Y'know, I wanted to talk at length about what happened during the Lakers-Suns series, but I'll do some more reflecting on that first. I had similar thoughts while watching the first Pistons-Cavs game, too, so we'll think that over as well.
But it's now official, and Steve Nash is the MVP this year. While I think Steve is a very upstanding and level-headed guy, I have to admit that having him as back-to-back MVP is a bit misleading as to how good a player he really is.
Is he a good player? Yes.
But should he be the most valuable player in the league? That's debatable.
You see, you can make the argument that you stick any good point guard in the league into where he is right now, and the Suns can do just as well or even better. I could imagine Jason Kidd, Tony Parker, possibly even Mike Bibby and Chris Paul doing about as well as Nash would if they were in his place in the Suns.
To me, when you can be replaced by quite a number of players that handily, and when you look at the team you left (i.e. Dallas.) and see it's flourishing without you, then it casts some shadow of doubt on the cliam that you are the "most valuable" player in the league.
Let's compare him with the other guys who had a lot of MVP talk going around them...
1. Chauncey Billups - Arguably the glue that holds the best team in the league together. He's been amazing this season, and his team looks like a lock in the Finals. Chauncey, unlike Nash, can defend, and that's one of the biggest knocks against Nash.
2. Kobe Bryant - The man scored 81 freaking points in a single game. I don't have to like him to respect that. Frankly, I hate Kobe, but I know for a fact that this man tried his damned best to be deemed worthy of MVP honors this year. Nobody was expecting his team to go into the playoffs, much less take the Suns all the way to Game 7.
3. Lebron James - Like Kobe, I firmly believe you can't replace this guy in Cleveland with anyone and expect the same results... unless you replace him with Kobe. I know Steve Kerr loves to fellate him on his sugary commentary about James, but Steve has a valid point: The Cavs are having a breakout year, and most of the credit has to go to Lebron.
4. Dirk Nowitzki - The man can shoot, can now defend, and rebounds well on the side. He can do it all, and he is definitely the best player in the Dallas roster. There is, in my mind, only one man who could substitute for him in the entire league, and he's also in this list.
5. Elton Brand - Leaps and bounds better than he ever was, and is the man I'm talking about. Despite being undersized at the 4 position, he is by no means a pushover, although a case can be made for his improvement being sharply aided by the presence of the veteran Sam Cassell. Regardless, he's had an amazing year, and has finally silenced the critics of the erstwhile whipping boys, the Clippers.
6. Tim Duncan - Still as solid as ever, and only his injuries really hampered him from having what could arguably have been the best year of his career. Still, despite playing hurt most of the time, did his numbers suffer? I wouldn't think so, and I would say that he had an amazing year, and if I weren't a Dallas fan, I'd root for San Antonio all the way. Then again, maybe not. I like Phoenix better. =P
In my mind, you select any one of these six guys, and nobody in their right mind would challenge such a choice two decades from now. On the other hand, ten years from now and some fan looks into the record books and finds that Steve Nash was not only MVP once, but twice, and they'd ask, as I would ask, what the voters were smoking.
It's not that Nash is a bad player. Heck, I like the guy. He's fun to watch, he's a white guy who can play like Magic Johnson, and all in all, he is just phenomenal. But to label him as the MVP this year is a bit absurd when you have those six other choices I listed above.
Somewhere out there, John Stockton is shaking his fist at his television screen, demanding to know where his MVP titles are.
.:Let's Talk Pro Wrestling:.
If Edge is the Rated R superstar, then Paul Burchill is the Rated Yarr! Superstar...
I know, it's corny. =P
But moments like these kinda ruin my suspension of disbelief in pro wrestling:
Sting was so unbelievably open to counters I couldn't even understand what his opponent was doing there. I mean, seriously. Couldn't Jeff Jarett have done, this?
Ah, well.
Can't wait for ECW to come back, though. Heard a lot of good stuff about it.
And rumors of a backstage fight between Booker T and Batista are all over the net. Over what? No idea.
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