The Best in the Business

The votes are in and the players are waiting patiently. Which only event can you see an alley oop from Tracy McGrady to Kobe Bryant? That's right. The All-Star game is just five days away and you know what that means. The halfway point of the NBA season is near completion and everyone begins to ponder over the best of the best. I'm talking about the 2006-2007 MVP award. Although it is a bit early, too many fans are already on the edge of their seat waiting to read that sweet headline whether it's their favorite player smiling on the front of that Sports section in the paper. And where's the fun in the MVP poll without a little opinion.

As the players begin to blossom over the first half of the season, their rankings for MVP begin to emerge. Names like Steve Nash, Gilbert Arenas, and LeBron James are uttered on a daily basis. But who really deserves the honor. Although it seems unlikely, Nash is the favorite once again to take this year's trophy home. If the all-star Suns point guard wins once again, he will join Wilt Chamberlain and Celtic teammates Larry Bird and Bill Russell as the only players to win MVP three years in a row. And why not? Nash has clearly improved over the years, handing out a career best 11.8 assists and 19.3 points per game. But that's not all. Nash has set a personal record in three other categories, posting amazing numbers in field goal percentage (53.6%), three-point percentage (49.0%), and three pointers made (2.5 per game), all silencing the opposing critics. This 6'3'' play maker has controlled the Suns offense for three years now, winning the MVP award for the two full seasons he has carried them. And what happens to the Nash-centered team when he's gone? They lose two out of three games, both being home games against the young Bulls and pitiful Hawks. And what about last year when Nash was hurt? The Phoenix Suns managed to lose the three games without their star point guard.

So why shouldn't Nash win the MVP? Without Steve, the Suns look like a little league basketball team, kids just throwing up shots, hoping one of them goes in. And if that's still not enough to persuade you, then what else would? The only top candidates that are really on my list are Dirk Nowitzki, Gilbert Arenas, and LeBron James. And do these players even compete? Arenas is averaging almost 30 points per game (29.0 to be exact), and an astounding 6.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds. But is this really enough to compare him to such a high profile point guard like Nash? It's a blowout. Nash almost doubles his assists, and it wouldn't surprise me if he did at the end of the season. I know that Arenas averages ten more points and 1.4 more boards, but when you are surrounded by players like Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, and even Raja Bell, you don't have to put up 30 points a game just to give your team a chance to win. And why don't we look at the history. Besides the fact that the Wizards are slightly better this year, going from number four in 2006 to number 2 presently, these players emulate last years statistics. Arenas is practically miming his past stats (going from 29.3 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 3.5 RPG to 29.0 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 4.7 RPG). And Nash, although slightly as well, improved his attributes as well (going from 18.9 PPG, 10.5 APG, and 4.2 RPG to 19.3 PPG, 11.8 APG, and 3.3 RPG). And the outcome in the MVP race in which both these players were in extremely similar situations they are in now? Drum roll please... Nash won by a landslide, taking 57 out of a possible 125 first place votes. How big of a landslide was this? Second place was Kobe Bryant with 22 votes, less than half the amount Nash received. And how do other players such as LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki fair in this heated competition? Not too well considering both have surprisingly dropped since last year, lessening their possibilities for bragging rights.

So it's easy to see that Nash could be a clear cut winner if all goes according to plan. But usually that's not what happens. Maybe LeBron will go on a scoring rampage, putting up 35 PPG in the month of March. Or Nash might go up for a lay-up that wasn't there, and injure his elbow for a month in the process. Who knows? But one thing is for certain. This is the NBA, and anything goes, anything.

Offense: The New Defense?

As the first official post of this blog, I would like to bring up a topic that has come to every sports maniac's mind. As it is a quite popular statement, most people live by the "offense wins games, but defense wins championships" modo. This has been a true statement for years on end and even when the offensive minded teams go far in the playoffs or postseason, they almost never take it all. But recently it has been brought to my attention that the new saying is looking like "Defense wins games, but offense wins championships." Although defensive teams such as the Chicago Bears or San Antonio Spurs have been at the top of the list for present sports talks, the offensive teams have stolen the show.

Examples of these offenses can be seen throughout the sports world and are slowly growing. The Indianapolis Colts, the #1 offense in the game (maybe not statistically but you know they are) just took on the #1 defense, those Chicago Bears. I'm a huge Chicago Bears fan myself and I love the D that they bring to the table, but I think it's time they looked at the offense or they're going to kiss goodbye to another shot at that Lombardi trophy. The Colts showed offense does win championships and the Bears showed they need offense to win championships. I mean there is bad, and there is appalling, and then there is Rex Grossman. I stuck behind this guy through thick and thin, and it got pretty thick at times. But when you go to the super like that and come out the way he did, it doesn't surprise me that the defense has picked him up time after time (just look at the Bears-Cardinals game).

Now shifting to another sport, basketball, one offense has blown away every defense in the league. Yes, I am talking about those scorching Phoenix Suns and scorching is an understatement. To have TWO 15 game winning streaks in ONE season is unheard of. In fact, had they not lost those few games in the start of the season, they would be looking to take that best record in NBA history, which was set by the astonishing Chicago Bulls of 1996. This team has proven themselves over teams such as the Spurs and Pistons, and gone beyond. And the #1 team in the league overall, the Dallas Mavericks, are an offensive minded-team as well. Yes, they have been focusing on defense under coach Avery Johnson (who has really exemplified his true capabilities over this team), but when you have a 7 foot 3-point shooter you have to be excited to get the ball into his hands.

Both the Suns and Mavs, two teams with two MVP candidates (Nowitzki and Nash), have changed the face of basketball not only by impressing all those sports critics that believe in impenetrable defense, but also surprise the fans with no-look passes or one handed-dunks. Is it surprising that the two best offensive teams, not to mention best record teams as well, are the most fun to watch? No, of course not! These teams have caused players to do double-takes saying "did that just happen?" And teams like the Spurs or Pistons don't even have a chance. When you have a seven second shot clock like the Suns do it's hard enough just getting back to your side of the court before Nash dishes out a pass to Bell for an easy three. If no one takes charge soon it's going to turn into a sports blood fest; teams just drafting Quarterbacks or Point Guards and basketball games ending in scores like 150-140.