Steve Nash collected his 2nd MVP trophy yesterday, receiving 57 first place votes, more than double the 22 of his closest competitor. That was Kobe, who, despite having the 2nd-most 1st place votes, come in 4th in the balloting. 22 of the 125 voters left Kobe off their ballots completely, which means there are 22 people who should no longer be allowed to vote.
We’ve gone into detail about it before, and there’s no need to re-hash it all again. But I don’t think that the Suns beating the Lakers, a majestic 2-seed over 7-seed triumph, validates Nash’s selection over Kobe Bryant, whatsoever. I have believed, and still do, that the Suns put up amazing offensive numbers primarily because of the system in which they play. Diaw’s numbers are great because of the system. Marion’s numbers are great because of the system. Tim Thomas even seems great because of the system.
That’s not to say that Nash doesn’t have anything to do with it; obviously, he does. He’s a great point guard. The best pure distributor in the NBA. They were discussing on SportsCenter yesterday whether or not Nash is a hall-of-famer, and I’d say yes. Maybe he doesn’t have the longevity quite yet, but he’s certainly on that path. I do think Nash is great. I do not think he is the MVP.
Anyway, elsewhere in the voting… LeBron James officially finished 2nd with 688 points to Nash’s 924, Dirk Nowitzki was 3rd with 544, Kobe Bryant 4th with 483, and Chauncey Billups 5th with 430. After that, there was a major drop-off, to Dwyane Wade with 87 points, and Elton Brand with 50; Brand being the only guy outside of the Top 5 to get a 1st place vote. Tim Duncan got two 2nd-place votes to finish behind Brand. Tony Parker got a third-place vote, and four 5ths, while Allen Iverson (?) and Shawn Marion had one 5th place vote each.
asum Says:
May 8th, 2006 at 12:26 am
No, Kobe turtling in Game 7 validates him not being the MVP. Not only is that not something an MVP should do, it’s not something any NBA player should do. Whether it’s because he just plain sucks, or because he was trying to “prove a point” (I and most Laker fans and other observers are leaning toward the latter, which is FAR worse, especially for a supposed “REAL MVP”), it was a pathetic display. I guess people like you and Bill Simmons will keep trying to validate what was just a bad contrarian pick in spite of the fact that Kobe tanked a GAME SEVEN about as badly as he could short of intentionally elbowing someone to get kicked out (come to think of it…). I would have loved to see all the “told you so KOBE IS THE TRUE MVP!” comments had Nash done anything even remotely similar, but I guess hypocrisy is the order of the day for the TRUE MVP crowd. Enjoy watching the fake MVP continue to lead his team.
The Big Picture Says:
May 8th, 2006 at 12:27 am
why wasn’t billups higher? shouldn’t there be something said for the best player on the best team?
VC Says:
May 8th, 2006 at 1:09 am
On the NBA web site they have the MVP selections made by the GM’s. Nash was 1st, then Dirk, Chauncey, Lebron, Kobe and some more.
http://www.nba.com/awards2006/gmsurvey_mvp.html
CheeseheadPete Says:
May 8th, 2006 at 4:50 am
22 voters hate Kobe. Personal bias always has an effect.
DookieStyle Says:
May 8th, 2006 at 7:20 am
At least Nash didn’t bag the second half of a game 7…
dj2fly4u Says:
May 8th, 2006 at 9:10 am
Maybe they shouldn’t have named an MVP this year. Was there really a clear cut winner? You could have just as well have had 4 or 5 way tie.
the mighty mjd Says:
May 8th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
DookieStyle - Exactly what do you mean by “bag” and exactly how did Kobe Bryant do it?
asum - There’s just no way Kobe intentionally tanked a Game 7, in order to prove a point to his team. Maybe you believe he didn’t play well, and that’s fine, but tanking it on purpose? It’s ridiculous to believe that. And I knew someone would call me hypocritcal (and I guess it’s also “Compare MJD to Bill Simmons Week,” which is fine, because he’s right), and I understand why, but… if the Lakers had won the series, it would’ve validated Kobe being wronged (which I still think is valid anyway), but the same is not true of Nash, for the reason that I’ve stated 482 times: it’s the system, it’s not Nash. Whereas, with the Lakers… it’s not about system, it’s about Kobe. They are 100% dependent on Kobe Bryant.
And regardless of all that… I don’t see how eeking out a 7-gamer in a 2-seed vs. 7-seed validates Nash as MVP. If the 2-seed in the stronger conference also has the MVP playing for them, shouldn’t they also be a threat to win the NBA title, and not about to whooped by the 6-seed?
