Comments on: If basketball were a game he’ll be MVP…

by: NBA Continues To Screw Up... Maybe. « Win Or Go Home

Tue, 15 May 2007 04:05:27 +0000

[…] So, it seems that Dirk Nowitzki will be your 2007 NBA Regular Season MVP. Congrats to him. In all fairness, he did have a great regular season, which is all that the award is for. But does he deserve it? Now, I could go into a huge debate about it. But I’m probably not the most qualified, given that I haven’t seen many (if any) Mavericks or Suns games this year (it happens when you don’t have ESPN or TNT, and when you’re anger at ABC and the NBA is high enough to make you want to do homework instead of watching a game). So I would just be regurgitating stuff that I read elsewhere, and that wouldn’t be fun for me or you. Other thoughts though… -Basketbawful is on the Steve Nash bandwagon. -Mavs Moneyball is obviously on the Dirk Nowitzki side, considering that it is a Mavericks blog. -Yay Sports says Steve Nash. -There are many more… many NBA related blogs have their opinion. […]

by: ZAKK

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 22:27:08 +0000

“an number of points could do as well (or close to) what Nash is doing in Phoenix (including Andre Miller, for example). ”

ANDRE MILLER?

ANDRE FREAKING MILLER?

Please tell me you watched the game today.

If you honestly think that Andre Miller could make even 1/3 of the plays that Steve made today, you are plain delusional.

I think if you did watch the game today, you would notice that Nash is not just an incredible distributor, he is a great scorer as well.

As I mentioned before, he knows when the Suns need baskets, and he can get them.

by: Alex

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 06:32:56 +0000

As much as I hate that it works that way, I think you are probably right. A game like this, nationally televised, at this point in the season is going to be judged as more important than it really is. If for no other reason than how fresh it will be in voter’s minds.

And of course with the big deal everyone made of Dirk’s choke earlier this month, there is going to be some great commentary during the game to remind everyone of how important the game is. Heh.

Speaking of choking, if Bill Walton is calling tomorrow’s game, I may just choke myself!

by: stopmikelupica

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 20:38:11 +0000

Alex - I agree with you; believe me, I’ve made that argument in the past, over at FreeDarko. I’ve said that an number of points could do as well (or close to) what Nash is doing in Phoenix (including Andre Miller, for example). And I’ve said that since the begin of the Nash as MVP reign.

My point in this post was to express that Sunday’s game will, like it or not, have a say in the MVP race, perhaps more than any other game this season. I stand by that. If Nash outplays Dirk (the current leader in the MVP race), I think that will give Nash a lot of votes. Enough to overcome all those arguments (the historical argument, the Nash is a product of his system argument)… that’s what happened last year, too. Those same arguments applied, yet he still found a way to win, because Dirk has failed to win over the necessary support needed to be voted MVP…

by: Alex

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 20:05:50 +0000

There are a handful of pointguards in the league who could take Nash’s spot in an instant. He’s good, but he is playing on a team that is fairly unique right now. His assist numbers are inflated, because no other team has as many possessions or as many finishers. That, in essence, is why a playmaking PG is so vital to the Suns. They have a ton of amazing finishers, but who can make a play? Only Nash.

Not to take too much away from Nash, he is a great player. But there are other great players who could easily fill his role in Phoenix. And if you build a team that is absolutely reliant on your sole playmaker, of course he is going to appear disproportionately valuable. To me, the make up of the Suns as a team has to be accounted for when considering Nash for MVP, and I feel that the Suns are designed to use smoke and mirrors to give the appearance of an MVP where there is none.

Dirk all the way, baby!

PS - The historical context is irrelevant. It always bothers me when people argue that simply because Nash’s numbers are better this year, he automatically should get MVP. What about every other bloody player in the league? What about their numbers? What about their seasons? Logical fallacy that because his numbers are better he should get it. Just like it is irrelevant that he won it twice already. MVP should consider the current season, and any historical factors are completely and totally irrelevant.

by: zack k

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 06:27:59 +0000

ok… i am very defensive with my mavs… i love them… i dont think i get the credit for the obsessiveness/dedication i have to my team…

i think what im more mad about is that the mavs have a 9 game winning streak(again) and of course to get it to 10 is vs the suns… so that will be once again overhyped… if we lose to the suns… 9 out of 10 is GREAT… but no one will talk about those 9 wins… no one will talk about those 60 wins… it’ll just be about those 2 losses to the suns… whule they forget about the mavs 2 wins over the suns and dirks game winner over the cocky marion(idiot)

i just think regardless of sunday… dirk is the mvp… i thought he was the mvp last year… its his time… he deserves it…

by: ZAKK

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 21:48:35 +0000

woops! offense

by: ZAKK

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 19:02:46 +0000

woops! unselfish

by: ZAKK

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 19:01:36 +0000

As much as I agree with zack k, on the fact that people are putting too much emphasis on this one game, and maybe people are forgetting about the dagger that Dirk put in my heart with a closing-seconds 18 footer, I still think that this game may determine who wins the MVP, because the MVP voters probably lack the infinite wisdom that me and my uncapitalized counterpart posess.
That being said, I still think that Nash should win, for the same reason that everyone else thinks that he should win: he is more imperative to his teams success than anyone in the league.
Not only does he completely dictate the Suns offence, he can sense when his team needs baskets, nd when they do, he knows to go away from his selfish play and hit a three or a turnaround in the lane.
Aside from all of this he is the teams unquestioned leader off the field as well.

by: StopMikeLupica

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 17:59:51 +0000

Zack attacked! Chill, man. This Sunday’s game isn’t the only factor in the MVP race, you are correct on that, but it will have a lot of pull on the voters (which was my point). To this point Dirk has been the MVP. You should note that having the best record isn’t as important as having a great record in general - otherwise the MVP would always come from the team with the best record, right? So, yeah, those “7 games ahead” don’t matter that much; the Suns are good enough to lay claim to the MVP of the league.

My opinion is that Nash outplayed Dirk in the last game they played against each other (a big, nationally hyped and televised game), and if he does so again on Sunday, then he’ll be the leading candidate for MVP going down the stretch, not Dirk.

And I’m not telling you that “he Mavs earlier season wins dont matter” - I’m telling you that those games weren’t as hyped (hyped, yes, but hype for games only increases as the season goes on), nor nationally televised, as the last game or this game on Sunday (free TV game).

So yes, this game on Sunday is going to be a huge factor in who wins the MVP, regardless of Dallas’ motivations or interest. Dirk is going to have to step up and win that award on Sunday or Nash might just steal himself a third one in a row. And I’m not yet making my playoff predictions (that’ll come in a few weeks), I’m just letting you know what I think is going to happen in the MVP award race, which is pretty tight right now.