NBA All-Star starters

Dirk and Nash, #1 & #2,so far, as MVP. (Kobe 3, Arenas 4.) Huge Snub.

 

1. Kobe
2. Dirk
3. Nash
4. Gilbert

Kobe doing more with less. He's playing with friggin' Smush Parker and Luke Walton and he's got this team at number 5 in the west. The only player that he's got that is decent is Lamar Odom and he's been out for more than a month.

 

Whenever you can mention the name Smush Parker, you need to do it. Well said, Chuck.

 

Hate to disagree Chuck, but if you take Nash away from the Suns, they're nowhere near the top of the West. He has been absolutely incredible this year, and if you don't believe me, check out how many Suns points are coming from lay-ups this year.

Kobe has been great, but Nash is playing point better than Stockton in his prime and may be close to where Magic was in the mid-eighties.

 

Good point GB Hack.
They wouldn't be near the top. But I think they'd still be in playoff contention.
Now take this in GB. If Kobe was off the Lakers, were would they be?

 

You're right, they'd probably be out of the playoff race, but I don't think that's neccesarily the point here (no pun intended)

Kobe is elevating the rest of his team, but a lot of it is hapening because of his scoring. Nash is doing more on the floor not only with scoring, but his assists and leadership of the team. There's something different about him this year, and I think it's because he's ticked they've been knocked out of the playoffs without reaching the finals the last two years.

 

Actually GB Hack, it's not just his scoring. Kobe has also changed this year. He averaged 35 last year and they went on to the playoffs. He comes in this year with a new style. He knows when to go for 35+ or 20 and 10 assists. He's shown that he can dish ball and he's pretty damn good at it as well. He's the best all around player in the game.

 

But think about it this way. Kobe is scoring 9 more points per game, but Nash's shooting percentage is over .500, his three-point percentage is .498, and he's up there in foul shooting as well. Add in nearly 12 assists a game. He is playing incerdible efficiently, and that's why the Suns are one of the top two teams in the league.

Kobe has changed his game this year, but despite his points, a shooting pct below .500 and a three-point pct. below .400 don't shout MVP to me. Nash may have more around him, but he's maximising everyone's potential, including his own.

 

Good point, but I don't think shooting decides who wins the MVP. Plus, I think the fact that with all those great players around him, Nash gets more one and one opportunities. Kobe continues to be double and triple teamed. People continue to hate and he just keeps proving people wrong over and over and over again. He's the best player in the league and his accomplishments are not getting enough dap.

 

You know, one could make the argument Stoudemire is more valuable to the Suns than Nash. Look where they are with Stoudemire healthy and look where they were without him last year.

 

I love Kobe's game, and agree he is one of the top three players in the league. He easily brings more than Nash on the defensive end. But as you said, shooting doesn't decide the MVP, which is why Nash would get my vote if I had one because of his dynamic all-around play.

And Bat, Stoudamire's presence has helped the Suns, especially on the defensive end, but I don't think he'd be scoring near as many points without Nash because of the number of looks his point gets him 5 feet and in.

 

Shaq starting in the game is a crime. The guy has played, what, four games and even if he played more, he is a shell of his former self. This shows why a democracy is not a good form of government (we are a representative republic).
When you allow the idiot masses any sort of power, this happens.

Same with McGrady over Nash. Nash is the heart and soul of the Suns and without him, they're pretty damned average, maybe even a lottery team. The guy is the best pure passer in the league. How can a definite MVP candidate not even start in the All-Star game? Idiot fans kill me.

The NBA should institute a "games-played" rule for folks to be eligible to be voted a starter. Right now, it's just a useless popularity contest.

However, the fans did something right by appointing my favorite NBA player, Agent Zero, to the starting lineup. So I guess they're not completely stupid.