5.21.2005

The big Nash-ty...Part 1 - by Apollo

Nash has led Phoenix to the Western Conference Finals

It isn't particularly breaking news that Phoenix Suns point guard, and proud Canadian, Steve Nash is a good player. The recently crowned NBA MVP and First Team All-NBA guard has always been quietly consistent. First as the understudy to All-Star Jason Kidd and later as the quarterback for the vaunted Dallas Mavericks offence, Nash has a reputation for making great passes, making his teammates better and not being a me-first, shoot-first player. In Canada, the Victoria, B.C. native is not only celebrated as one of Canada's greatest ever basketball players, but also as a selfless, humble celebrity who is always giving back to his community, both on and off the court. Nash almost singlehandedly led Team Canada to an Olympic medal at the 2000 Olympics, and has often answered the call for Canada despite always playing with rather sub-par talent around him. Although Nash's National Team career may be over, his past commitment is unquestioned.

It is with a lot of pride, and certainly a lot of surprise shared by most basketball fans on both sides of the border, that I've watched Nash play easily the best basketball of his career during the current NBA playoffs. Not coincidentally, after being awarded the NBA MVP trophy several weeks ago, Nash commanded an incredible 6-game series victory over his former Dallas club to carry the Suns to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the Charles Barkley era, which just happened to take place last millenium. Dallas owner Mark Cuban decided not to match the expensive long term contract offered by Phoneix this past offseason. While that move was certainly the right business decision given Nash's age and the salary cap problems in Dallas, the fact remains that Nash is still playing in this year's playoffs, and Dallas has been sent home.

Nash has been awesome. He recorded his first career playoff triple-double in a Game 5 victory, and came one rebound shy of repeating the feat in Game 6, hitting the game-tying three pointer with seconds left to move the game to overtime, and combining with Shawn Marion to score practially all of Phoenix' points in the extra frame. Nash has not only been dishing the ball with shocking accuracy, but he has been absolutely automatic from beyond the three-point arc, on a team loaded with perimeter shooters. Nash is the major reason that emerging phenom Amare Stoudemire enjoyed a breakout season this year and has been almost unstoppable in the playoffs. Last year, without Nash, Phoenix contended for the worst record in the NBA. This year, with Nash, the Suns have made it to the Final Four.

While debate continues over whether Nash actually deserved the regular season MVP award over the dominant Shaquille O'Neal, he has performed at such a high level in the playoffs, that the award now seems entirely understandable and logical. While Nash and the Suns will face a huge task in trying to overcome the San Antonio Spurs in the next round, and they are quite unequipped to deal with a potential match-up with Shaq and the Miami Heat or the defending champion Detroit Pistons in the Final, he has proven in a few short weeks that not only is he a deserving MVP, but may in fact be the best point guard in the entire NBA. It's a lofty accomplishment that few Canadians ever achieve in the sports world, and it ought to be celebrated loudly, regardless of where the Suns finish the rest of the way.

1 Comments:

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