Better Dynamic Duo?: Wade/Lebron or Mj/Pippen?

[Chauncey Gandus]

Who is the better dynamic duo assuming that Wade/Bron win the championship?

I still go with MJ/Pip cause their chemistry was better and they served as better puzzle pieces for the overall team.

[boomba]

Don't even compare the two, I'm serious. This isn't fair if your basing this on accomplishments, even if you give them a ring they aren't the same. If Miami wins seven chips, then it is undeniable. Now? MJ and Pippen dominate this comparison. And most likely will for a long time.

[J.T.]

While this isn't really an worthy comparison based on the grandness of MJ/Pippen, let's entertain the thought for a minute.

Jordan had some years on Pippen and while Pippen matured the Bulls improved dramatically. Both LeBron and D-Wade are in year 8, so maybe we can compare the Heat duo to the Bulls first championship year of 1991, since it appears that the Heat may be able to do it this year too. I'm using the PER from basketball-reference just for a quick comparison:

1991 MJ/Pippen: (regular season/playoffs)
Mike: 31.6/32.0
Pippen: 20.6/22.0

2011: LeBron/DWade (regular season/playoffs)
Lebron: 27.3/26.6
DWade: 25.6/26.6

Adding the PER of both players yields:
1991 MJ/Pippen: 52.2 54
2011: LeBron/DWade 52.9 53.2

So what does this mean? Not much really, but it does say that LeBron/Dwade put up more stats than MJ/Pippen did in their respective regular seasons and MJ/Pippen turned it up quite a bit in the playoffs.

Of course Lebron and DWade aren't quite finished and probably don't have to work as hard since Bosh is picking his spots to fill up the stat sheet, which brings me to a pretty important detail. Horace Grant, as important as he was wasn't as good as Chris Bosh. Simply put the Bulls were Jordan, then Pippen, then everyone else. Every team knew that yet couldn't do much to stop it. The Heat are LeBron and/or DWade, then Bosh, then everyone else. I tend to believe that LeBron and Dwade are a good duo because Bosh's presence HAS to be accounted for or teams will get absolutely burned (see Bulls last night).

Comparing the teams, they are build very similarly and I see some similarities in their style of play. Good on defense, rely on the 2,3,and 4 for most of the scoring, big dumb defensive center, shooters on the perimeter, UNSTOPPABLE in transition. I'm not saying the Heat are quite there yet, but they're certainly beginning to get it.

[bullsfan92]

All due respect...wade/lebron have a long way to go before being thrown around in the same sentence as mj/pippen.

[Brown Mamba]

I think totally appropriate to begin comparing. Of course time will tell, but I think the questioner is really asking about a snapshot in time. Thinking about it objectively it is likely that Lebron will finish top 5 all time and Wade top 15. Compare to Jordan at #1 and Pippen at top 30. Not as far off as you think bullsfan92. .

[coolsig5]

In my opinion I think Wade/Lebron is a different situation than MJ/Pippen. With MJ/Pippen you had a clear #1 and #2 or batman/robin with Wade/Lebron it really is more of a 1a 1b situation. Lebron "hater's" are going to say wade is batman while a majority of unbiased fan's will probably disagree.

Although I said it's a different situation you can still try to compare the two and in that case I can say without a doubt MJ/Pippen have a strong advantage. Wade/Lebron have been lethal but it's not quite the primetime show many fan's expected to see when the two signed together.

[Milhouse]

I agree coolsig. Either Wade or Lebron are perfectly capabable of playing the #1 role on any given night. I'm not so sure Pippen was really ever a go-to guy.