Do you think Nash still has a chance to win the MVP Award?

[Covert Rain]

Forgive me for my choice of words then. I chose not to use the word "majority" because I didn't think that to be the case. I merely meant a larger portion than I would expect.

Fair enough.

 

[dodie53]

imo, dirk will win the mvp this year..

but i would like to see nash and dirk winning it both..
co-mvps!

 

[Lorenzo]

True, but the Mavericks were favored in the finals as well, especially once they won the first two games.

the mavs completely owned the heat too as they dropped the heat in both reg. season games. and at the end of the 4th qtr in game 3.....it looked the same. Then D-wade started to play like mike.....with shaq commanding a double team at the 5. and remember the heat had little trouble with detroit as well.

 

[Lorenzo]

Yeah but swallowing airborne cow dung particles is no step up in quality.



You have made some homerish comments but that is OK. I wouldn't expect anything less. I just have fun countering those comments. It's not personel. It's all in good fun. Besides Mav fans (maybe not you) are some of the most defensive fans I have ever met. It's like you say something about Dirk or the Mavs and you just stole their first born.

I admit though, I love getting a rise out of some of them that show up here.

well i know. But that isn't usually the case in texas unless their is a huge dairy farm in the area. I've been all around texas and those farms are usually in rural areas. The only big town i know that has a dairy farm very close is amarillo. If you stop along the 40....30 miles west of the town. Well... just don't do it. Most of texas is good.....cow dung free..... fresh air though. although you might find some polluted smog in dfw/houston like you see in phoenix.
I'm a mavs homer. You are a suns homer......what's to expect. I still try my best to be truthful to myself. The mavs are having a great season and they are favored right now. But i know S.A., Phoenix, and Utah, are all major threats.

 

[Lorenzo]

There's no way to prove this obviously, but I just have to disagree. The team was simply not ready and experienced enough to beat San Antonio that year. They led every game (I think) going into the fourth quarter and got killed in the fourth (except for game 4). The only game the Suns won against San Antonio in the regular season was a game when Duncan and Manu didn't play, and they still barely won that game. The Spurs had a huge mental edge on the Suns and there was no way the Suns would've won that series. The single game the Suns won was extremely close and could've gone either way. It was still a great win though.

In addition, I do think the Suns had a good chance to beat the Mavs last year fully healthy, but I just don't see any reason to assume that the Suns would've won had Raja been healthy. It would've gone 7 games for sure though.

I'm not responding only to your post. I agree that a healthy raja would not have been the complete difference. I also don't necessarily agree that it would've gone 7 games for sure. The game 6 loss reminded me alot of a game 6 loss the mavs had against the spurs in the WC finals a few years back.
There are a lot of ways to look at the whole scenario. Obviously if amare played last year in the playoffs at the level he was playing the year before, it would've been much tougher for the mavs. It would've taken a 7th game much simular to what you saw in the 2nd round against S.A. Just my opinion. I think Steel Dog said you can't disprove that the suns would not have won because those players didn't play. Well you can't disprove that the mavs would not have won either(if those players were healthy). S.A. defeated the suns in 5 games, despite amare playing as well as he ever has. and the suns played above average offensively in most of those games if i remember correctly. Dallas did what they had to do last year......and limited a lot of the easy transition points that the suns typically get. of corse after the first game. Marion i thought was hurt by that as well. All that can be proven is that the mavs beat the suns last year and the spurs the year before. It is yet to be proven that phoenix can get out of the WC with or without an injured player. The top teams in the west play well against phoenix....and this year phoenix has struggled to beat them. A lot will be proven come playoff time. All of the talk is dallas then phoenix. but don't discount S.A. and utah. Those are two teams that can beat dallas and phoenix.

 

[Covert Rain]

I'm a mavs homer. You are a suns homer......what's to expect. I still try my best to be truthful to myself. The mavs are having a great season and they are favored right now. But i know S.A., Phoenix, and Utah, are all major threats.

Well I am a Suns fan and I am not afraid to point out the Suns weaknesses. I criticise my team all the time when need be. Most fans I have run into this board think Dirk is god and the Mavs are the best team to ever take the court. Again not directed at you but they have hardly been objective.

