Source: Nash to be MVP

[dada]

Umm I think its all up to America to decide who the MVP is anyway, so your list The X could be something like.

1) He's white
2) He's a "nice" guy
3) Larry Bird paid the media

1. Dirk is white
2. Dirk is a "nice" guy
3. Mark Cuban got more $$!!

Maybe they just dont like them tall.

[Buckley]

In my mind, Nash had a great season. He was very effective and got the most out of his role players. But he also had perennial all-star Shawn Marion. That should have taken away votes.

In my mind, this award should have gone to LeBron James. His supporting cast includes an oft-injured Larry Hughes and an aging Eric Snow, and a declining Zydrunas Ilguaksas. No other all-stars on this team, but this 21 year old kid was able to bring this team to the playoffs. In my mind, he will win it next year, and around 2008-09, the Cavs will finally win the championship.

[Riot]

I like Melo too, but to hope Lebron doesn't win becuase you're a carmelo fan? Thats Riot like .

How is that "Riot like"? What did I do?

[CuhRazy]

Steve Nash DEFINETLY deserved it.

He proved you could be mvp without being a flashy dunker, a 30 ppg player, but an unbelievable passer and a great team player, as well as leader.

The guy is amazing. What more could you ask from him?

[cyanide]

but this 21 year old kid was able to bring this team to the playoffs. In my mind, he will win it next year

That might be another factor that he didn't win it this year. He's 21 and he has another decade and a half to win at least one.

[BIG GREEN]

cyanide, I've heard differently about the nba's ratings. It's not "bad"...but compared to years past...it's decreasing. It can be seen that the NBA takes alot less presidence in the media as in years gone past. There has got to be reason for it...and i say bad player promotion and awarding is part of it.

What's that supposed to mean?

It's simple english? I think i explained myself properly.

[Riot]

Steve Nash DEFINETLY deserved it.

He proved you could be mvp without being a flashy dunker, a 30 ppg player, but an unbelievable passer and a great team player, as well as leader.

The guy is amazing. What more could you ask from him?

You are right. He proved you can be the MVP by being a flashy passer who doesn't play defense.

[Jing]

repeat for mvp.. gosh.....
so unlikely

[dada]

In my mind, this award should have gone to LeBron James. His supporting cast includes an oft-injured Larry Hughes and an aging Eric Snow, and a declining Zydrunas Ilguaksas. No other all-stars on this team, but this 21 year old kid was able to bring this team to the playoffs.

What happened to Gooden and Flip?

[benji]

I do not agree with this. But long ago I stopped truly caring about awards, they're nothing but a certain 150 or so people in the media's opinions. And they often go for "the story" instead of reality.

That is not the NBA's decision. The voters are journalists of ESPN, SI and other magazines.

Not to pick on you as I didn't know until just recently. ESPN, SI, Sporting News, etc. Their writers do not get votes. The only people who get to vote are team beat writers and announcers. If they also write/appear on/in ESPN/SI, etc. they get to the vote (like Marv Albert when he worked for both NBC/MSG), but they have to be primary team beat writers and announcers.

I'm interested to find out if Lacy Banks voted for someone for MVP because they gave better interviews again. Good times.

[joejam999]

NS (SF, CA): Don't you think if MVP was supposed to be taken so literally that the NBA would also have an award for Most Outstanding Player? Nash is a great player in his own right, but shouldn't the MVP award be reserved for players that could also be considered the MOP? I never heard John Stockton get much consideration in the Jordan, Magic, Bird era, and Nash has far to go to even be Stockton's equal, yet he is in the MVP discussion with Kobe and Lebron. Who is to blame for this travesty?

Bill Simmons: (1:45 PM ET ) In retrospect, Stockton should have just grown out his hair and stopped playing defense - then, he could have won back-to-back MVP's.

[kevC]

I fucking hate the NBA.

[j.23]

yessss, i'm a happy man
congrats to nash, i'm proud of the dude.

[Christopherson]

As for the reason that the ratings in the NBA are down, I think the answer is simple. The ratings are down for almost EVERYTHING! Why? Becuase people have hundrends of chanels to choose from now. It used to be everyone had six chanels, so if they wanted to watch something around this time of the year, one of the six things on was the NBA playoffs. Now the NBA playoffs are on one of the 100+ chanels that most people have. People who used to watch sports simply because it was the only thing on are now able to watch programs that more suit thier interest, thus the decline in television ratings for the NBA and other various sports.

