Is Steve Nash still the best PG in the game?

[westkoast]

Yes or no?  If he is not who is your pick(s) and why?

Got into a debate about this a few nights ago with a co-worker who is a huge Suns fan.  I said I think Chris Paul is better and he would have shot me if he had a gun.

[Laker Fan]

I woudn't call him the best simply by virtue of the fact that he doesn't play both ends of the floor, to me that is why he didn't deserve his second MVP.

In the offense I would say he is top 2-3 behind maybe Chris Paul or Deron Williams. His experience and floor vision, his scoring and passing keep him up there, but both of the aforementioned players are waaaaay more athletic than Nash, and at this level and at their age, they are better overall, and either one will school him on the offensive side AND do a decent job defending him on the defensive side. Nash is a veteran and you will only slow down his scoring for a while, so he is still deadly there, but Williams, Paul, and Baron Davis can defend him, he can't or won't defend them.

[Lurker]

The best?  Whereas a couple years a go it was a tossup between him & Kidd and IMO the MVPs (deserved or not) show who was really #1.  Kidd puts up some fantastic numbers but that doesn't lead to wins regularly.  Nash makes the players around him look better.

One of the top 5 still?  I would say yes.  Offensively he is still probably the top PG in the league (CP3 being a very, very close 2nd).  Defensively he isn't as bad as the post defenders on the Suns make him look.  It takes a minimum of 2 players to defend the pick and roll...and Phoenix doesn't have a big man who can defend it consistantly.

Stat-wise:

Tendex rating:
1) paul,chris            NOr   30.54     
2) iverson,allen         Den   25.90
3) nash,steve            Pho   25.51   
4) davis,baron           GSW   24.81   
5) williams,deron        Uta   24.48

PER:
Paul              28.95
Billups           23.94
Nash             21.64
Calderon        21.27
Williams         20.82

Roland Ratings:
Paul              +13.5
Billups           +11.8
Nash             +11.7
Iverson           +8.6
Davis              +6.8

Net production (player vs opponenet)
Paul          +15.2
Billups        +13.2
Iverson      +10.5
Williams       +8.3
Nash/Parker  +6.9

[ziggy]

Yes or no?  If he is not who is your pick(s) and why?

Got into a debate about this a few nights ago with a co-worker who is a huge Suns fan.  I said I think Chris Paul is better and he would have shot me if he had a gun.

Chris Paul