I'm not responding only to your post. I agree that a healthy raja would not have been the complete difference. I also don't necessarily agree that it would've gone 7 games for sure. The game 6 loss reminded me alot of a game 6 loss the mavs had against the spurs in the WC finals a few years back. There are a lot of ways to look at the whole scenario. Obviously if amare played last year in the playoffs at the level he was playing the year before, it would've been much tougher for the mavs. It would've taken a 7th game much simular to what you saw in the 2nd round against S.A. Just my opinion. I think Steel Dog said you can't disprove that the suns would not have won because those players didn't play. Well you can't disprove that the mavs would not have won either(if those players were healthy). S.A. defeated the suns in 5 games, despite amare playing as well as he ever has. and the suns played above average offensively in most of those games if i remember correctly. Dallas did what they had to do last year......and limited a lot of the easy transition points that the suns typically get. of corse after the first game. Marion i thought was hurt by that as well. All that can be proven is that the mavs beat the suns last year and the spurs the year before. It is yet to be proven that phoenix can get out of the WC with or without an injured player. The top teams in the west play well against phoenix....and this year phoenix has struggled to beat them. A lot will be proven come playoff time. All of the talk is dallas then phoenix. but don't discount S.A. and utah. Those are two teams that can beat dallas and phoenix.

I think the one thing that would have made a huge difference last year is that the free throw line desparity was huge for the Mavs. With Amare that would not have happened. To put it in perspective, take 2/3'rd of the Mavs starters out of that series and you can see why people said we would have beat the Mavs. Would a could a should a. Bottom line is we didn't beat the Mavs. Bottom line is the Mavs got worked in the finals. It's all about this year.

 

[elindholm]

LOL, six consecutive posts by people on my Ignore list. That might be a new record.

 

[Covert Rain]

LOL, six consecutive posts by people on my Ignore list. That might be a new record.

Quite an accomplishment.

 

[Lorenzo]

LOL, six consecutive posts by people on my Ignore list. That might be a new record.

well......why advertise it. i thought you are ignoring.

 

[azirish]

What's the fun in that?

 

[Nasser22]

Just had a dream that Nash drew a charge on Shaq and Shaq fell on him, taking him out for the rest of the season. I need a break from the Suns I think...heh.

 

[sunsfn]

[FONT=Tahoma, Arial, Verdana][SIZE=+2]HoopsHype.com Articles[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma, Arial, Verdana]Nash should three-peat as NBA MVP[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]by Marc Narducci / March 9, 2007[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

