MVP Watch: Steve Nash

Sacramento coach Paul Westphal handed Steve Nash the best compliment anyone has given him this season. "I don't think I've ever seen him play this well and he's got two MVPs," Westphal said. "He's unbelievable." It's hard to argue. Nash's 54 percent shooting is the best of his 14-year career and better than any other NBA point guard or wing player. For the fourth time in six seasons, Nash is the NBA assist leader with more games of 14 or more assists (nine) than the rest of the league's players (eight). He is on pace to have a fourth season in which he shoots at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line. Larry Bird is the only other player to ever do it twice. Nash is also close as ever to Mark Price for the NBA career free-throw percentage record. Price shot 90.39 percent over his career and Nash's best career free-throw game Tuesday (13 for 13) put him at 90.21. Keep tabs on Nash he may go for 3 MVPs.

All-Decade Defense Team (NBA)

Time for the edition of the NBA All-Team of the Decade. There was a few disputes for the guards but the forwards and the center was hands down. Let me get straight to it:


PG

• Steve Nash (There was a dispute between him and Kidd but back-to-back MVP awards and in 04-05 he averaged a double-double, enough said. I know Kidd has the rings but the only PG in history to have back to back MVPs is Magic Johnson)
• Jason Kidd (Kidd's best years of the decade came in his first few seasons with the Nets. Kidd led the Nets to 2 NBA Finals appearances)

SG

• Kobe Bryant (By far the easiest choice for SG. He has been hands down the premier scoring guard of the last decade. Kobe has reached the playoffs in 9 of the 10 seasons of the decade, reaching the NBA Finals 6 times, and winning 4 NBA Championships.)
• Dwyane Wade (driving Miami to the 2006 championship and earning a ring before LeBron and Carmelo Anthony. Some even call him the East Coast version of Kobe. Whatever it is he has IT and may be better than Kobe if he gets the right people under him)

SF

• Lebron James (How could you not put this guy up there? By his fourth year he was in the NBA Finals. He's already on his way to being one of the all-time greats. I know I may get heat for not picking KG but who would you start your team behind?)
• Kevin Garnett (K.G. shook the label of being one of the greatest never to win a title when he joined the C's 2007-08. In Minnesota, he was 2004 league MVP and lead them to the playoffs 5x. No doubt Garnett will go down as one of the great defenders)

PF

• Tim Duncan (The greatest power forward in NBA history. Led the Spurs to the playoffs for all 10 years of the decade. Duncan brought the Spurs to 3 NBA Finals and winning all 3; two of those times he was the Finals MVP)
• Dirk Nowitzki (One of the best and most versatile 7-footers ever to play on the offensive end. Nowitzki led his Mavericks to the playoffs 9 seasons in the past decade and one Finals)

C

• Shaquille O'neal (To me he is the only one to give credit to. In this day and age a center is something that does not come around every draft. Dwight Howard maybe next or Yao but this decade it was Shaq. He won three titles with the Lakers and another after being traded to Miami. Shaq might be remembered as one of, if not the greatest center to ever play the game)

Few notable not named: Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Paul Pierce, Chauncy Billups

Thief of Ideas?

Arizona Republic columnist Paola Boivin in her column about Shaq's new reality TV show -- Shaq Vs.

A peek at that story:

Shortly after O'Neal was traded to the Suns in February 2008, Nash mentioned to his new teammate a reality show he was pursuing. It would feature the Suns point guard taking on professional athletes in their own sport.The topic didn't come up again until early in the 2008-09 season, when O'Neal boarded the Suns bus and told the team he would be starring in a new reality show in which he would be taking on, you got it, professional athletes in their own sport."You mean the idea you stole from me?" one Suns representative said he heard Nash say. Nash eventually sought out an entertainment lawyer, according to sources, which is why he now has an executive-producer credit and the compensation that comes with it.

The only thing I can say is Wow! No wonder Nash does not care that Shaq is gone.

Future Teammates...

A potential Suns trade that would send center Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland to help LeBron James' title quest is heating up again after the idea was killed back at the trade deadline. The trade consist of the Suns would send O'Neal to Cleveland for veteran power forward Ben Wallace, who is considering retirement, and reserve guard Sasha Pavlovic, whose final contract year is not fully guaranteed. This would help both teams since Steve Nash has said the team needs more-active big men. Nash had some difficulty incorporating O'Neal's post-up game after running a system based on his skills. Also this is a plus for the Suns because the trade could save the Suns $9.9 million or even more if Wallace wants a buyout. It makes since to the Cavs because getting O'Neal would counter Dwight Howard and the Magic, who took them out in the Finals. The Cavs should do it before Shaq's window close and he retires. 

Other options could be: The Clippers are expected to part with one of their three bigs because they will draft Oklahoma forward/center Blake Griffin with the No. 1 overall pick; Chris Kaman. Marcus Camby, a former Defensive Player of the Year, Zach Randolph. Then you have Rasheed Wallace, Charlie Villanueva, and Carlos Boozer. Just pick up anybody better than what you have now.