Luka’s Corner

The only two MVP candidates that I think really have a chance to win the award are Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki. Although I think Kobe Bryant had a magnificent season (once again) and dominated the stat sheet, he is yet to show the leadership needed to win MVP. He fails to make those around him better (like Lamar Odom) and even though he is obviously valuable to the Lakers, he is not most valuable in the league. Anyway, my MVP pick goes to Steve Nash (closely edging out his former teammate).

First, the Phoenix Suns win-loss column (a miserable 2-4) shows that the Suns are just an average team without their starting point guard. He is the entire offense for Phoenix because everything flows through him first. He is the one that controls the pick-and-roll game with Amare, the one who runs the fast break game with Shawn Marion, and the one that penetrates and finds open shooters (like Raja Bell and James Jones). The Dallas Mavericks, on the other hand, have shown that they can win without Dirk. Nowitzki is a solid scorer, but he does not get his teammates involved (Dirk averaged only 3.4 APG during the season). Even when he has a poor shooting night, the Mavs still have their two other stars, Josh Howard and Jason Terry, to carry the load. Nash has Amare and the Matrix, but even they struggle when Nash is injured or playing poorly because he is the one that gives them the looks that they have.

Second, unlike Steve Nash, Dirk does not dominate any one category. Winning is one of the biggest factors in deciding an MVP, but stats are still very important. Nowitzki is a very good scorer at 24.6 PPG and a solid rebounder at 8.9 RPG, but he is nowhere near the top of the charts in those two categories (which are his best categories). His mediocre assist numbers show that he does not get his fellow Mavs involved in the offense, like Steve Nash does for Phoenix. Nash has been at the top of the assist charts for the past three years and has been one of the best shooting guards in the league night in and night out (percentage-wise). To become MVP, you must dominate at least one statistical category, and Nash does that.

That is why I think that Nash deserves to win the MVP award for the third straight season. He has shown for the entire year that he is more valuable than Kobe and Dirk, and has also shown that he is one of the best passing point guards to ever play the game (only behind John Stockton). And yeah..I know Dirk’s Mavs won 67 games in the regular season and dominated the league, but if you put Steve Nash on that Dallas team (instead of Dirk), they would be the same or even better.

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