You must be registered for see images

[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash arguably is having his best season which is saying something sime he happens to be the two-time defending MVP.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Nash was a deserving recipient the previous two years, so what should that say about his chances this year? While Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki should receive serious consideration for being the leader of the NBA’s best team, it’s would be hard to knock Nash off the MVP perch.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Even though there is roughly one-quarter of the regular season remaining, if the MVP voting were done now, Nash should three-peat with the NBA’s top individual honor.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Of all the statistics, the one that is the most compelling is 2-4, as in the Suns record in games Nash hasn’t played in this season.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]At this writing, Nash was averaging 19.2 points, 11.7 assists, 3.7 turnovers and was shooting 53.4 percent from the field, 88.6 percent from the foul line and 48.1 percent from three-point range.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Nash’s assist average is more than two per game higher than his nearest competitor and his three-point percentage trailed only Miami’s Jason Kapono. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Compare those statistics to his two previous MVP NBA seasons. In 2004-05 Nash averaged 15.5 points, 11.5 assists, 3.3 turnovers and shot 50.2 percent from the field, 88.7 percent from the foul line and 43.1 percent from beyond the arc.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Last season he averaged 18.8 points, 10.5 assists, 3.5 turnovers and shot 51.2 percent from the field, 92.1 percent from the foul line and 43.9 percent from beyond the arc.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Of the three seasons, he is averaging more points and assists and shooting a higher percentage from the field and from three-point range this year.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]So if he is playing better this year and nobody is outperforming him, then Nash should be the hands-down winner. There are some old hard-line voters who will point out that only three players in the history of the game have won three consecutive MVPs and that Nash doesn’t belong in that class.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The three three-timers to win the award since it was presented in 1955-56 are Bill Russell (1960-61, 1961-62 and 1962-63), Wilt Chamberlain (1965-66, 1966-67 and 1967-68) and Larry Bird (1983-84, 1984-85 and 1985-86).[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson never won more than two in a row. All-timers Oscar Robertson and Julius Erving only won the award once apiece. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]There will be some who suggest that if Jordan didn’t win three in a row, how could Nash? That’s utter nonsense. Nobody is saying Steve Nash is better than Jordan, or the Big O or any of the other all-time greats. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]What happened with Jordan’s voting should have no bearing on Nash. If he is having the best season three years running, that’s the way it goes. And Nash should be justly rewarded for it.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The best argument for Nash is that he makes others around him better. Raja Bell is averaging a career high 15 points per game. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]All-stars Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion, great players in their own right, are both shooting well above 50 percent and part of that is that Nash gets his teammates easy baskets.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Oh, and another reason Nash should be the MVP is that Phoenix is again among the top teams in the league. Currently, only Dallas has a better winning percentage.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Which brings us to Nowitzki, who might be the best shooting 7-footer in NBA history. He is averaging 25.3 points and 9.6 rebounds while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 42-5 percent from beyond the arc and 90.7 percent from the foul line. Nowitzki’s assist to turnover ratio of 3.5 to 2.07 is below average.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]He has been the best player on the best team and like Nash, has played a role in helping make his teammates better, just not as big as one.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Nowitzki is averaging about a point per game less than last year, but he hasn’t had to score as much because his teammates are better. He is also averaging 36.8 minutes, not overly high, but one reason is because Dallas has often won convincingly, allowing coach Avery Johnson to clear his bench.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If he won the award over Nash, it would be no means be a travesty. Nowitzki has strong MVP credentials, but Nash’s MVP resume is more complete.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]As for the other candidates, both come from the Western Conference, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, who has never won the award, and two-time winner Tim Duncan of San Antonio.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Bryant has sacrificed shots for the betterment of the team and is playing a strong all-around game. Duncan might be the least heralded future Hall of Famer.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]As for other players, Cleveland’s LeBron James, the preseason favorite according to this reporter, has been inconsistent and his foul shooting has become a source of concern. Actually the top player from the Eastern Conference this year might be Toronto’s Chris Bosh (22.4 ppg., 10.3 rpg.). [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Still, unless he get injured or his production and team’s win total falls dramatically, Nash is playing at a high enough level to earn his third straight Maurice Podoloff Trophy. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Marc Narducci covers the NBA for The Philadelphia Inquirer and is a frequent contributor to HoopsHype.com.[/FONT]

 

[Lorenzo]

[FONT=Tahoma, Arial, Verdana][SIZE=+2]HoopsHype.com Articles[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma, Arial, Verdana]Nash should three-peat as NBA MVP[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]by Marc Narducci / March 9, 2007[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

