[Official] Marc Stein Reports Steve Nash will be named MVP tomorrow

I think Nash deservedly won. Even the final tally shows that he was the clear cut winner.

He makes the players around him so much better. More so than any player in the league.

 

it's Atlanta's fault they didn't utilize Diaw the way thay should.

Nash made Diaw better? nope, IMHO Diaw is the main reason PHX had a very successful season after Amare (& Kurt Thomas) went down. you think it would be the same with Joe Johnson instead of Diaw?

like Nash, he is a guy who makes others better. also his defensive efforts are severely underrated.

 

the Cassell Nash matchup will be awesome
MVP of the NBA
vs
the maker of MVPs

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/news/story?id=2436999
Nash recalled his rookie season as a teammate of Cassell with the Suns.

"I love Sam's game,"' Nash said. "He was the vet that brought me into the league in Phoenix when I was a rookie. We go way back. He taught me a lot. ... He obviously gives them experience. He's a champion, he's a winner and he's a terrific scoring point guard. He poses a lot of problems for us and gives them a lot of confidence and experience."

 

Ahhh, no big deal as long as Nash can throw it to TT. Right tinman?

 

The Suns' players point to the arrival of veteran point guard Sam Cassell as the key new ingredient.

"I knew once they got Sam they were going to have a good chance with the guys they already have," Tim Thomas said. "Sam is a proven winner."

 

more proof that the 1st Rockets championship team was special. Shaq mentioned how Dream would help him with his game. now we learn this.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=65155

Nash,Cassel each other's biggest fan
By Matt Paulson, Tribune
May 10, 2006
Los Angeles Clippers point guard Sam Cassell has never won an MVP. But the past two seasons when the award winner has been announced, the 13-year veteran’s chest still has swelled with a sense of pride.
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Although Cassell isn’t nearly as acclaimed as his Suns counterpart and ex-teammate, Steve Nash, the 13-year veteran knows he is partly responsible for the floppy-haired Canadian’s maturation into a two-time MVP, four-time All-Star and two-time assists champion.

Nash and Cassell were both members of the Suns for a few months during the 1996-97 season. And while their time together was short — Cassell was dealt to Dallas on Dec. 26 after only 22 games with Phoenix as part of the Jason Kidd trade — Cassell’s tutelage facilitated shaping Nash into the player he is today.

As a rookie, Nash was “a guy trying to find his way in this league,” Cassell, who immediately took the Santa Clara product under his wing, said Tuesday.

“We used to have many talks right down there in that practice facility about basketball,” he said.

“To me, he could always score. I said, 'Steve, to be successful, you’ve got to be the Steve at Santa Clara. . . You can’t be a guy who just looks to pass all the time.’

“(Off the dribble), he would beat his defender, but he would make passes around the basket that basically were turnovers. So once he realized that he could do that – ‘I’ve got a layup, I’ve got to take the layup,’ – when he started doing that, sky’s the limit for him. He just went from there.”

Nash said that simply watching Cassell on the court also helped him become a more complete player.

“(Cassell) helped me a lot. . . just seeing how he’s not the most athletic guy but he’s able with his skills and cleverness to find shots for himself,” said Nash, who could be described the same way.

“He’d always talk to me. He was generous. I have great memories of Sam helping me.”

And now Cassell has great memories of watching his one-time protégé from afar. “I’m a big fan of Steve,” he said. “No one ever thought he would be a two-time MVP. He got an opportunity to showcase what he can do, and he’s done it.”