Watching the Jazz/Suns game on ESPN (by the way the Jazz’ biggest weakness is coming to light..more on that later) but Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson both get their top 5 top point guards in the NBA. You know one of those cheesy things that ESPN does when they come back from commercial. I wasn’t really paying attention until after I saw both of the lists. They both had the following five players in completely different order:
- Deron Williams, Tony Parker, Baron Davis, Chris Paul and Steve Nash
Not a big deal until I thought for a second. Anyone know who is missing? From the Top 5 best point guards in the NBA? The fact that he was not put on this list was absurd, so absurd that I refuse to let you even think about it it should be a no-brainer. Such a no-brainer that I even put his picture to the right
Jason freakin Kidd.
Unless he somehow secretly retired and only told those two, there is no way in hell that Jason Kidd should have been left out of anyone’s top 5 point guards in the league. No way. The man ranks 7th in NBA history in assists with 8,910 and will surpass the Glove in about six or seven games when he picks up the 56 assists needed. His worst season assist wise was his rookie year when he only averaged 7.7 en lieu to winning the ROY. Tony Parker’s best season? 6.8 assists per game last year. Not to mention the fact that he is averaging 6.7 rebounds for his career. The man carried Kerry Kittles, Kenyon Martin, Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch to the NBA Finals…and then did it the next year without Van Horn or MacCulloch (no one remembers Mutombo’s stay in NJ do they?)
Now I’m going to stop with the ranting and raving before I turn into Stephen A Smith but I’m pretty sure you catch my drift right now. Let me put it this way: if you were to argue with me about this I would fight you for not putting him in the top 3. Not in the top 5? Did you see Team USA this summer? Have you not watched basketball over the past decade?
And if you’re wondering what my list would be….The top 3 hands down would be Kidd, Nash and Davis. Then you can get into a good old fashioned basketball debate about the rest. Parker over the other two because of the rings? Williams over Paul because of he did it in the playoffs? Paul’s stats over Parker? Myself…I’d have to go with Parker (the man has multiple rings and an NBA Finals MVP…his greatness goes beyond statistics) and Williams (mainly because of last year’s playoffs where he jumped up and shook everyone…this years start…and the fact that he dominated Paul). Sorry CP3…you gotta get your squad to the big show to get in the top 5. Or just how that J-Kidd retires sometime soon. But that would be a debate. Not having J-Kidd in the top 5 is preposterous. Sorry..too much Walton.
Side note…Coup was at the Celtics game tonight and I’m hoping he doesn’t go into silent mode and admits to me what he saw. Which was Big Baby putting in work as a starter. Quite different than that ‘useless’ guy huh? But I’ll let him eat a little bit of that crow whenever he wants to. Be back with the Jazz thoughts after the game, which by the way should shape up to be a good one.
(PS…does anyone think that the forced interviews on ESPN with one coach in between quarters are just awkward and uncomfortable. Almost like the coach is like ‘FU’ or something like that? Maybe its just cause the two I have seen were Scott Skiles and Jerry Sloan but still. The NBA really needs to follow their teams. You think a reality show following the Knicks or the Lakers or even the Heat wouldn’t be great during the Writers Strike? Exactly. The networks should be begging for the Knicks. But I disgress…longest…PS….ever.)