You must be registered for see images

[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash arguably is having his best season which is saying something sime he happens to be the two-time defending MVP.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Nash was a deserving recipient the previous two years, so what should that say about his chances this year? While Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki should receive serious consideration for being the leader of the NBA’s best team, it’s would be hard to knock Nash off the MVP perch.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Even though there is roughly one-quarter of the regular season remaining, if the MVP voting were done now, Nash should three-peat with the NBA’s top individual honor.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Of all the statistics, the one that is the most compelling is 2-4, as in the Suns record in games Nash hasn’t played in this season.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]At this writing, Nash was averaging 19.2 points, 11.7 assists, 3.7 turnovers and was shooting 53.4 percent from the field, 88.6 percent from the foul line and 48.1 percent from three-point range.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Nash’s assist average is more than two per game higher than his nearest competitor and his three-point percentage trailed only Miami’s Jason Kapono. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Compare those statistics to his two previous MVP NBA seasons. In 2004-05 Nash averaged 15.5 points, 11.5 assists, 3.3 turnovers and shot 50.2 percent from the field, 88.7 percent from the foul line and 43.1 percent from beyond the arc.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Last season he averaged 18.8 points, 10.5 assists, 3.5 turnovers and shot 51.2 percent from the field, 92.1 percent from the foul line and 43.9 percent from beyond the arc.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Of the three seasons, he is averaging more points and assists and shooting a higher percentage from the field and from three-point range this year.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]So if he is playing better this year and nobody is outperforming him, then Nash should be the hands-down winner. There are some old hard-line voters who will point out that only three players in the history of the game have won three consecutive MVPs and that Nash doesn’t belong in that class.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The three three-timers to win the award since it was presented in 1955-56 are Bill Russell (1960-61, 1961-62 and 1962-63), Wilt Chamberlain (1965-66, 1966-67 and 1967-68) and Larry Bird (1983-84, 1984-85 and 1985-86).[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson never won more than two in a row. All-timers Oscar Robertson and Julius Erving only won the award once apiece. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]There will be some who suggest that if Jordan didn’t win three in a row, how could Nash? That’s utter nonsense. Nobody is saying Steve Nash is better than Jordan, or the Big O or any of the other all-time greats. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]What happened with Jordan’s voting should have no bearing on Nash. If he is having the best season three years running, that’s the way it goes. And Nash should be justly rewarded for it.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The best argument for Nash is that he makes others around him better. Raja Bell is averaging a career high 15 points per game. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]All-stars Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion, great players in their own right, are both shooting well above 50 percent and part of that is that Nash gets his teammates easy baskets.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Oh, and another reason Nash should be the MVP is that Phoenix is again among the top teams in the league. Currently, only Dallas has a better winning percentage.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Which brings us to Nowitzki, who might be the best shooting 7-footer in NBA history. He is averaging 25.3 points and 9.6 rebounds while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 42-5 percent from beyond the arc and 90.7 percent from the foul line. Nowitzki’s assist to turnover ratio of 3.5 to 2.07 is below average.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]He has been the best player on the best team and like Nash, has played a role in helping make his teammates better, just not as big as one.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Nowitzki is averaging about a point per game less than last year, but he hasn’t had to score as much because his teammates are better. He is also averaging 36.8 minutes, not overly high, but one reason is because Dallas has often won convincingly, allowing coach Avery Johnson to clear his bench.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If he won the award over Nash, it would be no means be a travesty. Nowitzki has strong MVP credentials, but Nash’s MVP resume is more complete.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]As for the other candidates, both come from the Western Conference, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, who has never won the award, and two-time winner Tim Duncan of San Antonio.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Bryant has sacrificed shots for the betterment of the team and is playing a strong all-around game. Duncan might be the least heralded future Hall of Famer.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]As for other players, Cleveland’s LeBron James, the preseason favorite according to this reporter, has been inconsistent and his foul shooting has become a source of concern. Actually the top player from the Eastern Conference this year might be Toronto’s Chris Bosh (22.4 ppg., 10.3 rpg.). [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Still, unless he get injured or his production and team’s win total falls dramatically, Nash is playing at a high enough level to earn his third straight Maurice Podoloff Trophy. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Marc Narducci covers the NBA for The Philadelphia Inquirer and is a frequent contributor to HoopsHype.com.[/FONT]

so is the article comparing nash to last season to justify why he should win. If nash is the best player this year, then he deserves it regardless of what happened in the past. the suns don't seem to be playing as well as they should at the moment. we'll see how the rest of the season goes.

 

[Lorenzo]

SPECIAL WEEKEND EDITION Who's first in second trimester?

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By Marc Stein
ESPN.com


Editor's note: ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein supplies each item for this around-the-league notebook edition of the Daily Dime.

Dividing the NBA season into thirds like a pregnancy or a three-term school year always has been the preference at Stein Line HQ. But there's a hiccup in the system.
Teams generally reach the 54-game mark right around the trade deadline, forcing us to delay our Second Trimester Report one week, which puts most clubs closer to 60 games.
Yet I suspect you'll get over all that pretty quickly and happily focus on how the award races look entering the regular-season stretch run.
West MVP of the Second Trimester

