Steve Nash Deserves More Respect

On a recent episode of NBA Open Court, Shaquille O’Neal took an opportunity to have a free therapy session in relation to some resentment he had towards Steve Nash winning the MVP award over him in 2005 and 2006. 

“He would always beat me out on the MVP voting.  I’m averaging 28 and 15, without the free throws, and I’m going to the Finals every year.”

When Ernie Johnson asked Shaq whether he thought Steve Nash deserved the award, Shaq responded:

“Maybe once but not twice over the Diesel… He got 2, I got 1, Kobe got 1. There’s something wrong with that picture.”

Is there any truth to this?  Did Shaq deserve the MVP over Steve Nash.  Let’s have a look at the facts of the two years that Nash won the MVP.

2004-2005

The 2004-05 season was Shaq’s first season in Miami.  He led the Miami heat to a 59-23 record and to the Eastern Conference Finals where they lost 4 games to 3 to the Detroit Pistons.

The Heat improved their record by an impressive 17 games with Shaq from the 42-40 record in 2003-04.  Shaq’s per game averages were 22.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.5 steals and 2.3 blocks.  He shot .601 from the field but only .461 from the line.  Certainly some pretty impressive stats, although nowhere near the 28 points and 15 rebounds that he claimed that he averaged.  He also did not make it to the Finals despite his claim that he made it to the Finals “every year.”

His teammate, Dwyane Wade actually led the team in points averaging 22.4 points per game with 4.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block per game.

Like Shaq, 2004-2005 was Steve Nash’s first season with a new team after spending the previous five seasons with Dallas.  Phoenix improved their record by an amazing 33 games, winning an impressive 62 games after finishing 29-53 in the previous season.   Playing in the tough Western Conference, the Suns 62-20 record was best in the League after finishing 13^th in the West the previous year.

The Suns’ main move from 2003-2004 to 2004-2005 was getting rid of Stephon Marbury and acquiring Steve Nash.  The majority of the Suns team from 2003-2004 remained intact in 2004-2005.

Nash averaged 15.5 points, 11.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1 steal per game, while shooting .502 from the field, .461 from 3 and .887 from the line.  His 11.5 assists per game led the NBA.

In the voting, Nash earned 65 first placed votes, with a total of 1066. Shaq got 58 first placed votes with a total of 1032.

It was definitely a close race, but given the incredible turnaround that Nash led in Phoenix in 2004-2005, in my opinion, Nash deserved to win the MVP in 2005.

2005-2006

While Shaq may have an argument in relation to the 2004-2005 season, there can be no doubt that Steve Nash deserved the MVP in 2005-2006.  Nash received 57 first placed votes and a total of 924 points.  Lebron James finished second in the voting with 688 points but he received only 16 first placed votes.  Shaq did not receive a single MVP vote in 2006.

The Suns had to play the 2005-2006 season without Amare Stoudemire, who was injured in the third game of the season.  Despite this, the Suns still won 54 games, finishing second in the Western Conference.

Nash actually improved his averages from the previous year, with 18.8 points, 10.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds while shooting an incredible .512 from the field, .439 from 3 and .921 from the line.

Only playing in 59 games, Shaq averaged 20.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 blocks.  He again shot .600 from the field but only .469 from the line.  Having received zero votes in the MVP voting in 2006, Shaq has absolutely no basis for complaining that Nash won the MVP in 2006.

Conclusion

The most valuable player award is given for the player that is most valuable to their team.  The turnaround that Nash led in Phoenix in 2004-2005 showed that he was the most valuable player.  In 2005-2006, Nash posted even better stats, leading the Suns to second place in the West despite Amar’e Stoudemire’s season ending injury.

Steve Nash is often overlooked in discussions of the greatest players of the 2000s.  In a decade where MVP awards were won by Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Lebron James and Dirk Nowitski, Steve Nash and Tim Duncan are the only players to win two MVPs in that decade. 

Steve Nash is the best point guard of the 2000's.  Let’s start giving him the credit he deserves.