Who is the best pg ever to wear a Suns uni?

[JCSunsfan]

For a long time, Suns old-timers have been die hards about KJ. So this question is, as of now, based upon what we know, not potential, and not just considering their Sun's years but rather whole career--who is the best?

 

[az1965]

I loved KJ and his drives to the basket but he lacked defense and 3 pt range. Nash's defense is also not that great but he is a better distributor. Even though Kidd is considered one of the top point guards, I think Kidd era was one of the most boring of Phx Suns as far as I'm concerned. It was so boring at times that I actually stopped following Suns for stretches. So...

Nash
KJ
Kidd

 

[hsandhu]

Even though I love Nash, and he has 2 MVP's, it's just hard to say anyone is better than KJ just because he is who I grew up with. KJ is the phoenix suns.

 

[Chaplin]

I don't get why KJ gets slammed for his defense. He wasn't a stopper by any means, but he was a good defensive player. People forget that Michael Jordan was slowed down in the 93 Finals not by Dan Majerle, but by KJ.

 

[basketballfan]

I don't get why KJ gets slammed for his defense. He wasn't a stopper by any means, but he was a good defensive player. People forget that Michael Jordan was slowed down in the 93 Finals not by Dan Majerle, but by KJ.

You're exactly right. In that triple overtime game, it took Jordan 40 something shots to score 40, and that was the game they decided to put KJ on him.

 

[Louis]

So far KJ. With KJ the Suns played in the Finals.

Plus look at his career stats. Unbelievable.

Nash is a two time MVP, but has yet to get the Suns over the WCF hump.

 

[Chaz]

So far KJ. With KJ the Suns played in the Finals.

Plus look at his career stats. Unbelievable.

Nash is a two time MVP, but has yet to get the Suns over the WCF hump.

Yea, but KJ only got them to the WCF before Barkley got here.




I can't choose one over the others. They are all great and all different.


I think Kidd should have been the MVP one year with Phoenix. He was Mr. Everything.

 

[Cheesebeef]

You're exactly right. In that triple overtime game, it took Jordan 40 something shots to score 40, and that was the game they decided to put KJ on him.

and then he torched him for 55 in the next game. It's kind of silly to say ANYONE slowed down Jordan in that series - Majerle or KJ - he averaged 42 for the duration - the highest amount of any Finals he ever played in.

What makes me shake my head is the belief that KJ wasn't a distributor - the guy averaged 9.1 dimes per game for his career and when healthy early in his career, put up 20 and 10 with seasonal regularity, accomplishing that feat for four straight seasons.

it's tough to say who's better but at this point, they're probably equals in my eye, although Nash's continued brilliance and eye popping game in the clutch and in the playoffs has actually started to push him in front of KJ, which is something I would have never thought I'd say.

 

[jbeecham]

Unfortunately I didn't move to AZ and become a Suns fan until after the KJ era (99-00) so I had to vote for Nash.

 

[JCSunsfan]

and then he torched him for 55 in the next game. It's kind of silly to say ANYONE slowed down Jordan in that series - Majerle or KJ - he averaged 42 for the duration - the highest amount of any Finals he ever played in.

What makes me shake my head is the belief that KJ wasn't a distributor - the guy averaged 9.1 dimes per game for his career and when healthy early in his career, put up 20 and 10 with seasonal regularity, accomplishing that feat for four straight seasons.

I think the reason for saying this is because of the way KJ got his assists. Typically, he would come down along the right elbow, then stop and pop, or turn on the after-burner toward the rim. He would get up in the air and either lay it up or dish it off to whoever was moving toward the hoop. He did the same thing over and over again.

Nash is much more creative. He moves the ball around so much better than KJ did, and he gets more people involved that KJ did.

These three are all hall-of-fame worthy (but I don't think KJ will make it) and they were so different.

For me, at this point, I give Nash the nod--but boy is it close.

 

[JCSunsfan]

BTW, that year when we had Kidd, Nash as a rooke, and KJ coming out of retirement---had to be the best pg rotation on any team in the history of basketball on the planet.

 

[abomb]

Although I am a Lakers fan, I would probably put KJ slightly ahead of Nash. I also think KJ's Suns teams probably did more with less talent than the current Suns.

 

[krispydude]

tough decision. i use to have KJ shoes when i was like 10 but nash is more complete i think.

 

[BC867]

I take Nash over KJ, not because he's here-and-now. But because Kevin was a shoot-first PG. Especially with the game on the line. His hogging the ball, and getting blocked, was predictable.

He also antagonized Barkley, rather than form a tandem for the good of the team. As outrageous as the Chuckster's personality and comments were (...are...), he handled it much more maturely than KJ at the time.

Nash, on the other hand (and even Kidd more than Kevin Johnson) are passers and do a better job of getting their teammates involved in the offense.

 

[az1965]

So far KJ. With KJ the Suns played in the Finals.

Two words: Charles Barkley

 

[BC867]

With KJ the Suns played in the Finals.

In '75-'76, guards Paul Westphal and Ricky Sobers (who replaced the injured Dick VanArsdale) played in the Finals with the Suns, too.

But that didn't make any of them the best Point Guard in Suns history.

