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#3 Carmelo Anthony (3rd Pick, Denver Nuggets)
This scouting report before LeBron James's draft class of 2003 says the following about Carmelo Anthony:
Fluid player who shows great athleticism despite not having overly explosive leaping ability ... Possesses a quick first step which helps him gain separation from his defender to set-up his drive to the basket... Excellent slasher, once he gets to the basket he has the creativity to make spectacular plays due to his cat like body control... Solid rebounder thanks to his long arms and hustle ... Has range on his jump shot as he can shoot from mid-range or behind the 3-point line
Melo was one of the most entertaining players of his era. After he was picked up by the Denver Nuggets, he would play with an ethereal confidence scoring from anywhere by any means. The unquestionable star appeared in 10 NBA All-Star games and won 2012-13 scoring title.
In recent times, Anthony has evolved as a player. In contrast to his gutsy pick-up style, he has turned into a reliable role player that can become a great scoring asset for the LA Lakers where he joins LeBron James for their first ever season as teammates.
#2 Chris Bosh (4th Pick, Toronto Raptors)
There are paint players that record dozens of rebounds a night and then there are paint players that snatch the most significant rebounds of the game. Chris Bosh lies in the latter category of players.
In his first seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors, Bosh averaged 20.2 points and 9.4 rebounds. These are not normal numbers and should be seen as they really are - phenomenal.
After his long stint with the Raptors, Bosh would join LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami to make arguably the most dominant Big 3 of the decade. They would go on to win 2 championships together, the first for LeBron James and Chris Bosh, both.
#1 Dwyane Wade (5th Pick, Miami Heat)
Dwyane Wade is a living legend and a true lover of the game of basketball. His rivalry with Kobe was one of the defining traits of the league in 2000s. Him teaming up with LeBron James sent ripples across the NBA and can be felt to this day. A player who not only left an impact on the scoreboard but on all of basketball, D Wade was one of the most influential players the league has ever known.
Wade has won three championships in his career, of which two were alongside LeBron James. A case can be made to support the claim that LeBron won his first championship because he had Wade with him.
Although it would not be justified to substantiate this claim, we cannot outright reject the numbers Dwyane put up in their first championship-winning playoffs. He averaged a sensational 22.8 points, 45.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while LeBron James averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists.
Guess the Lakers players!
