Today?s match-up presents an interesting battle. Would you prefer to anchor your team with a strong interior presence like Jermaine O?Neal, or with an elite playmaker like Dwyane Wade? Both are among the top choices for a franchise player, which explains their appearance in the elite eight of our contest, but which of these all-stars would you choose?

The Case for O?Neal

Jermaine is a young ten-year NBA veteran at only twenty-seven years of age. Last season he averaged 20.1 points and 9.3 rebounds a night for Indiana. When you consider the injury problems he suffered from, and the drama the Pacers were constantly dealing with, his production was very impressive. He?s been a constant force in the paint for a number of years now, and he still has time to improve.

The Case against O?Neal

Having missed a substantial amount of time in each of the last two seasons, injuries could be a concern when considering Jermaine as your franchise cornerstone. While his injuries didn?t hurt his production, he has to be on the floor in order for his impact to be felt. O?Neal leadership skills have also come into question as of late. The Pacers have been in disarray ever since the departure of Reggie Miller. It?s Jermaine?s job to handle those things now.

The Case for Wade

Having been drafted behind the likes of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, Wade was the afterthought of the 2003 draft class. Three years later, Dwyane?s numbers are just as good as LeBron and Carmelo?s, but he?s beaten both to the NBA?s greatest honor ? the league championship. Last season he averaged 27.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game, finishing fifth in scoring.

The Case against Wade

Wade is a good shooter, but he has limits on his range. For his career he has a field goal percentage of .482, but he shoots a dismal .241 from behind the three-point line. His long range shooting was superb in the playoffs this spring, but he needs to become more consistent from behind the arc.

The choice is yours ? Who would you rather start an NBA franchise with?

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