ESPN has been included in many controversies lately, whether it was about sports or something else. ESPN publishes #NBArank annually, ranking best NBA players. This year, #NBArank has caused a lot of backlash from the fans, as most of them don't agree with the rankings. Some players were overrated while some were simply disrespected by ESPN.
One of the players who was disrespected is Dwyane Wade. Wade, who still has a few more good years left in his tank, isn't even included in the top 100. Despite being 35, the shooting guard can still play at a high level, and that is what he showed last year too.
Even though he was injured, Wade did a great job securing a playoff spot for the Bulls and he almost led the Chicago Bulls to the first-round upset of the Boston Celtics.
Dwyane Wade is much better
Dwyane Wade was 21 when he was drafted, much older than other superstars from his class, such as LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. He has also dealt with numerous injuries, but somehow, he managed to play incredibly well and become one of the best players in the NBA.
He was arguably the best player in 2008/09 season when he averaged 30.2 points per game. That season, Wade was simply amazing on both ends of the floor, and he couldn't be stopped.
While his best years are behind him, Wade can still play incredibly well.
Last season, he averaged only 18.3 points per game, but he also played under 30 minutes per game for the first time in his career.
When it comes to scoring, Wade ranked 35th in the NBA. He was tied for the 104th place in rebounding with 4.5 per game and was 48th in assists per game with 3.8. He also ranked 24th in steals per game and 58th in blocking average.
His stats are far from amazing and one could argue that Dwyane Wade is no longer a superstar. However, ranking him outside of the top 100 is simply ridiculous. Wade might be in the twilight of his career, but there are no 100 NBA players who are better than him right now.
#NBArank is bad
ESPN's #NBArank has too many flaws and it shouldn't be referred to when talking about the best NBA players.
Dwyane Wade was not the only player who was disrespected by this rank as there were many other stars who were ranked too low of even outside of the top 100.
For example, Dirk Nowitzki barely made it to the top 100, while Carmelo Anthony was ranked 64th. What makes the rankings even more ridiculous is the fact that Lonzo Ball, the second pick in this year's NBA draft, was ranked 63rd. Ball has yet to play in an NBA game, yet he was ranked above some all-time greats.
