called Anthony the better scorer. How has Anthony surpassed Wade as the better scorer when Wade was this year's scoring champion and has better career scoring numbers than the Nuggets star?

And if you want to see even more proof that Wade is the better scorer, let this stat swirl around in your head. Wade had 13 games this year in which he scored 40 points or more, including three 50-point efforts. Carmelo had three 40-point games this year, including the postseason.

Simply put, Wade is the better overall player and certainly the better scorer. Wade has a unique ability to drive to the rim, contort his body in mid air, take contact, and finish with emphasis. He can shoot from almost anywhere on the floor and even developed a three-point shot this year, making 88 three-pointers this year, which annihilates his previous career-high of 22. He is also one of the best dunkers in the league, having the talent to dunk over opponents twice his size. There is a reason Shaq dubbed D-Wade the name "Flash," and I think his game speaks for itself.

This is not to say Carmelo isn't a magnificent scorer, because he certainly is. Anthony has a great knack for getting to the rim, taking contact, and finishing. He is a great dunker and uses his size to take it the whole and space the floor. He can shoot from most spots on the floor and will hit clutch shots from beyond the arc when his number is called.

But overall, Dwyane Wade is the better basketball player than Carmelo Anthony. His statistics, numerous accolades, and MVP Finals award prove that. He has simply accomplished more in his career and has been a better player than his 2003 draft class buddy. While Anthony is a top 10 player in the NBA, Wade is a top five player that has truly embodied the word "Amazing," and after this year's unreal performance, he has truly proven that he is the better player.

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