[iG®]

Cmon. I mean, thet havn't learned anything from last year when he won it in very close race, ok, but to give him award among LBJ, Dirk, Kobe, who all have played season of their lives. Pff.

[Axel]

Steve Nash was my first pick, following closely by Lebron. Dirk and Chauncey were surrounded by far too much talent in my mind to be considered front runners, and Kobe didn't make his teammates better (which is what great players should do). Lebron and Nash were both great on offense, and Lebron did make players around him better, but certainly not to the extend that Nash didn. Also, I think Nash had less talent around him (no legit center like Ilgauskas), yet still brought his team to upper tier status.

What pisses me off is how people want to discredit Steve Nash because of Mike D'Antoni running a favorable system. Why the hell aren't the same accusations made of Kobe and Phil? It could be argued as well that Phil made Kobe better, and helped make the triangle offense succeed.... but for some reason, it isn't. In the end it is all up to the player to succeed in his given circumstances, and to try to weigh one coaches effect over another is not only ludicrous, but impossible to measure.

[1CenT]

Nash deserves it, but thinking that Steve Nash is a back2back MVP, kinda makes him better than he is.. He won because of the system and the high scoring players he had, he won b/c his team did so well ....

Ill like to see nash on the cavs or lakers, trading him for Bron/Kobe, and see how he does.. I am sure his Cavs/Lakers teammates will have better stats, but will they get the wins? I guess it is pretty close actually

Lebron will win at least 2 MVPs anywayz.. Kobe will probally win before the end of his career.. If he had another 10-15 wins , when his team addresses some holes in the offseason , KObe shud win it.. Lebron will win it, probally not til his 5-6 seasons at least tho

[magius]

I don't understand this "look at nash in dallas" argument. The simple fact of the matter is that ANY star player of ANY team will put up better numbers if they are the clear cut star player on that team. That is because EVERY star player benefits from their teams system, because EVERY team runs an offense that benefits them. Nash wasn't that in dallas, but is in phoenix. its that simple.

That said, in hindsight, I would've voted either lebron or nowitzki the mvp if only because I don't believe nash deserve the consecutive years won honor. Only true greats deserve that, and up until now only true greats were given it. That said nash is still lacking a championship and finals mvp so, thankfully, he is not yet considered in the same light as duncan or shaq. I would not of voted kobe the mvp because of his team record.

The argument that stockton and kidd didn't win so nash shouldn't either is ridiculous. Like everyone else has said its purely relative. Kidd should not of won it over any of the past mvps. Stockton would've never won it over Jordan (not to mention hakeem). And sorry, no, kobe's season is not comparable to any of jordan's mvp years; not even close. You say its unfair to look at his team record... look at his teammates. I say look at his teammates, its unfair to look at his stats.

[funk99]

i am dissapointed. Nash has this award and simply teams who have actually befinfited from their star player deserves to win like. LBJ, Dirk, Kobe. Nash is doing what he did last year and it doesnt give him right to the NBA MVP

[The X]

People like "The X" are the reason steve nash is getting the mvp....they put people like kobe on a pedestal only to enjoy bringing them down for the underdog.[/i]

that's the first time I've ever been told that I've put Kobe on a pedestal....haven't liked the guy since his 2nd season in the league, for much the same reason Jae doesn't like Darko, Kobe's arrogant....regardless of colour or how good the player is, I don't respect arrogance in a player....although I must admit that I did enjoy Nash getting MVP last year as I felt it was a victory for playmakers & PG's....I felt Nash's award last year was as much for guys like Kidd & Stockton as much as it was for himself....the voters sent a message by saying that they valued team basketball....as for Nash winning twice in a row, it doesn't seem right, but if he does win it (it's not guaranteed & I'd laugh if that report was false), then's you can't fault him....I have Dirk, Wade & LBJ above him as MVP's in my books....I can't give the award to Kobe because his team didn't win enough & I don't think he got as much out of his teammates as he could (I think the MVP award should go to a player on a winning team, who is one of top handful of players, having a career year/s, & makes his teammates better)....

I've rambled on, but I can understand how you came to your assumption, it doesn't really have anything to do with Kobe....

[Dro]

Everyone who says Nash is only good because of "the system" is a damn hypocrite. What about Kobe Bryant? He's in a system that allows him to put up 30 shots a game. Does that/should that take away from the AWESOME scorer he is? NO! So why should the system Nash is in take away from the passer and playmaker he is? It shouldn't. That's just a stupid argument brought up by people who disagree with the decision.

