“Pure” Point Guard and “Nashty” Steve Nash

“Basketball is like a game of chess. No single piece can win a match. Only when you combine several pieces, move them in constant, push forward, attack, retreat and deceive the opposition, you can win a match. This is a game of kings! It is ballet of the brave. Choreographed on a wooden slab.”

There are numerous “star” players in NBA and they score 20, 30 points per game and lead their team to the victory. However, as no single piece can win a match, no single player can lead the team to victory. Basketball is a team sport which five players on the court employ their own tactics and defeat the opponents. Although Kobe Bryant scores more than Steve Nash or Rajon Rondo, Nash or Rondo is a even more crucial piece for his team’s victory.

Point Guard of the team is the playmaker and often the leader. He runs the team’s offense and controls the ball and tempo of the game. Due to this important role of leading the team, the Point Guard is often referred as the coach on floor. Although most point guards are comparatively short(about 194cm), there were some tall point guards in history such as Magic Johnson. Some of the most important skills are passing, ball handling and court vision. When other players are judged by their scoring, point guards are usually judged by assists and assists to turnovers ratio. There are numerous point guards(so called combo guards) who also focus on scoring such as Monta Ellis. However, there are still “pure” point guards such as Steve Nash and Rajon Rondo who focus on passing.

As I was born in Phoenix, Arizona, I grew up watching the Suns play. As I watched Steve Nash play when I was a kid, I still enjoy watching fast-paced offensive style of basketball. Although the Suns have never won a championship, I love watching them play even if they lose. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James might be the players that NBA is looking for as next-Jordan, but my hero and my next-Jordan is Steve Nash. Although he doesn’t get as much spotlights as other players does, he is definitely one of the most valuable players in the league(and he won back-to-back MVPS).

6’3” and 178 lb and 30 in vertical leap.

6’7” and 221 lb and 28 in vertical leap.

First set of numbers represent Steve Nash and the second set of numbers represent an average NBA player. Steve Nash is too short and too light compare to the most NBA players. Although he is short and light, he is one of the best players in the league. In the league where there are players of 7’0” and players who can do some crazy stuff, Steve Nash survived and became one of the best point guard by his great shooting and passing abilities. He is one of only few players who joined 50-40-90 club(50% or better from the field, 40% or better from three-point range and 90% or better from free throw line). He was voted to be the ninth best point guard in the history and rated as the best passer. He led the league in assists for four years and has the best free throw shooting average in the history. He is famous for his pick and roll plays with his former and current teammates Dirk Nowitzki, Amar’e Stoudemire. Furthermore, from this pick and roll plays, outside shooter benefited and became stars such as Joe Johnson. I think of him as the Benjamin Button of NBA because he is 37 but still maintains to play in the best league as one of the top players.

Former NBA coach Flip Saunders said that “He is a lot like Stockton. What they lack in athletic ability, they make up in other things.” And current president of the Dallas Mavericks Donnie Nelson have stated that “As a coach, you search for players with that X-factor that brings people together. Steve has it. It’s nothing you can see in a scouting report, nothing you quantify watching a guy go through drills, but guys like that bring teams closer.”

Although he lacks athleticism, he has great shooting and passing ability. He also is a natural leader, he brings people together and helps to improves his teammates’ game. That is how the Suns survive in this league. Without superstars and without money, the Suns have been one of the strongest team in the league. One day, Steve Nash will retire. I hope that he has the Championship Ring on his finger.

Picture from Wikipedia

Quote from JockBio