 

[zett]

KJ was probably my favorite player of all time, but I remember him finishing game winners or going to the free throw line to win alot more games, then games where his shot was blocked. He was predictable but couldn't be stopped very often usually he was fouled and no call was made, or some times just ran out of gas.

But, since Nash is going to win his 3rd MVP in a row and take us to our 1st championship in history, He has it!

 

[Tank]

I had to go with Kidd, simply because it was when he came over that I became a diehard Suns fan.

I was only a moderate before that...

 

[basketballfan]

Two words: Charles Barkley

Two Words: Richard Dumas He was my boy though!

 

[Cheesebeef]

I had to go with Kidd, simply because it was when he came over that I became a diehard Suns fan.

I was only a moderate before that...

I think Kidd was the "superstar" that I hated the most as a Sun. He was about as over-rated as they get when he played on those awfully boring one and done Suns.

 

[TucsonDevil]

Is this a real question? NASH has revitalized the League!!!! KJ was good, but not a Hall-of-Famer - Nash is walking in on the red carpet!!! I can't believe the amount of people that think it is close.

For the record, I began watching the Suns closely around 83-84, so I saw all of KJ - he was great. He also had a couple of other All-Stars with him his entire career, so he never got us to the WCF on his own. I could argue that Nash got the Suns to the WCF on his own last year!

Folks, take a step back... I know it is cool to say "I have always been a Suns fan... back in the day..." blah, blah, blah. I think that is where most of this KJ love is based - if you don't appreciate KJ, then you never watched the Suns. How many MVP votes did KJ ever receive? Nash wasn't a huge deal in Dallas like he is now - so you can't say that he was as popular as Barkley and that helped in voting when his numbers went up the first year with the Suns.

One last thing. Kidd beat his wife - he plead guilty to domestic abuse. He doesn't deserve recognition for his efforts in my book - I am trying to forget those years (except for the inbound pass to Chapman to hit the running three in the playoffs)

 

[Treesquid PhD]

KJ is the great nostalgic choice, but Nash is a far better player, sorry.

KJ was a great scorer but never hit the clutch shots Nash has.

 

[BillsCarnage]

I think Kidd was the "superstar" that I hated the most as a Sun. He was about as over-rated as they get when he played on those awfully boring one and done Suns.

Agree 110%. I loathed Kidd and never saw the "superstar" quality in him. I never thought he that "it" to lead a team to a title - unless he gravy trains it.

But, back to the poll questions... I have to go w/ KJ. Kidd did it for five years, Nash for two (going on three). However, KJ did it for 10yrs. I think Parker is a good comparison of todays PG's to KJ.

The Barkley teams had that cockiness that they were the best team in the NBA and it was a blast to watch, but in the PO's there was always someone a shot better.

This team doesn't have that cockiness that the Barkley teams had. It's a mentality and they still view the Spurs as the better team, IMO.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Agree 110%. I loathed Kidd and never saw the "superstar" quality in him. I never thought he that "it" to lead a team to a title - unless he gravy trains it.

it's interesting to me to think about Kidd and Nash because their careers have taken similar trajectories - both were traded off their first teams, then went on to be very good, but not GREAT players/leaders with their second teams and then, when they got to their respective 3rd teams, both REALLY matured into MVP type players. I remember HATING Kidd the year after he left because it looked like he finally "got it" - the ability to take over a game, make the big shot, lead his team - sure, he was playing in the East, but I saw him doing things with that Nets team that I NEVER saw him do with the Suns. Now, we have Nash, who before he got here, never established himself as anything but an All-Star PG, but he wasn't known for us his clutch shooting and certainly wasn't a superstar, but WHAM! He gets on a new team and all of sudden, the guy is the re-incarnation of Bob Freaking Cousy. I think it's why you see Mavs fans come on here and bag on him so much - he never did the type of stuff with us that he did for them. I can empathize when they bitch because I used to do the same thing with Kidd. The more impressive thing though is that Nash is doing what he's doing in the West, whereas I already stated, Kidd did all of his damage in the piss poor LEastern Conference. That's why Nash got the MVP 2x and Kidd was merely a runner-up and mentionable.

 

[Big D]

Well as far as the original question goes and looking at their entire respective careers, I say it's Kidd. Kidd is the better all around player when you take defense into consideration, and his offensive numbers are better than Nash's and right there with KJ's as far as career ppg, apg, and he blows them both away in rpg. As fars as career totals, Kidd again blows away both guys in assists and rebounds, and his points are right there with KJ. Steals and blocks are not even worth comparing, Kidd is on a whole different level there.

Throw in the fact that he has made it to the Finals twice, albeit from the lesser conference, (well actually the West was the considered the lesser conf in '93 when KJ made it) and the co ROY, All NBA, all NBA defensive and Olympic honors and I think that pretty much seals it for J Kidd.

Now looking at them as Suns, I would think the nod would have to go to KJ just for longevity alone. Nash probably has had the best 2 (going on 3) year run of any pg in history let alone any Sun and has the MVPs to prove it, so Kidd finshes up behind both of them as far as what they did in a Suns uni. Interesting topic and opinions.