Ant Says:
May 8th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
Kobe Bryant was not the MVP. Yes, there is bias. Yes, of those 22 that didn’t vote for him some probably judged him on more than just his season. Yes, the Suns system is a great system and certain players really flourish in it…However, Steve Nash is the oil that keeps the machine running. Without him, the system would not be as effective. You couldn’t plug in Jason Terry or Stephon Marbury and be this good. Sure, Brevin Knight would rack up the assists but he already does that as a parttime PG with the frickin’ bobcats. Nash has led this team, minus it’s best player, to a 50+ win season. He has helped 7 players have career years. Yes, those players are talented but these are players nobody wanted. Diaw, Jones, Thomas, etc. Outside of Marion that’s what the group is. Nobody was tooting Diaw’s horn last year, were they? Nash opens up the offense and his drive and dish and high pick and roll make it work.
Kobe purist can hate all they want but he did not deserve the mvp this year. Until Round 1 of the playoffs he didn’t care to make his team better. 81 makes not an mvp. It makes for a memorable moment in sports history, but not an mvp.
JT Says:
May 9th, 2006 at 1:04 am
Just a little counter to the ’system’ argument:
Kobe one-man-show last season: 34-48, 11GB from the playoffs.
Kobe with Phil and the Triangle: 7th seed, almost upset the Suns in the first round.
It goes both ways.
That being said, I don’t think there really was a clear-cut MVP this season, looks like a lot of votes were split between Kobe/LeBron/Dirk.
I’m a little surprised Brand finished so low, he was king of MVP talk at the beginning of the season, and for christ sakes he got the Clippers into the playoffs, and now into the 2nd round.
the mighty mjd Says:
May 9th, 2006 at 2:38 am
I don’t think that really disputes what I’m saying. What Kobe did last year and what Kobe did this year aren’t the issue, and your citing team success… I’m talking about how the Suns system, because it’s so unique from what any other team in the NBA does, provides the opportunity for inflated numbers. I’m not a huge believer in numbers telling the story, but I looked up some anyway, that I believe support my argument that it’s all about the system in Phoenix:
Raja Bell, from his last season in Utah, to this season in Phoenix: 3P% from .403 to .422, and points increased over 2 per game.
Boris Diaw, from his last season in Atlanta, to this season in Phoenix: 3P%, from .180 to .267. Rebounds from 2.6 to 6.9. Assists from 2.3 to 6.2. Points from 4.8 to 13.3. FG% from .422 to .526.
Steve Nash, from 03/04 with Dallas, to this season: 3P% from .404 to .439. Assists from 8.8 to 10.5. Points from 14.5 to 18.8. FG% from .470 to .512.
And, my favorite, Joe Johnson, from his last season in Phoenix to this season in Atlanta: 3P% from .478 down to .356. FG% from .461 down to .453. His points did increase by 3 points per game, but… he took over 226 more shots with Phoenix than he did with Atlanta.
I think there’s something to that… I know Diaw didn’t play a lot in Atlanta, but the percentages tell a story, and even if you project both sets of his numbers out to 48-minutes per game, the difference would be substantial.
Rhondda Nunes Says:
May 9th, 2006 at 4:01 am
I think the MVP shoulda been Chauncy Billups.Being the Most-valuable player on the best team in the NBA should count for something.
Sure, Steve Nash is a flashier & gaudier player; but should the award really be about that?(O.K….I know that’s idealistic, but….)
Andy Says:
May 9th, 2006 at 7:09 am
Billups is not the MVP because he has the absolute best supporting cast in the league, and saying that the Pistons’ success relies on him downplays his teammates. I’m with Bill Simmons’ argument that you can replace Billups with a not-terrible point guard and they’ll still be a title contender.
Spaceno Says:
May 9th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
I’m tried of hearing the Kobe apologizers say that he should be MVP. MVP’s are supposed to make your team better. This doesn’t always translate into stats.
Look at the beginning of the season, Kobe was selfish. Kobe was me first. Hell, there were betting pools on when would Odam will kill Kobe in a game. Than they finish 7th and some people think because Kobe can put up gaudy numbers he means the most to his team. Scoring title sure. MVP no.
Nash, while you can argue the system or not, makes his teammates believe that they can win. He makes them believe they can take the shot and make it. He shows leadership on and off the court (building unity with the team). He shows faith in his teammates. Does Kobe? When has Kobe ever? Duncan does (2 time MVP).
Alot of writers are hung up on numbers. While numbers are part of the story, they aren’t the whole story.
And yes, Kobe quit in game 7. He wants to be the next Jordan. Do you think Jordan would have just stopped trying to score? Do think Jordan wouldn’t have found a way to fire his team up at half? They may have lost but he would have been heard. Kobe felt at half or early 3rd quarter that it was unwinnable so he quit.
JT Says:
May 9th, 2006 at 7:58 pm
I didn’t say that the Suns system isn’t a factor in their success, and the numbers that they put up might be a little inflated due to it, sure.
