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Nash gave the Suns all he could for years, he just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The SUns should have never let him go in the first place...

Steve Nash is still the best Point Guard in the game today.

Domi28, i have to disagree with you. Dantoni's offense really made the PG shine, look at chris friggen duhon, are you kidding me? Nash is a great PG no doubt but in Porters slow scheme and system it doesn't allow for as much freedom and flow in the offense as before. Now without marion as well and lack of athletic wing players the break has become anything but fast. Best PG award is going to have to go to chris paul, hands down he captains the court like no other PG in the league.

Hahaha.... best point guard in the game today? You must have never heard of Deron Williams or Chris Paul yet.... Steve Nash hasn't been the best in a few years. Even Rajon Rondo is a better point guard now....

QUOTE(#2):

Originally posted 07:24 AM ET  12.19 by Domi28

Steve Nash is still the best Point Guard in the game today.

Please don't pick up your computer until all drugs are worn off!!! Steve Nash, for your info has never ever been the best PG in the game. How can you call a person the best when they only play on one side of the ball? There are so many guards in the league that have always given him fits, starting with Billups. He would just kill him when he played for Detroit, everytime! Nash is just horrid on defense, covering anyone and he turns the ball over too much.
Please, just leave the weed alone.

Nash was the best PG during his MVP year but father time has caught up w/ him. Young bloods has come and taken over. Dwill and CP3 overtook him the last 2 years. Every PG had their time. Magic, Stockton, KJ, Mark Price, Penny, Tim Hardaway, JKidd, etc. They all had their time when they were the best PG. It's CP3 and DWill's time.

Let me preface this by saying that I am a Suns fan.

Simple answer: Yes. Nash has absolutely lost it. Watching that Blazers-Suns game last night, one could just see it. Nash no longer was able to get into the lane, struggled with his jumper, and ABSOLUTELY WAS TERRIBLE on defense. I swear, Blake should give a portion of his paycheck to Nash, because it is when Nash is guarding him that most of his points are scored. Everytime Nash switched out on Roy, one knew that Roy was going to score. And he did. Richardson, Hill, Shaq, and Amare all played good defense, but Nash allowed Roy to score 52 points (most of those points came at times when Nash was guarding Roy).

I don't buy the "system" argument, because I've seen Nash do things on the court that no coach's system could ever devise. D'Antoni's system didn't create backdoor passes and no-look passes, and neither did they create clutch threes. But all that is in the past.

Bottom line, if the Suns want to start playing defense, then Nash has to go. He is incompatiable with the half-court set, as he lacks the lateral quickness to stay in front of players like Roy and (surprisingly) Blake. The fanbase would absolutely go insane, but perhaps Kerr, if he is looking at being competitive this year, should contact some teams about Nash.

QUOTE(#5):

Originally posted 08:25 AM ET  12.19 by cruse1

Please don't pick up your computer until all drugs are worn off!!! Steve Nash, for your info has never ever been the best PG in the game. How can you call a person the best when they only play on one side of the ball? There are so many guards in the league that have always given him fits, starting with Billups. He would just kill him when he played for Detroit, everytime! Nash is just horrid on defense, covering anyone and he turns the ball over too much.Please, just leave the weed alone.

From 05-07, Nash was one of the best, if not the best. The fact that he is now 14th All-time in assists in NBA history is a testament to the fact that he just ran that Suns offense perfectly. 14th all-time, and you have to consider that he spent 4 years in college, and didn't even play any significant minutes his first two years in the league.

Nash used to be a better defender. In 2005-2006, Nash still had enough quickness to play mediocre defense, and even could be counted on for a steal or a defensive stop now or then.

As far as Billups giving Nash "fits," that is because Saunders always went with the strategy of making Nash a "playmaker" as opposed to a "shooter." So they doubled him and played him at the three-point line, stifling the outside shot. Nash still had plenty of assists, just not many points.

Nash is my favourite player - in any sport - and I have to agree he's lost a step or two this year... but part of it was just a matter of time because of his age. The other factor is that, as hard as he is trying, I don't think his heart is in it anymore. He had fun playing for so many years - more fun than most players who were ONLY playing to win, to pad their stats, or who were just playing to collect that cheque. I'd wager he was having as much fun as any other player in the league in the run-and-gun years, and now it's not as much fun. If he could find that environment again where he is happy, we might not see the old Steve Nash, but he'd be better than he is playing at the moment.

QUOTE(#8):

Originally posted 09:00 AM ET  12.19 by Noam129

From 05-07, Nash was one of the best, if not the best. The fact that he is now 14th All-time in assists in NBA history is a testament to the fact that he just ran that Suns offense perfectly. 14th all-time, and you have to consider that he spent 4 years in college, and didn't even play any significant minutes his first two years in the league. Nash used to be a better defender. In 2005-2006, Nash still had enough quickness to play mediocre defense, and even could be counted on for a steal or a defensive stop now or then. As far as Billups giving Nash "fits," that is because Saunders always went with the strategy of making Nash a "playmaker" as opposed to a "shooter." So they doubled him and played him at the three-point line, stifling the outside shot. Nash still had plenty of assists, just not many points.

My point is that he can't stop anyone from doing what they want to do on the court. When you think of an MVP, don't you think of someone who gives you fits at both ends of the court? That's what you should think of. Listen, MVP doesn't mean squat! It's a voting process. I'm watching games. No one has to tell me who is the best in their opinion! I watched too many games in 05-07 that showed Nash getting eaten up on defense. Because of this, and only this, that person cannot be the most valuable player in the league IN MY OPINION! You must play on both sides of the ball before you're considered the best.

