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Originally Posted by Gotham Dark Knight  Thier superior talent has not made their teamates all that much better (Lebron aside, I think he elevates the game of the other Cavs)...and talent and skill set are but two attributes of what a great player needs...for all of Kobe's talents, I still think he is a selfish player... |
Nonsense.
LeBron is the Cleveland Cavaliers. I think we can agree on that much. Without him, they are in the Greg Oden Sweepstakes.
Wade doesn't look for his teammates as often as Steve Nash does, but his playmaking ability still opens up the offense and makes them better. He has a lightning quick step that makes him incredibly tough to defend, forcing defenses to play looking at him. When the collective eyes for the defense is constantly focusing on shutting down Wade, it certainly creates opportunities for the rest of the Heat. Wade picked up a lifeless Heat team in the Finals last year, put them on his shoulders, and willed them to the Larry O'Brien trophy. He single-handedly destroyed virtually the same Mavericks team, driving dagger after dagger into their heats with clutch shot after clutch shot. Nash isn't clutch whatsoever and could not beat a team by himself.
I vehemently disagree with your Kobe Bryant assessment. It's amazing to me that people still cling to the Shaq situation along with the 81 point game and label Kobe selfish. Watching the Lakers this year and the latter half of last year, I think it is easy to tell that Kobe has matured by leaps and bounds as a leader. He gets his teammates involved and guides them through the triangle. As his team has developed, Kobe has been more than willing to incorporate them into the offense. I wouldn't mind if he shot more, because he is unquestionably the best player in the NBA. Nash doesn't match the threat that Kobe brings to the table.
Nash doesn't play a lick of defense. His attempt at it is pretty pathetic, actually. Kobe is an elite defender, while LeBron and Wade are both above average.
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Originally Posted by legend Gotham, you and I agree about as much as Bush and Hilary, but you have it right on the button with this one. nash makes those bums he plays with so much better. Meanwhile, McGrady will NEVER win anything, even with Yao there and I mean never. And who better to orchestrate the alley oops at an All-Star Game than a guy like Nash anyways?
All those guys would crush Nash one-on-one, but his selflessness makes him the ultimate team player in a sport that nowadays has precious few. |
Are you serious? Nash has a star-studded supporting cast. Amare Stoudemire is considered the most promising low post player in the NBA by many. Shawn Marion is the most underrated player in the NBA hands down. They also surrounded him with players that fit the system they run perfectly. Boris Diaw is the ideal pivot in their system. Raja Bell is an impeccable fit as a backcout partner for Nash. Leandro Barbosa is the perfect combo guard. James Jones and Jalen Rose are solid fits as sharpshooters. Seriously, give the people around him credit. If you want to slap the bum label, the Cavs and Lakers should be your two leading candidates.
I already said that he was the best pure point guard in the league and perhaps a top five player. However, you can't slot him above any of the three aforementioned, especially if your calling him the best player in the game. Not to take anything away from Nash, but he was built for the up-tempo offense that D'Antoni runs. If you put him in a half-court offense, he is a good point guard, not great and certainly not MVP-caliber. But, his current system really makes him shine brightly.
01-26-2007, 09:18 AM
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