Steve Nash is Not One of Top 5 Point Guards in NBA History

Over at the The Fanhouse (AOL Sports Blog), they asked this question on May 19th, "Is Steve Nash one of the top point guards in NBA history?"

While he does have this 2 MVP trophies and came close to a third one this, I don't think he is one of top five point guards of all time. He might be it the top ten. Right now I think he is overrated by the general public and even many sportswriters.

So, who would be on my top five? I think you've got to start with Magic Johnson. He's a big time champion with five rings. He quarterbacked the famous Showtime Laker offense that helped make the NBA popular.

Oscar Robertson also makes my top five. His stats are simply remarkable. A triple-double is great feat in basketball, but "The Big O" averaged a triple-double in his first five seasons.

How about Isaiah Thomas? He's probably the best little guy to ever play basketball. At 6 feet and 1 inch, he the led the Detroit Pistons, the "Bad Boys," to two titles. He's a Hall of Famer and played in the All-Star game 12 times.

If you want to look at sheer numbers, you can't pass up John Stockton for the top five. He is the NBA career assists and steals leader. He never won a title because he played when Michael Jordan was dominating the league.

The last spot in the top five is debatable. You could go with Bob Cousy who led the Boston Celtics to numerous championships. Jason Kidd is also an interesting choice as he is today's version of Oscar Robertson. Plus, he played great defense. But I can't stick Nash in the top five.

Why not?

While he is one of the most dominant offensive players, he's a mediocre defensive player. That's huge. Doesn't the basketball court encompass two areas of play, offense and defense? I know the offensive side is more exciting to watch, but defense is what wins championships. Look at the great defensive teams like the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls.

Since Nash can't play defense well, he's a liability for half the game. In fact, he usually guards the least offensive player of the opposing team. Somehow he needs to improve his defense to have a legitimate shot at the top five. Think about the great point guards I wrote about. They played defense. Stockton has the most steals. Oscar Robertson and Magic were great rebounders. And Isaiah Thomas played on the Pistons teams that were known for their hard-nosed defense.

Also, Nash has no titles. He hasn't even made it to the finals. If he wins a couple of titles, he'll move up in the ranks of the top point guards of all-time.

Sources:

The Big Lead, "Is Steve Nash One of the Top 5 Point Guards in NBA History?" The Fanhouse. URL: (http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/05/19/is-steve-nash-one-of-the-top-5-point-guards-in-nba-history/)

"DAILY DIME: SPECIAL EDITION 10 Greatest Point Guards Ever." ESPN. URL: (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-GreatestPointGuards)