QUOTE(#9):

Originally posted 09:14 AM ET  12.19 by NOTB

Nash is my favourite player - in any sport - and I have to agree he's lost a step or two this year... but part of it was just a matter of time because of his age. The other factor is that, as hard as he is trying, I don't think his heart is in it anymore. He had fun playing for so many years - more fun than most players who were ONLY playing to win, to pad their stats, or who were just playing to collect that cheque. I'd wager he was having as much fun as any other player in the league in the run-and-gun years, and now it's not as much fun. If he could find that environment again where he is happy, we might not see the old Steve Nash, but he'd be better than he is playing at the moment.

Of course he was having fun in the run-n-gun. All players would have fun in that system but you can't win a championship! Do you think it's more important to have fun in the run-n-gun or win a championship? Those are your 2 choices. The minute Terry Porter got to Phoenix, Nash started complaining because someone wants him to work. ON DEEEEEFENSE! SOMETHING HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT! So now he's ready to find his safeness, in NY behind D'Antoni along with Raja and Diaw. That group will never win!

He's a top 10 point guard, 2 time mvp in this leauge.
All he needs is a ring!

QUOTE(#12):

Originally posted 09:27 AM ET  12.19 by the dee of Dees

He's a top 10 point guard, 2 time mvp in this leauge.All he needs is a ring!

Won't ever happen!

Nash deserved the mvps simply because they beat teams in spite of his defense. So what if he was a defensive liability? The suns did there best to hide him on d, and went out and outscored everybody from 2k5-2k7.

Who can argue that nash was MVP of the league? Nash running dantonis offense is singlehandedly responsible for my high interest in the NBA right now. I'm from a city without an nba team and have been watching games like mad the past couple of years. I'm not the only fan it has affected. If thats not valuable I don't know what is. The league is doing well right now, no small part due to nash. Don't think i'm leaving kobe lebron and cp3 out, but suns games were just more fun to watch than any other teams during that span.

Lets go easy, his entire teams identity changed... I am sure he has to slow down soon, but its rough to call him out now when they are in a transition phase, new coach, new players, and new style...

QUOTE(#14):

Originally posted 09:45 AM ET  12.19 by StLunatic

Nash deserved the mvps simply because they beat teams in spite of his defense. So what if he was a defensive liability? The suns did there best to hide him on d, and went out and outscored everybody from 2k5-2k7. Who can argue that nash was MVP of the league? Nash running dantonis offense is singlehandedly responsible for my high interest in the NBA right now. I'm from a city without an nba team and have been watching games like mad the past couple of years. I'm not the only fan it has affected. If thats not valuable I don't know what is. The league is doing well right now, no small part due to nash. Don't think i'm leaving kobe lebron and cp3 out, but suns games were just more fun to watch than any other teams during that span.

They outscored everybody, that is, until they got to moving through the playoffs, then teams would lay that good old 'D' on Nash and the boys and slow the Suns game down by playing half-court and that was the end of their run.

Where you're making your mistake is that I'm not saying Suns basketball wasn't fun to watch, I said that system will never win a championship. I also said Nash was not a good choice for MVP because he was not the most valuable player in the league in reality in those years. Tell me, if Nash went down with an injury in '06, his team was good enough to still maintain and keep moving. If Kobe, D.Wade, or LBJ went down in that year, those teams are done... there would be an immediate dropoff in wins. Those are MVP's!!!

Great players adjust to any system!

The fact that he is not doing well in Porter's system shows that he is not a great player and did not deserve those two MVP's.

He replaced Marbury so of course he was bound to over achieve. Now we call all see the truth. He must be the only bad stock Cuban got rid off legally.

QUOTE(#11):

Originally posted 09:26 AM ET  12.19 by cruse1

Of course he was having fun in the run-n-gun. All players would have fun in that system but you can't win a championship! Do you think it's more important to have fun in the run-n-gun or win a championship? Those are your 2 choices. The minute Terry Porter got to Phoenix, Nash started complaining because someone wants him to work. ON DEEEEEFENSE! SOMETHING HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT! So now he's ready to find his safeness, in NY behind D'Antoni along with Raja and Diaw. That group will never win!

Please - they didn't win a championship because they weren't quite good enough - their defense was a part of it, but not the whole story - there were numerous other factors. Your arguement that defence wins championships only carries you so far - there were plenty of defensive focused teams that didn't win a title, or get as far as the Suns during those years - look at the Pistons and the Rockets as prime examples. And contrary to your belief, not all players would have fun in that system - it looks like fun, but to benefit from it (and enjoy it), your game has to suit it, and most don't. In fact there were players in the system that were not having fun - look no further than Marion. And to question Nash's work ethic is a joke - you've obviously not been around basketball closely enough to understand that you can't ask your body to do what it isn't able - he does not have the lateral quickness to be a top-level defender - to ask or expect that from him is not reasonable.

Nash has lost a step but with the acquisition of the new guard (Jason Richardson?) his team should be fine. The should try to run like the LA Lakers in the showtime era. Run up the court and try to make something happen, if you got nothing, hold it for Shaq and set up a play out of the low post. That might get them a ring (although I admit all it got them last night was another L).

Nash has lost it. Shaq has lost it. Grant has lost it. Porter and Kerr never had it in them.
So **** is left for the Suns???