The (Unnecessary) Dwyane Wade Vs. LeBron James Debate: Will Vs. Skill

As I noted in response to a recent article, Heat fans debating whether LeBron James or Dwayne Wade is the Heat's best player (or leader, or "alpha dog"), is kind of like spending the night with Brooklyn Decker and Bar Rafaeli and then debating which girl is hotter.

Who cares?  Just be happy to have had both!

But, since the topic won't die, here's how I see it.

The question comes down to will vs. skill.

Don't get me wrong.  Both Wade and James are highly skilled players.  There are few in the league who can rival their ball handling, ability to finish, speed with the basketball, and court vision. 

They also both have a strong will to win and to be elite players.

But, when you look at their respective defining characteristics, the divide becomes apparent.

Wade is all about WILL.  He is the smaller player who attacks big men in the paint with reckless abandon.  He's the one who ends up on his back on highlight plays.  He's the one who has demonstrated the ability to rise to another level and simply refuse to lose (i.e. 2006 Finals, games 3-6). 

It is Wade's indomitable will to win that has endeared him to Heat fans, and made him an icon in South Florida.  It is that will that makes the Heat Dwyane's team, and the home town "Wade County."

LeBron, on the other hand, is all about SKILL.  Players his size are simply not supposed to be able to move like him, dribble like him, or run a fast break like him.  He is a physical mismatch against every player in the league at his position.  He is today's version of a 6'8 Magic Johnson playing point guard.

While (until "the Decision"), LeBron was loved in Cleveland, he as many fans among the casual observers.  You don't have to be an expert on the game to turn on the TV and figure out that James is the best player on the court.

Can LeBron ever show the WILL that Wade has demonstrated?  Who knows? 

Will Wade's SKILL ever be as impressive as LeBron's?  Probably not.

So, in the end, what is more important? WILL or SKILL?

Again, that's like debating between the assets of supermodels. 

Both are important, and the two qualities are not mutually exclusive.

In the end, the real question is, what will the rest of the league do when Wade's WILL combines with LeBron's SKILL?

I, for one, can't wait to find out.