One of a Kind

Phoenix, Arizona is probably one of the most conservative states in the US. But Phoenix Sun's Steve Nash is a proud Canadian. He's most noted and highly praised for his exquisite and extremely accurate passing. But his shooting percentages would say otherwise. It seems like he was born to play basketball, being the recepient of two back-to-back league MVPs (2006, 2007). But his true passion as a young Canadian boy and even today is soccer. Steve Nash is just different - in every sense of the word.

And this point guard is getting older by the day (37 years of age). His window to make Phoenix a title contender has officially closed with the departure of forward Amare Stoudemire (New York Knicks), and other key role players like Shawn Marion (Dallas Mavericks), Leandro Barbosa (Toronto Raptors), and Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks). And many old-timers in his position in the past have gone to championship-contending teams to make their last few years in the league a memorable one. We've seen recently Boston's Shaquille O'Neal become the embodiment of that fact. But we also saw Gary Payton, Karl Malone, and Alonzo Mourning make that same move during the latter part of their careers. But Nash different. He's not demanding a trade. He seems peculiarly fine exactly where he's at - on a Suns roster that doesn't seem talented to even make the postseason.

Nash revolutionized this franchise with an exciting brand of basketball. He made them legitimate contenders for a good three years, and his point guard abilities have helped develop All-Stars in Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, and Joe Johnson. But the sad reality is that Phoenix is in its rebuilding stage and having an aged 37-year old, who is still remarkably talented, run a rebuilding squad just doesn't seem right. You need youthful talent to develop, not an old-timer who's seen and done it all, except win a championship.

It's not in Nash's nature to demand a trade. He's different from the rest. So maybe it's Phoenix's duty to trade Nash to a title-contending team, for the good of themselves and Nash. According to NBA columnist Shaun Powell, the possibilites may be a long shot, but they're certainly out there. Phoenix needs to start new, with reserve guard Gorgan Dragic at point. And hopefully Nash will be the missing piece to that championship puzzle for Atlanta, Orlando, or New York, just to name a few teams.


- Leather Head