NBA MVP Race Down to a Few Games
Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki are the front-runner candidates
Steve Nash looks to win the MVP Award for the third straight year, while Dirk Nowitzki hopes for his first.
Most experts agree that the race for NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award is down to Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks and Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns. Others, such as Kobe Bryant and perhaps Carlos Boozer or Dwayne Wade, might muster some votes, but the first two listed are the names most mentioned as the frontrunner candidates.
However, debates over which player is more deserving can get long and arduous. Each offers an impressive resume and each is arguably worthy of being the league MVP.
Dirk Nowitzki has led his Dallas Mavericks to the best record in the NBA, winning about 83% of their games. With four games left, Dirk’s averages 24.7 ppg on 49.9% shooting from the field, 90.2% shooting from the line and 41.2% shooting from behind the arc. On top of that, he’s added 9.1 rbpg and an impressive 3.4 apg.
Steve Nash leads the league in assists with 11.5 apg, though turns the ball over quite a bit as well (3.9 topg). Still, he scores 18.8 ppg and may be one of the most efficient scorers in the league, shooting 53.3% from the field, 46.4% from behind the arc and 89.3% from the free throw line.
The biggest question now is what qualifies a player as the league’s most valuable player? “MVP” insinuates that the player is not necessarily the best individual player in the league, but rather the player who is most critical to his team’s success. While Dirk Nowitzki has shown he is a match up nightmare for opponents with his seven foot frame and deadly outside shot, the Mavericks are a perfect 3-0 without him this year. Conversely, the Phoenix Suns are typically on life support when Steve Nash gets injured. The Suns are 2-4 this season when Nash hasn’t played. That includes a 114 – 90 loss to a depleted Seattle Supersonics team. The Suns are 4-11 in the last three years when Nash has been hurt.
Mike D’Antoni is not regarded as a defensive coach and it shows with the Sun’s inability to defend against a disciplined, half court style team in the playoffs. Therefore, the Suns must push the ball every chance they get and try to score as many points as possible. This is tailored to Nash’s strengths.
As good as Dirk Nowitzki is, Steve Nash is what makes the Suns click as a team and is most deserving of the league MVP.
