Comments on: Where would you rank Steve Nash among the NBA’s best players? http://KnickerBlogger.Net/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/ The NBA's indispensible, premier analytical blog. Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: j maier http://KnickerBlogger.Net/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-201412 j maier Mon, 24 Dec 2007 04:55:55 +0000 http://www.knickerblogger.net/2007/08/02/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-201412 Anyone who says Steve Nash is a system player only and that’s the reason for his unbelievable stats does not understand the game of basketball.Any team that I have ever seen-past or present would be/would have been better with Nash-and that includes Jabbar’s Lakers, Jordan’s Bulls, and Bird’s Celtics.Incidently, the Newark Advocate Newspaper in Newark, Ohio ran an article that stated that those Lakers and Bulls’ teams were on steroids(undoubtedly, they were only as good as they were because they cheated). I agree with Nash’s coach who said Steve is the greatest basketball player ever. He does things with the basketball that players like Magic, Bird, Dr.J, Isiah Thomas, Stockton,etc. only dream of doing. Nash is the complete package-he is also an excellent defender. I also agree that two foreigners were very deserving of winning the last three MVP Awards in the NBA. Until the NBA shows me that their players are clearly the best in the world by performing the way they’re supposedly capable of playing in the Olympics, I will be convinced that Nash is the best.

]]> By: Duff Soviet Union http://KnickerBlogger.Net/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121244 Duff Soviet Union Fri, 24 Aug 2007 02:39:22 +0000 http://www.knickerblogger.net/2007/08/02/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121244 Well, most of this is on memory, but I think blocks are counted reasonably highly in PER (0.85 points or thereabouts). Hollinger also weighs offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds differently. Offensive rebounds are worth as much as blocks and more than twice as much as defensive rebounds IIRC. This actually makes sense to me. Watch a game (any game) and see how many defensive rebounds are flat out uncontested the territory of the nearest available defensive bigman.

]]> By: Owen http://KnickerBlogger.Net/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121237 Owen Fri, 24 Aug 2007 02:12:29 +0000 http://www.knickerblogger.net/2007/08/02/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121237 Yeah, that’s right. Blocks, fouls, and perhaps fta’s. Is there a big bonus for blocks in PER? I am a big Dave Berri fan, and in his formula, blocks are worth only half as much as a rebound. So it’s difficult for me to see how the extra blocks could make such a big difference. Perhaps it serves as a proxy for defense.

But bottom line it doesn’t really make any sense that Brand has a PER two points higher. Boozer’s ts% is 2% higher on identical fgm. That’s significant. And the 2 rebound edge per 48 is also pretty significant.

Lol, I really don’t like that stat….

]]> By: Duff Soviet Union http://KnickerBlogger.Net/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121231 Duff Soviet Union Fri, 24 Aug 2007 01:19:15 +0000 http://www.knickerblogger.net/2007/08/02/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121231 “It?s actually interesting to me that Brand?s PER was two points higher, given the similarity in most of there numbers, and Boozer?s obvious rebounding advantage.” It’s quite obvious, I think. Their scoring and assist/turnover numbers are remarkably similar, Boozer has a rebounding edge (bigger this year than in previous years), but depending on which season you look at, Brand is somewhere between 3 and almost 8 times the shotblocker Boozer is. That’s the difference right there.

]]> By: Owen http://KnickerBlogger.Net/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121207 Owen Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:26:04 +0000 http://www.knickerblogger.net/2007/08/02/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121207 Well, Elton Brand is out for the season with an Achilles injury, so its sort of a moot point.

When i look at their career numbers, which you can do by clicking the “cumulative” button, I see the same story. Boozer has a bit less of an edge here, but he still has a slight edge. There numbers are very similar really. I would take Booxer, and would have even before the injury. He showed he was capable of being a top five player in the league. If he continues playing that way next year he will emerge as one of the true superstars in the league. It would help if he played a little defense too…

]]> By: Dya http://KnickerBlogger.Net/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121205 Dya Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:15:24 +0000 http://www.knickerblogger.net/2007/08/02/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121205 You’re right, Boozer may have had a better career year, but not a better career. Brand has been a great player for long enough to give him the benefit of the doubt over a guy who had one great season on a very good team which knows exactly how to use him in their system. Not to take away anything from Boozer, but if they were traded straight up (for the sake of argument, I know this won’t happen)I’d say the team ending up with Brand got the better of the deal, age and durability concerns notwithstanding.

]]> By: Owen http://KnickerBlogger.Net/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121161 Owen Thu, 23 Aug 2007 20:32:55 +0000 http://www.knickerblogger.net/2007/08/02/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121161 Compare Boozer’s career year this year to Brand’s career year last year.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/pcm.cgi?req=1&cum=0&p1=brandel01&y1=2006&p2=boozeca01&y2=2007

Boozer has him per 48 in every category other than blocks, TO’s, and personal fouls. He is four rebounds per 48 better, which is quite a large difference.

Brand is a better defender, but I would take what Boozer did last year statistically over Brand. It’s actually interesting to me that Brand’s PER was two points higher, given the similarity in most of there numbers, and Boozer’s obvious rebounding advantage.

]]> By: Dya http://KnickerBlogger.Net/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121142 Dya Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:40:12 +0000 http://www.knickerblogger.net/2007/08/02/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-121142 I don’t understand how some of you guys can put Boozer ahead of Brand. He’s always been a dominant low-post player, and his mid-range game has really developed the last couple of years. He had an off-year, and Boozer had a career year, but to put him ahead on the basis of that is insane,.

]]> By: ca-born http://KnickerBlogger.Net/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-118299 ca-born Thu, 16 Aug 2007 01:02:05 +0000 http://www.knickerblogger.net/2007/08/02/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-118299 On second thought, switch Arenas with Nowitzki.

]]> By: ca-born http://KnickerBlogger.Net/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-118298 ca-born Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:57:01 +0000 http://www.knickerblogger.net/2007/08/02/where-would-you-rank-steve-nash-among-the-nbas-best-players/#comment-118298 I think he’s just outside the top 5… I’m rating by talent (including making your teammates better…regardless of wins)

1. Duncan
2. Kobe
3. Garnett
4. LeBron
5. Wade
6. Nash
7. Arenas
8. Nowitzki
9. Kidd
10. Melo

…

Elton Brand
Baron Davis
Bosh
Jermaine O’Neal
DH12
Chris Paul
T-Mac
Paul Pierce
Joe Johnson
Luol Deng

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