Phoenix Suns Steve Nash is the Real MVP
LeBron James is a superhuman-insane-we -really-broke-any-possible-or-conceivable-mold type basketball player. He won this years MVP award in convincing fashion. We all know this, or should know this, or eventually will come to know this.
The thing is, James is also the most important piece in my argument as to why the MVP award should:
- Be awarded with heaviest considerations based on how far the player leads his team into the postseason.
- How this player performs during the postseason (call this the 2007 Dirk Nowitzki clause).
- Apply deeper levels of analysis to scrutinize the MVP candidates supporting cast, and ask how hard would it be for the supporting cast to make the playoffs without the player.
- Assess the actualization of expected performance. This aspect should be used in all tie breakers.
It is unfortunate that this award must be decided before the post season plays out. When considering these 4 core ideas, it goes without question that Steve Nash is truly this years MVP.
One eye? No problem. That is the definition of MVP.
Nash took a team that was in moderate to severe turmoil, who almost made a throng of liquidation panic-induced trades, and led his team into the playoffs by whipping out a 17-4 record during March and April. During this span Nash quarterbacked a 10-game winning streak while battling through a barrage of minor injuries. Then came the start of the playoffs.
In the 1st round of the playoffs Nash fought off a hip injury, and the Suns defeated a pesky Blazers team in 6 games. His game was definitely not perfect, but he was always present when it counted, and that is what it takes to make an MVP.
LeBron murdered the Bulls in the first round. He absolutely killed them. However, it is arguable that the Portland Trailblazers are a far better team than Chicago currently is. Even as injury riddled as the Blazers are, I would put my money on Portland over Chicago in a 7 game series anyday.
When it comes down to it, Nash has been more of a leader and more valuable to his team the longer his team has been in the playoffs, which is extremely difficult for someone age 36 to do.
LeBron evaporated in game 5 in Cleveland, meanwhile, Nash returned to game 4 against the Spurs with an eye that looked like he walked straight out of a Rocky film and back on the floor. He hit crucial 4th quarter shots with vision in only one eye.
Tell me that is not the type of leadership that MVP awards where not conceived from.
One of strongest arguments as to why Nash is the true MVP can simply based on my 3rd reason. Did anyone actually believe that Phoenix had a legitimate chance to still be in the playoffs?
Nash was everywhere in round 2, shredding up the Spurs and making it look easy, while showing the world simultaneously that he might be the toughest whiteboy from Canada the league has ever seen, while inspiring us all to be a little tougher.
The point is Nash inspired us. Was it Muhamed Ali-esque? Perhaps mildly at best ,if at all. But to me his injuries seemed a lot more real, painful and difficult to overcome than Paul Pierces bullshit knee injury during the 2008 finals, or MVP LeBron’s mystery elbow injury that he seemingly plays through easily. Come on, lets face it, LeBron is a cyborg unit sent back from the year 2029 to assassinate Sarah Connor. How could he possibly be injured?
Little 6’3″and 178 pound Nash took a killer elbow to the eye from 6’11″ gigantic 260 pound Tim Duncan, had some stitches, and came back and played blinded in one eye. MVPs are tough, they don’t make excuses. Even if the LeBronanator and Cleveland lose, he can always say he was injured. Nash would never make those excuses.
If anyone picked the Phoenix Suns to be in the Western Conference Finals this season I would call them a liar unless they had a time stamped wager voucher from Las Vegas to prove they put their money where their mouth is.
GM Steve Kerr was being heavily scrutinized for the Shaquille O’Neal failure. Shaq had been traded, ironically if you have been following this post, to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers got better, and the Suns got thinner, no pun intended.
So basically the Suns started the year with Amare Stoudemire, Jason Richardson, a handful of young guys many teams would balk at the chance of acquiring, and two starters both past 35 years old in Grant Hill (37) and Steve Nash (36).
LeBron’s Cavs entered this season on the opposite end of the spectrum: heavily favored to win it all.
The Cavs acquired Shaq, while dumping a crappy Ben Wallace and invisible Sasha Pavlovic on Phoenix. Phoenix fans where probably slapping their foreheads as they read that news. Then at the trade deadline, the Cavs acquired Antawn Jamison, further bolstering their roster heading towards the playoffs.
Thinking comparatively, aren’t the Phoenix Suns the team that far and away, with perhaps only Kevin Durant and the Thunder mentionable in this capacity, that have superseded all expectations this season.
In my book, that makes Steve Nash MVP, and makes me despise the NBA system of MVP and award voting. Was this year as bad as Dirk in 2007? No. LeBron is definitely still in the hunt, albeit by a thin thread, but it makes you wonder, what really is the definition of an MVP, if it isn’t Steve Nash?
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Thu, May 13, 2010 by Adam Sedie
NBA Playoffs, News, Opinions