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Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
I used to think Steve Nash couldn't win a third successive MVP because too many voters would refuse to put him in an exclusive club that has only other three other members: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird.
But that's not so. You hear more in-season support for Nash as an MVP now than you heard in either of the previous two seasons.
If Nash fails to join Russell, Chamberlain and Bird as just the fourth three-in-a-row MVP in league history, it'll only be because his old buddy denies him.
From here? You absolutely have to favor Nowitzki to do just that. The German has to be leading this two-man race thanks to his consistent delivery -- and, somehow, his ongoing improvement after almost a decade in the league -- throughout the Mavericks' surge to 35 wins in their past 37 games.
Six times in his last 11 outings, Nowitzki suddenly has dished off for at least six assists. Four times in Dallas' 10-0 February, Nowitzki rumbled for at least 30 points and 10 boards.
You have to play at a ridiculously efficient level to trump Nash's offensive production. Nowitzki merely is shooting better than 50 percent from the field, better than 40 percent from 3-point range and better than 90 percent from the free-throw line, all while emerging as a better fourth-quarter player than he's ever been before. The regular season belongs to Dallas and, barring some sort of hard-to-fathom fold, Nowitzki officially should be the MVP at the end of the third trimester as well. Don't be surprised, furthermore, if Nash is the loudest of Dirk's campaign managers.

 

[Lorenzo]

another thing to check out.... who stein has emerging as the sixth man candidate.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-070303-04

 

[Chaplin]

another thing to check out.... who stein has emerging as the sixth man candidate.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-070303-04

IF Manu remains on the bench the rest of the season, there's no question his statistics bear out his reasons for being chosen as 6th Man of the Year. But I think it is a travesty that he is a FORMER STARTER and he may win the award with that kind of background.

LB has never been a full-time starter and has done all his damage this season from the bench. Manu may be a better "sixth man" for 2/3 of the season, but LB has been at or near the top for the ENTIRE season.

 

[jbeecham]

If you're going to post articles then you need to put a link to the article in your post.

 

[jbeecham]

Whose actually been starting over Manu? I can't see anyone thinking that Finley or Barry are better players than Manu. Manu should be starting and I really don't know why he's not. The only think I can think of is that their bench scoring hasn't been very good so he moved to the bench to help that, but changing substitution patterns sounds like a better solution than moving Manu to the bench. Maybe Manu was tired of never being an all-star or getting any awards or recognition???

 

[Chaplin]

Whose actually been starting over Manu? I can't see anyone thinking that Finley or Barry are better players than Manu. Manu should be starting and I really don't know why he's not. The only think I can think of is that their bench scoring hasn't been very good so he moved to the bench to help that, but changing substitution patterns sounds like a better solution than moving Manu to the bench. Maybe Manu was tired of never being an all-star or getting any awards or recognition???

They've won 11 games in a row. Moving Manu to the bench is looking like a genius coaching move by Pop.

 

[jbeecham]

They've won 11 games in a row. Moving Manu to the bench is looking like a genius coaching move by Pop.

Manu's been playing off the bench for a long time now. I just agree with your post earlier that said it's crazy to give the award to a starter whose choosing to come off the bench while an inferior player starts in his place.

 

[Lorenzo]

Manu's been playing off the bench for a long time now. I just agree with your post earlier that said it's crazy to give the award to a starter whose choosing to come off the bench while an inferior player starts in his place.

If they don't keep manu coming off of the bench....then he shouldn't win it. If this lasts thruout the rest of the year....then maybe.

 

[azirish]

Sixth man of the year has always been an "odd" deal. It gets pretty arbitrary when guys play part of the time as a starter. How much is enough?

 

[arwillan]

Sixth man of the year has always been an "odd" deal. It gets pretty arbitrary when guys play part of the time as a starter. How much is enough?

they should have a required amount of games that you have to have as a non-starter in order to get 6th man. if you played part of the season as a starter, then ofc your numbers will look better than someone who didnt.

 

[Chaplin]

they should have a required amount of games that you have to have as a non-starter in order to get 6th man. if you played part of the season as a starter, then ofc your numbers will look better than someone who didnt.

They do. That's why they're saying if Manu plays off the bench the rest of the season, he'll be eligible. But if he starts a few games between now and then, he won't be.

 

[elindholm]

I don't think Ginobili will win Sixth Man. The criteria are so subjective that it gives voters too much leeway to play personal preferences. Ginobili is the league's most despised flopper, whereas Gordon has won the award already and still seems to be something of a malcontent. Barbosa is the feel-good story, so my money is on him.