Tuesday, November 18, 2008

last updated: January 20, 2008 04:25:43 AM

Jason Kidd

NOEL HARRIS
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The point guard's No. 1 role is to distribute the basketball to teammates. No one in this discussion has consistently done this better than New Jersey's Jason Kidd.

The veteran, in his 14th season, averages 9.3 assists per game for his career, tying him for fourth place all time with current New York coach Isiah Thomas. Only Magic Johnson (11.2), John Stockton (10.5) and Oscar Robertson (9.5) dropped more dimes per game.

Sure, one can make an argument for Phoenix's Steve Nash, who's at 12.1 per game this season and is in his fourth consecutive campaign of averaging more than 10, but his career average of 7.8 doesn't stand up to Kidd.

Chris Paul (8.8 per) is a talented star on the rise, but let's see a few more years under his belt first.

Baron Davis? Exciting player, but his 7.3 is the worst of the four here.

Enough on assists. Let's talk all-around game. Kidd isn't just a passer. He can score and, most impressive at 6-foot-5, the former Cal star can rebound. This is proven in his impressive record of triple-doubles.

Kidd has 97 of them, which is third all-time in the NBA. Only Robertson (181) and Johnson (138) have more.

The numbers don't lie. Kidd is the ultimate basketball player.

Steve Nash

EDDIE BROWN
SPORTS COPY EDITOR

Who's the Canadian point guard that's an assist machine for the Phoenix Suns?

Nash!

You're damn right.

Who is the man that single-handedly turned the franchise around while winning two MVP awards?

Nash!

Right on.

You see this cat Nash is a bad mother ... (Shut your mouth) ... But I'm talkin' about Nash ... (Then we can dig it).

Honestly, I think Kidd, Davis and Paul are amazing.

But only Davis has had an effect on his team close to what Nash did when he came to the Suns (and the Warriors didn't kick into high gear until they made the trade for Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington).

Phoenix was 29-53 the year before Nash arrived. He took them to the Conference Finals the next two years and currently anchors the most prolific offense the NBA has seen since Showtime.

It's true Kidd has had the more consistent career, but Nash is currently on a historical run. Only guys named Magic, Isiah, Oscar and John have posted four consecutive seasons of averaging 10 assists per game or more.

Nash will join them this season.

Paul will have his day soon enough.

Can you dig it?

Chris Paul

NICK LOZITO
SPORTS COPY EDITOR

Certain things in life just look awkward together.

Fritos

on a turkey sandwich -- a second-grade "delicacy" -- never lit up my L.A. Lights. The Star of David that Mom stuck on the Christmas tree every year was always a yamaka-scratcher. And pulling a T-shirt out of a cereal box was a little weird, if not rewarding.

Add this to the list: David West and

19.5 points per game. Here's a guy who couldn't make the SportsCenter highlight reel if he had Martha Stewart and Oprah blowing him kisses from the second row.

But there is a logical explanation for this statistical anomaly: West plays alongside Chris Paul, the best point guard in basketball.

How else can you explain the New Orleans Hornets, a team of castoffs, leading the Southwest Division and holding the No. 2 seed in a Western Conference that features teams like Houston and Utah currently sitting out of the playoff picture?

Paul leads the league in steals (2.73), is third in assists (10.5), and his 21.2 points per game trail only Baron Davis in scoring among point guards.

Paul's game is so good, in fact, he could probably have West's grandma in double figures.

Baron Davis

STU ROSENBERG
SPORTS COPY EDITOR

Baron Davis is the best point guard in the NBA. Thank you. Good night. Drive home safely.

No, Davis doesn't have Steve Nash's MVP awards, he's not a blur on the court like Chris Paul and he's not the triple-double magnet that is Jason Kidd. But no player means more to his team than "Boom Dizzle."

I don't want to argue, but if you insist.

Let's start with the numbers: Davis leads all NBA guards in scoring (22.5), blocks (0.6) and minutes (39.1) per game, is second in steals (2.5), 3-pointers (2.2) and rebounds (4.8), and ranks seventh in assists (8.1).

Impressive stats, but ones that fail to truly measure his value, which was on display in last season's playoff upset of Dallas.

Need a 3 to win? He'll bury it, no matter how many hands are in his face. Need a defensive stop? He'll pick his counterpart clean, then trigger and cap a fast break. Nobody provides and destroys more hope.

When Nash left Dallas for Phoenix, all the Mavs did was reach the conference finals. The Suns can also win without him. Paul is electric, but his team could also survive without him. And with or without Kidd, the Nets would still be an average team.

With Davis, the Warriors are title contenders -- without him, they are the Timberwolves.

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