Bravo Steve Nash.

[kingtrobe807]

Nash over Kobe for MVP? What a joke


Word leaked Wednesday morning that Steve Nash will be named this year's MVP. While it won't be officially announced for some time, it looks like it's a done deal. And we think it's absurd.

The fact that Steve Nash is going to win the award isn't the problem. The problem is that Kobe Bryant didn't. Honestly, what more could Kobe have done this season to win the MVP? It's a joke. And what makes the whole thing even more outrageous is that his losing out is clearly personal. To be blunt, he didn't win it because the people with the votes just don't like him. And that's a shame.

Heading into this season, if someone asked you to make a list of what Kobe would have to do in the 2005-06 NBA season to win the MVP, what would you have said? Something like that Kobe would have to show that he's the best player in the NBA and he would have to take that god-awful Lakers team to the playoffs — not an easy thing to do in the Western Conference.

So what did Kobe do? Here are three numbers: 81, 62 and 35.4. The 81-point explosion against the Raptors in January completely eclipsed the fact that he gave the Mavericks 62 in just three quarters a few weeks prior. His 35.4 points per game, easily enough to secure him the league's scoring title, was the eighth-highest single-season scoring average in league history and the most since MJ put up 37.1 points per game back in '87. No. 8 put together two separate streaks this season where he scored 40 or more points in four straight games.

Let's be blunt: Kobe Bryant is clearly the best basketball player in the world.

We've said it so many times: Steve Nash's supporting cast includes Shawn Marion (a guy who should have received some MVP attention) and Boris Diaw (potentially the NBA's Most Improved Player).

But if you substituted any other elite NBA shooting guard for Kobe Bryant and kept that same Lakers supporting cast, L.A.'s season would have been very, very different. Is there any doubt that Los Angeles would have finished with a record that was just as abysmal as that of the Knicks, Raptors or Trail Blazers?

Kobe didn't barely get the Lakers to the playoffs, just scraping out the eighth seed. They finished seventh, were firmly entrenched in the playoff picture for much of the year, and their 45-game win total in the West was more than all but four teams in the Eastern Conference. With complimentary pieces like Chris Mihm, Devean George, Brian Cook and Sasha Vujacic surrounding Kobe, 45 wins in the Western Conference is nothing short of a miracle.

So why no love for Kobe? Like we said earlier, it's strictly personal. There's no other explanation. The writers with the votes just don't like him. They're blurring their feelings about Kobe as a person with how they view him as a basketball player.

We've been hearing all year that Kobe shouldn't win the MVP because he "doesn't make the players around him better." We don't necessarily agree, but if that's what we're basing this on, then by all means, give Steve Nash the "Makes Those Around Him Better Award" and be done with it.

Kobe perfectly fits the two criteria that voters traditionally use when deciding on an MVP: he's the best player in the league and he's invaluable to his team.

Kobe Bryant is the NBA's Most Valuable Player.

It's not even close.

Really Great Article.....Maybe Kobe can still be MVP.....

[cyanide]

It's simple english? I think i explained myself properly.

It just looked like an attack on The X by bringing in Kobe where I don't think he even mentioned.

Steve Nash's supporting cast includes Shawn Marion (a guy who should have received some MVP attention) and Boris Diaw (potentially the NBA's Most Improved Player).

what a weak argument. Marion and Diaw's game obviously was elevated due to d'Antoni's system and Nash's play, which doesn't mean his supporting cast was better than say, Miami's.

[The_Flying_Tomato]

to state the obvious, because:
1) he's white
2) he's fun to watch
3) he's not American (to a lesser extent)

well dirk is number 1 and 3, possibly 2. i dunno, i don't watch him.



Sure the suns system makes anyone better, but you obviously have to have somebody running it, you idiots(not anyone in particular*cough*). You can't just throw kobe in that system. He'd absorb it. "My team! Gimme ball!"

Not to mention you got to look at the team that's better. Suns win this series against Lakers, then there's no question.

Also, it's easier to duplicate Kobe than it is for Nash. T-Mac, Carter, Lebron, all these other scorers are up there with Kobe just a step or three ahead. Basically, only Kidd and maybe Paul in some time are the type of player the nash rambler is.

[Donatello]

Also, it's easier to duplicate Kobe than it is for Nash.

Gross, I agree with PHX4LIFE. Pardon me while I vomit.