Thursday?s match-up between Kobe Bryant and Elton Brand is the last of the elite eight. On Friday we?ll begin the Final Four of our contest, with voting is expected to be closer than ever! As the voting stands now Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Garnett will advance to the next round, which of these two will join them?

The Case for Brand

Elton broke out in 2005-2006, guiding the Clippers to the playoffs for the first time since the Stone Age, and making himself an MVP candidate in the process. He put up career numbers, 25 and 10, and did so without the negative attention that many athletes use nowadays. He?s proving why the Bulls took him with the first overall pick in the 1999 draft.

The Case against Brand  

There aren?t very many reasons to go against a man with the talent of Brand. He?s a consistent double-double threat, a model citizen, and an absolute stud. The only downside when it comes to Elton is his size. He?s short for a power forward at 6?8?, but is still a solid 254 pounds.

The Case for Kobe

He?s undoubtedly one of the greatest players of his generation, and his scoring abilities could place him among basketballs? best when it?s all said and done. With that said, is Kobe the kind of player you want anchoring your franchise? If you want a player who can score in an endless amount of ways, there isn?t a player better than Kobe. Last season he led the league in scoring, 35.4 points per game, and made headlines when he scored 81 points against the Raptors in January.

The Case against Kobe

Being a proficient scorer is one thing, but being able to make the players around you better is a completely different challenge. Kobe won titles and wowed opponents when Shaq was anchoring the Lakers? frontcourt, but with The Big Diesel in Miami the Lakers have become mediocre. The blame for the recent struggles in Los Angeles cannot be placed solely on the shoulders of Bryant, but GM Mitch Kupchak has to be wondering if Kobe is the right man to lead the Lakers.


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

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