March 6, 2007

IS STEVE NASH THE VICTIM OF PREJUDICE IN MVP RACE?

       Before you get all hot and bothered it’s not the kind of prejudice that raises the ire of any rightful thinking individual.  It’s not racial--Nash may be white but then so is his main competitor Dirk Nowitzki—and it’s not an anti-American bias—Nash may be Canadian but Nowitzki is from Germany.  No, it’s simply a prejudice against a small point guard being named Most Valuable Player three years in a row when only three players in the history of the game have accomplished that feat.  This year’s race seems to be heating up as an “Anybody But Nash” vote. 

       The three players in the game’s history to be named MVP three years in a row are Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird—three of the great names in sport.  Russell, perhaps the greatest defender in league history, was MVP in the years 1960-63, and won it a total of five times. Wilt, perhaps the most dominant offensive force in history, was named MVP in the years 1965-68, and won it four times, and Bird, perhaps the greatest all-around player in league history, won it from 1983-86.  Noticeably absent from this list are the great players that won it in consecutive seasons but failed to win it that third time.  This list includes Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who won it two years in a row twice and six times in total, Michael Jordan, five in total, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone who each won three in their careers, and Tim Duncan.

       By winning it a third consecutive season Nash would be placed in the upper echelon of players; the pantheon of NBA greats.  Does winning a third consecutive trophy mean that he is a better player than Jordan, than Kareem, than Magic?  Of course not!  But voters may look at the history and vote against him simply to safeguard the value of the award--to ensure that only the absolute best are elevated to such heights.  After all, if perhaps the greatest player in league history, Jordan, never won it three years in a row, then why should that little guy from Canada?   

      The truth is…Nash is the pre-eminent player in the game today.  He is indispensable to the fortunes of the Phoenix Suns, he is indefensible as opponents scratch their heads on how to stop the high flying Suns, and he is actually getting better as the years progress.  He will have better statistics this year than he did in either of his previous two MVP seasons.  So if he is better this year, and nobody else is having a lights out dominant season, how can Nash not be named MVP once again?   

       So, let’s examine his value.  The Suns, a Ferrari with the reigning MVP on the court, become a broken down Volkswagen beetle when he is not.  They can get by for a few minutes while he rests, but if he misses games they begin to spit fuel.  Their offensive philosophy is to move the ball up court so quick as to prevent the defense from being able to set up, but the plan needs a quarterback who can think and play at a lightning pace.  Only Nash can do that.  If the defense is able to set up its half court offense then it’s up to Nash to break it down and he does so using simple plays like high screen and rolls.  The reason I believe that he is the one indefensible player in the league is simply because he is the facilitator.  How can you guard someone whose main offensive weapon is the pass?  You can’t double-team him because that leaves one of his dangerous teammates open—and chances are pretty good that Nash finds him.  You can’t back off him and try to double the nearest Sun because if Nash sees an opening he will take the shot—and he has become a very consistent shooter.        

      Look at the stats…Nash leads the NBA in assists by wide margin (Deron Williams is second more than 2.5 assists per game behind).  Nash also averages nearly twenty points a game, shoots a high percentage (more than fifty percent from the field and nearly fifty from three point range) and is one of the best free throw shooters in the game.  So how can he be defended?

       Teams—if they so choose—can take Nowitzki out of the Dallas attack and force either Jason Terry or Josh Howard to beat them.    In crunch time teams often force the ball out of Kobe’s or Lebron’s hands.  But if the game’s on the line for Phoenix and the ball is in Nash’s hands, what do you do to stop him?    

      I guess you can always hope that he has a bad game.

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