I said that the Lakers system does something similar. This Lakers team is fairly similar to the one last season. Sub in Smush Parker for Chucky Atkins and Kwame Brown for Caron Butler and you could argue they are worse off talent-wise.
I don’t think anyone would argue that the Suns are worse talent-wise this season than they were last season, if for nothing else, the simple fact that Amare was out for the season. Not to mention the major roster overhaul that they had.
The Joe Johnson comparison is almost laughable, considering he was pretty much the 4th option on a high powered Suns team last season and now he is the 1st option on a terrible Hawks team. He also has to create his own shots now. I think that has a little more to do with his stats difference than a simple change of system.
The fact is that the Lakers brought in Phil Jackson and love him or hate him (there seems to be no middle ground on him) his system works. The Lakers abandoned the Triangle last season and got nowhere. This season Phil is back and so is the Triangle and they won a lot more games.
Now, i’m not saying that this is the reason that Nash should win MVP, you could make a good argument for anyone of the top 5 or 6 candidates. I’m saying that your primary beef with Nash winning the MVP is the ’system’ argument, but that also applies for the Lakers.
Rhondda Nunes Says:
May 10th, 2006 at 4:41 am
I don’t think it’s down-grading how good the supporting players of the Pistons are to say Chauncey has just as much right to MVP as any of the other candidates like Steve Nash in the league. I’m comparing Chauncey to Steve;
Not to the other Piston’s players who might also deserve it more than Steve Nash, but don’t get me started; (especially since they can also play ‘d’ unlike S.N.);
Might as well say the Mike Bibby of 2002(when the Sacramento Kings were a few plays away from the NBA finals) was the MVP. He had a great offensive run, & didn’t make the finals.But is he a great defensive player?
I’m sorry, but the same is true of Steve Nash.
& in no way does this take away from the Pistons; more like a statement on how mush better they are than the rest of the league.As if any other team had as many starters on the all-star team.
AB Says:
May 10th, 2006 at 9:36 am
I hate the Billups arguments.
If you think Chauncy Billups is more valuable than Ben Wallace, you are not paying attention. The MVP cannot be on a team with another viable MVP candidate — he must be clearly the most essential player to his team’s success. Shaq played at MVP levels in ‘01 and ‘02, but lost votes becuase of Kobe’s emerging dominance.
I also hate the “No-Amare” arguemtn–Kobe, LeBron, and Dirk have nothing resembling Amare, and never have. Odom, Z, and Josh Howard hardly play at Marion’s level, either.
Kobe turtled game 7? Maybe. But tell me Nash would have won the series if Tim Thomas or Leandro Barbosa had been on the Lakers…
I agree completely with MJD — praise the Suns coaching and off-season moves; praise Nash with All-NBA 1rst team and an All-Star start. Not the Maurice Podolof trophy. Even if Billups were the most valuable player on the best team, he can win a championship or finals MVP, not regualr season MVP. That is reserved for the player who brings more to his team than any other player in the league brings to their team. Like LeBron.
Rhondda Nunes Says:
May 10th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
Well, that’s you’re opinion & you’re entitled to it. I was comparing Chauncey to Steve Nash period, who I don’t see playing any defense.(altho’ he dishes really great, can’t take that away from him). IMO Chauncey deserves it just as much; my opinion.& Le Bron had a stellar season; he’s actually more deserving than Steve Nash, IMO.
This doesn’t take a way from Big Ben, obviously he deserved his trophy. But I don’t see why more than 1 Piston’s player couldn’t have won a trophy, too instead of giving it to a player that doesn’t defend & is a part of a working system that deserves a lot of credit as much as any player that’s just a part(O.K., a big part, he does make those around him better, but….):
Would you like to give the MVP to “the Sun’s system than?”Surely you aren’t gonna tell me with a straight face that Steve Nash is a great defender?Perhaps you can address that instead of getting all tweaked-out as if you think I’m dissing other Piston’s players (who I absolutely love) when who I’m saying isn’t measuring up is Steve Nash.This has nothing to do with Ben Wallace.
Rhondda Nunes Says:
June 15th, 2006 at 1:08 am
Oh…& another thing…
Why doesn’t Dirk Nowitzke rate higher than Steve Nash?
WTF?Dallas had a much tougher route thru the playoffs than Phoenix.
Whoop-to-do-beating-a-7th-seed,( those relentless Suns!LOL!), ‘tho’ I love to watch their running game.
The improvement in Dirk’s game has been phenomenal since the days of Bruce-Bowen-keeping-him-out-of-the-box.He deserves MVP & most-improved:
(I’ll give him a hall pass on the Hasselhoff…must be a Deutsche thing…viel spass!!).