Steve Nash

Stephen John Nash (born February 7, 1974 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a star Canadian basketball player.

Strengths and Weaknesses

As of 2005, Nash is seen as one of the premier Point Guards in the NBA. He is one of the most creative and intelligent players, averaging double digits in assists while maintaining a low turnover rate. He is a natural floor leader (demonstrated by the fact that his addition turned the lowly Phoenix Suns into a powerhouse) and arguably the best fast-break passer in the NBA. His ballhandling is superb, as seen in the 2005 NBA All-Star Skills Contest, which he won. In addition, he is a excellent shooter who reliably hits three-point baskets. Nash is also a "clutch player", who takes and makes the last shot for his team.

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Some critics may point to his defense as his big weakness. His man-to-man defense is suspect, and his rebounding is mediocre at best. Critics point out that Nash's play is somewhat one-dimensional, and while his offensive play is stellar, his weak defensive skills lower his overall performance. In terms of allround play, Nash is not comparable to other elite Point Guards like Jason Kidd or Gary Payton, who are devastating on both ends of the court, but despite this, Nash's sparkling uptempo play make him one of the most feared point guards to play against.

Related Topics:
Jason Kidd - Gary Payton

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However, other observers will emphasize that although Nash's STEAL'S AVERAGES (see below) are lower than Gary Payton and Jason Kidd's, Nash does play defense with immense intensity. Nash plays both man-to-man and zone defensive schemes to his fullest. When beat off the dribble, Nash is always seen sprinting to regain his defensive positioning. When challenged with a shot, Nash hurls a defensively sound block attempt at his opponent; Nash is so technically sound that when he goes for a block attempt, Nash is often seen lunging at his opponent TOWARD HIS MAN'S SIDE in order to avoid fouling while maintaining his objective to bother the shooter. This superb consistent defensive play was especially evident during his years in Dallas where he didn't have to shoulder as much of the offensive load unlike with Phoenix in 2005.

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Observers will also point to the fact that questions about his defense never really were raised UNTIL AFTER San Antonio's 2005 Playoff rout of Nash's Suns. During this rout, Nash had to shoulder even more of the team's work load averaging a career playoff high of 40.67 minutes per game (MPG). As a matter of fact, Nash stepped out of his usual pass-first mentality to average a career playoff points-per-game average of 23.9 PPG. This was also a common theme throughout Nash's 2005 NBA Playoff appearance as he had to tally 48 Pts (Game 4) and 39 Pts (Game 6) against Dallas; these were his largest point totals ever in his career, highschool, college and pro careers combined. He was virtually forced to do this because of his team's circumstance: Joe Johnson hurt, Shawn Marion struggling, Quentin Richardson Struggling and with a very shallow unreliable bench.

Related Topics:
Joe Johnson - Shawn Marion - Quentin Richardson

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This increased workload weared down Nash to the point where his defenseive intensity became compromised; keeping in mind this was also happening during his MVP year where he was undoubtedly a marked man by the opposing teams. One could also argue that an individual's defense is just as good as his supporting teamate's; this was especially true with Phoenix as they, aside form Nash, lacked any defensive stoppers.

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Career Regular Season Steals, Turnover and Defensive Rebounding Averages (as of the conclusion of the 2004-2005 Season)

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NASH......0.8(STL)....2.6(TO)....2.0(DEF REB)

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PAYTON....2.0(STL)....2.4(TO)....3.0(DEF REB)

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KIDD......2.1(STL)....3.3(TO)....4.9(DEF REB)

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Steve Nash's Career Regular Season Averages For Minutes Played (MPG) and Points Per Game (PPG):

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29.3(MPG),12.8(PPG)

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Steve Nash's 2005 Playoff Averages For Minutes Played (MPG) and Points Per Game (PPG):

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40.67(MPG),23.9(PPG)

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