I don't think Mark Cuban will be calling Sam Smith anytime soon, except maybe to call him names.
Time to expand lists of greats | Chicago Tribune
Ten years ago, in its 50th season, the NBA selected its top 50 players of all time. Though somewhat unofficial, it has become one of the greatest honors the league has bestowed and is much celebrated and considered.
and who says sports journalists can't keep two thoughts in their head at once? First Mr. Smith writes that Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks shouldn't win a Most Valuable Player Award this year:
An aside on Nash. You'd almost hate to see him win MVP for a third straight season because Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar never did. And though Dallas should win more than 65 games, it's difficult to continue to consider Dirk Nowitzki the MVP the way he continues to disappear in big games.One or two games should not determine the award, but great players, the MVPs, understand when it's a big game and rise to the occasion. You never saw Jordan or Magic or Larry Bird slough off a loss in the regular season. Plus, Nowitzki came up small in the Finals last year.
Though Dallas has been the team of the season, the difference is not the change in Nowitzki; it's the way coach Avery Johnson has driven the Mavericks on defense. The character of the team has changed, which is why the Mavs figure to be a better playoff team.
but then a few paragraphs later Smith wants to include Nowitzki on the list of the 60 best players ever:
And for a last one to symbolize the evolution of the NBA, I'd go with Nowitzki, who has been the front-runner to win this season's MVP award. He'd be the first truly international player to do so.I probably wouldn't put him ahead of Dantley, Goodrich or McAdoo, but the international influence should be considered in this last decade.
Ummm, way to use a copy editor, sir.
What do I think? Steve Nash, probably, though I haven't quite decided. More interesting to me: who wins Coach of the Year? Is this the year that Jerry Sloan finally wins? Or should Avery Johnson get another? Who else is even in the running? Doc Rivers? (kidding!)
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