Submitted by Clark Warren, Apr 19, 2007 17:05

Martin,

Most

VALUABLE

Player

This is not an award for the best player on the team with the best record, it is an award for the most valuable player. With all due respect, Dirk is not the most valuable player. The easiest way to guage this is to take the record of the opposing team sans their team MVP during the season. Add to that the production of the players that surround the team MVP when he is not in the line up and you start to get a good feel as to who is actually the most valuable player. After you get a feel for this you need to determine how this team MVP controls how successful his team is overall by his play and leadership on and off the court. There is no other player in the league that is more valuable to his team than Steve Nash. FYI, being clutch only matters to anyone who matters if it is exhibited during the highest pressure moments that may occur in his or her field. When Dirk has been in this type of pressure packed moment he has faltered. It is sometimes not fair, but the bigger the spotlight you are under the more clear your weaknesses become. Dirk was not clutch in the biggest moment of his career, the NBA finals. Also, clutch is scoring 10 points in the last 57 seconds to send a game against your arch rival to overtime on their home floor! Dirk is a great player, and the best player on the team with the best record (not the best team, as that is up for debate) but he is not the most valuable player. Nash takes that honor.

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