Getting a Little Nashty

After watching Steve Nash dismantle the Spurs with one eye, I couldn't help but start to think about the greatness of Steve Nash.  Year after year, the Suns have been eliminated by the Spurs and it was great to finally see the Suns beat the Spurs and move onto the Western Conference Finals.  Though the Suns are overmatched in their upcoming series against the Lakers, I think it is necessary to take a look at Nash and his career before losing sight of how great he is when the Lakers begin to dominate the Suns.

Since becoming a member of the Suns in 2004, Nash has been the team's point guard and consumate leader.  The Suns would be absolutely nothing without Nash and everyone in the league knows it.  Even with every team trying to slow him down, Nash has put together some of the most ridiculous statistical seasons of all-time as a Sun including two MVP seasons and five seasons averaging more than ten assists.  Now there are obviously skeptics who claim that Nash's success was solely based on the run-and-gun system Mike D'Antoni implemented in Phoenix and his two MVP seasons were flukes.  These skeptics need to look no further than this past season to truly understand the greatness of Steve Nash.

With new coach Alvin Gentry, the Suns have slowed down and become more of a half-court team.  The Suns are no longer looking to get a shot up within the first six seconds of their possessions and they are no longer focusing on offense only.  The Suns have become a complete team in every sense of the word.  Sure there will still be times when you see Steve Nash through a pass the length of the floor for a slashing Grant Hill or you will see Nash pull up for a three in transition, but for the most part you will see Nash walk the ball up the floor and enter into the offense.

Even with this slower approach, Nash was still able to have a good season statistically (16.5 PPG, 11.0 APG) and lead his team to the third spot in the Western Conference playoffs.  His leadership is what I believe sets him apart from other point guards in the league.  After Suns GM Steve Kerr made the absolutely horrendous decision of attempting to become tougher by adding Shaquille O'Neal last year, many people would not have blamed Nash for being upset and asking for the first ticket out of Phoenix, but that isn't in Nash's DNA.  Nash is exceedingly loyal and would never think of leaving Phoenix.  Instead of whining and complaining, he toughed it out and remained the leader of a team that suddenly has the best chemistry in the league (Chemistry example).  There aren't many superstars in this league that would be okay with only playing THREE minutes in the fourth quarter of a road playoff game just so a bench player (Goran Dragic) could stay in the game and continue his hot shooting. (In fact, this same thing occurred in the Game 2 of the Lakers-Jazz series and C.J. Miles had a hot shooting fourth quarter and Jerry Sloan brought Deron Williams back in the game and put Miles back on the bench.)

While averaging both a high number of assists and points, Nash remains one of the most efficient players of all-time.  Larry Bird and Steve Nash are the only two players in NBA history to shoot 90% from the free throw line, 50% from the field, and 40% from the three point line in a season.  Nash has now done it FOUR times.  That is absolutely ridiculous.  Nash doesn't take shots he shouldn't take and knows the shots that he can make.  Also, his 90% FT shooting makes him indispensable at the end of games because he can knock down the big shot to give your team the lead and, once your team has the lead, he is able to seal a victory with his phenomenal free throw shooting.

All of these reasons are why I believe Nash is the best point guard in the NBA.  Many people believe that Chris Paul or Deron Williams deserve that distinction, but though both of them are great players, I'm not sure either of them have learned how to lead a team like Nash yet.  (Williams is much closer than Paul.  You would have never seen Nash quit on his coach like Paul did with Byron Scott in the past two years.)  Neither of these guys are as efficient as Nash, either and their shot selection can be questioned at time.  For example, though Williams is thick and powerful, he took a contested jumper against the Lakers in Game 3 and you have to question why he didn't take the ball to the basket with a smaller Derek Fisher guarding him.

With a 36-year-old body and over 1000 games played, Nash might not have many seasons left.  Whether or not you agree with my position, just take some time and watch him play.  I'm sure you won't regret it.