ill Take: LeBron Chooses 'Super Team' over Home

Lebron James has now officially left the only NBA team he's ever played for and decided to go elsewhere to win what he couldn't in Cleveland. The question is: Was this the right decision for LeBron, because it definitely was the right choice for Dwayne Wade.

The Miami Heat retained the services of superstar guard Dwyane Wade, acquired the best big man on the market in Chris Bosh and pulled off the biggest signing in team history by plucking LeBron from the forever tortured city of Cleveland, OH.

Going straight from high school to the NBA and being the number one overall pick by the Cavs, James was tasked with the challenge of ascending the lowly Cavaliers from lottery status to playoff contender. It took him two years to make the playoffs and from there it was a constant barrage of heartbreak and the seeds were planted about LeBron not being clutch and failing in the playoffs.

This decision is more about what Cleveland couldn't do with Lebron than what the Heat could do with him. What LeBron wanted was confidence in what he had and with the constant poor play and inability to get a player alongside him that could step up in the playoffs, it was what ultimately led James away from his home state.

The 2008 Olympic team played a big role in how these three superstars came together when they found out how good they were in Beijing when they ran rough shot over the rest of the field on the way to a gold medal when they went 5-0 and had a point differential of 161 in the tournament, so they completely and utterly dominated and thus the thoughts of the three playing together began to formulate and now two summers later it's a reality.

LeBron is going to have to deal with questions regarding why he would leave a situation where he was 'The Man' to join a team where he will always viewed as the second banana because of what Wade was already accomplished in South Beach.

A great point was made by Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said how he felt James would diminish his brand by joining Wade in South Beach by deferring to another superstar. James could have easily been the top guy in Cleveland, New Jersey, New York and Chicago, but went with the option that was easier in the end for him and you can criticize him for not taking a true risk or applaud him for not caring about the money and 'his brand' enough to join a team where he's definitely taking a backseat.

In the end, James only cares about a ring and if aligning himself with Wade and Bosh does that for him, then this move pays off royally. James' brand can only grow with the addition of a NBA championship to his trophy case.

Just like that, the NBA now has a true Dream Team scenario on their hands as the Miami Heat are now viewed by everyone as the team to beat and they now employ three of the top ten players in the game and two of the top three. 

LeBron is without a doubt putting more pressure on himself, if the Heat struggle or dare even fail in their quest to win what should be a sure championship, eyes are going to be on LeBron as to why they failed. But then again, they always are. 

Braves Win Important Road Series

Philadelphia fell six games back in the NL East for the first time in almost a year and a half. Atlanta is in a position that feels very familiar, they once again have a secure hold on first-place after winning two out of three against the third-place Phillies.

The Phillies (43-40) lost to the Atlanta Braves last night by a score of 7-5 and in the process lost their seventh game in 10 tries.

It was a back-and-forth affair at Citizens Bank Park as the Braves scored the first run of the game in the top of the first when Martin Prado hit his first of two home runs. It was Prado's second multi home-run game of his career and it was his second blast in the sixth inning that ruined Jamie Moyer's night.

Following that Prado home run, Moyer allowed five straight Braves to reach base and gave up six runs in the inning.

The poor outing for Moyer ended a stellar stretch for the 47-year-old as last night Moyer went 5.1 innings and allowed seven hits and seven earned runs and gave up three home runs.

The Braves are now 7-5 against the Phillies. Atlanta has only lost one series since losing two out of three to the Phillies back in May.

Gaining a three game lead on the New York Mets was no easy task for the Braves as they struggled at the onset of the season and have since righted the ship thanks to better than average pitching depth and the resurgence of Billy Wagner at closer who picked up his 19th save of the season last night.

The Braves have also been lifted by the surprising play of Troy Glaus and rookie Jason Heyward (who is currently injured with a hurt left thumb). Not to mention the man of the evening, Martin Prado who has emerged as an all-star second baseman for the team as he has 10 home runs on the season, one shy of his career high.

Back to the foundering Phils, this is a team that hasn't won consecutive games in 12 days and went 2-9 with runners in scoring position last night.

The Phillies are having a lot of problems putting all the parts together, when they score, the pitching isn't good and when the bats show up, the arms don't.

Everyone knows about the Phillies second half pedigree and how hot they usually get and what their record is in September in recent seasons. But in the last couple of years, the teams the Phillies were chasing or in front of, couldn't wait to collapse. This Braves team aren't those Mets teams of years past.

I'm concerned about what this Braves team can do, because of what they've done with players out and players not playing up to potential at this point in time.

I've already mentioned the injured Heyward, future Hall-of-Famer Chipper Jones is only hitting .253 and hasn't had a month this season that he's hit over .265. Then there's the hyped future ace of the Braves rotation, Tommy Hansen, who's seen some struggles this season as well. After starting the season with an ERA of 2.17 in his first five starts, his ERA has gone up dramatically to 5.25 since then.

Imagine how scary the Braves could be when those problems are corrected, given what they're doing right now.

Is it time to worry, no, but I think anyone underestimating the Braves better take a second look after this series.