Who will likely end up as the Steve Nash, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone of this era?

[NO-KG-AI]

2001 both Shaq and Duncan had a great case for it. Then somehow AI got it...

My frustration with the "OMG Shaq only has one MVP crowd" isn't that they think he should have won more MVPs. I see two other seasons where a credible case can be made for him winning MVP: 2001 and 1995. My frustration with this crowd is they treat him as an obvious MVP candidate for all of those other seasons when it really does hold up to scrutiny if you look at his RS.

99 is another one I would think. But frankly I'd have given it to Duncan and Malone. Agree 100%, Shaq was the best player in 2000 by a mile. 2001 he and Duncan were close enough. After that the man started missing games while the MVP's were playing 80ish.

Where things get annoying is the whole "nash has as many MVP's as Kobe and Shaq". Well ok? So what? Nobody ranks nash ahead of them. He was just the MVP twice and they weren't. And it was perfectly reasonable for Kobe and Shaq to have 2 combined.

Nash also peaked very high and did some historic things offensively in an opportune time… leBron was still finding his footing and was merely a top 5 player, and not the era defining player he would become. The first Nash MVP, Shaq was 2nd, and was putting up 22/10 and looked like he had fallen real far from his early 2000’s self. Kobe was hurt, and didn’t even register a single MVP vote, not even 5th place.

The next year, Shaq played 59 games and was clear second fiddle to Wade, and got 0 votes. Kobe was putting up historic scoring on a bad team, and finished closer to 5th place Chauncey Billups in voting than he did to Nash.

Nash didn’t steal any from Kobe/Shaq. Shaq honestly shouldn’t have been as close as he was to Nash in voting his first year with Miami. If anything, Amare going down, and losing Joe Johnson and Q Rich, and replacing them all with Kurt Thomas, Boris Diaw, and Raja Bell and still winning 54 games just really kept LeBron from getting his first MVP a few years sooner lol.

[schnakenpopanz]

Lol why are people naming players whose careers are 80-90% over?

For the new guys:
Embiid
Brunson
Booker
Trae

Booker had one MVP consideration season and has regressed since. I would not put him in a top tier level though it might change so quick. Once you get a ring people judge you differentley.

[Godymas]

it's gonna be Luka

he's crossing paths with SGA, Ant Edwards, eventually Wemby and San Antonio are going to be a problem.

[iggymcfrack]

Chris Paul for sure. Already the greatest player ever to never win a ring IMO and I really don’t see him suddenly breaking the streak at 40. Harden I don’t see quite on the level of those other guys, but he’s definitely the next greatest active player not to win a ring.

As far as more in their prime guys, it does seem like it might be kinda tough for Luka and he could enter that group at some point. With the incredible collections of young talent in Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and Houston, it’s going to be pretty difficult for Luka to win without just joining a better player in his 30s.

[Hornet Mania]

CP3 and Harden will always stick out for me. They're both just one ring away from vaulting way up the all-time rankings, much like the guys mentioned in the OP.

It's even more striking because if they had just not collapsed against the Super Warriors they'd have done it in legendary fashion. It was all right in front of them.

[The4thHorseman]

Nash was just overrated.

Casual

The media told you Nash deserved two MVPs and you believed them. The same amount as Shaq and Kobe combined Moving goal posts to pretend Nash is an ATG is casual and we all know why you and everyone and 1 you wants to pretend he is an ATG.

Kobe's lucky to have his 1

[Bankai]

Should've been Durant.
But Harden and Paul are the easy ones.

[Longranger]

Paul George

[D.Brasco]

Harden

This is the obvious answer. Luka's only 26, plenty of years left to win a ring. LeBron and MJ were still ringless at 26.

[bkkrh]

Nash was just overrated.

Casual

The media told you Nash deserved two MVPs and you believed them. The same amount as Shaq and Kobe combined Moving goal posts to pretend Nash is an ATG is casual and we all know why you and everyone and 1 you wants to pretend he is an ATG.

And Moses Malone has 3. Does it maybe have to do more with the fact that this is a seasonal award and that a player can in that sense get lucky/unlucky based on who else is having a great season?

[akula1488]

regular season MVPs that don't have a ring?
So it is Embiid, Harden and Westbrook.

[doogie_hauser]

My money is on Luka Doncic

[Ritzo]

Nash was just overrated.

These were Nash numbers in the playoffs in his prime.
2005: 23.9 ppg, 11.3 apg, 4.8 rpg, 52% FG, 39% 3P, 92% FT (15 Games)
2006: 20.4 ppg, 10.2 apg, 3.7 rpg, 50% FG, 37% 3P, 91% FT (20 Games without Amare)
2007: 18.9 ppg, 13.3 apg, 3.2 rpg, 46% FG, 47% 3P, 89% FT (11 Games)

Without the bad luck like injuries, suspensions, Tim Donaghy, he would've won at least 1 title

[Black Jack]

Anybody who thinks the Lakers won't somehow acquire a second star and win at least one ring with Luka is naive

[schnakenpopanz]

Anybody who thinks the Lakers won't somehow acquire a second star and win at least one ring with Luka is naive

Time will tell. I think it is up to when LeBron leaves and retires. It could be so easy to pay for vet min, but you know ego...

[MMyhre]

Edwards, Doncic and Brunson come to mind. The Lakers are just so ass in the frontcourt, idk how u fix that quickly, seems like Luka is potentially shaping up tho, still a long shot vs Thunder, Pacers?, Spurs?, Nuggets? (Murray shapes up again, injury free MPJ they are contenders again). I dont believe in the Wolves unless they find out the Gobert situation, not working.

Edwards is only 23. LOL. I don't think the next couple years with Gobert will define his entire career.

I doubt he wins one in Minnesota... but there are so many unknowns that I wouldn't put anyone with that much success at that young of an age on such a list.

Well he is also has subpar bball iq, a lot of odd offcourt stuff going on, and windows close fast in this league. Its easy to say Harden.

[Beethoven]

Lakers, if nothing changes?

They literally just got Luka a few months ago. Give them a freaking off season. The Lakers track record shows Luka will win a title or two before two thirds of the league will.

Magic, Shaq, Kobe, Lebron. Luka is next in line. So enjoy your small market Finals now while you can. You will all be crying how unfair it is again.

[KayDee35]

Nash was just overrated.

These were Nash numbers in the playoffs in his prime.
2005: 23.9 ppg, 11.3 apg, 4.8 rpg, 52% FG, 39% 3P, 92% FT (15 Games)
2006: 20.4 ppg, 10.2 apg, 3.7 rpg, 50% FG, 37% 3P, 91% FT (20 Games without Amare)
2007: 18.9 ppg, 13.3 apg, 3.2 rpg, 46% FG, 47% 3P, 89% FT (11 Games)

Without the bad luck like injuries, suspensions, Tim Donaghy, he would've won at least 1 title

Nash was an offensive savant. The MVPs were well deserved and the offensive dominance of those teams was greater than the sum of their parts, made possible only by Nash's running the point.

One of the few players who actually improved his numbers in the postseason!

[SkyBill40]

Nash was just overrated.

These were Nash numbers in the playoffs in his prime.
2005: 23.9 ppg, 11.3 apg, 4.8 rpg, 52% FG, 39% 3P, 92% FT (15 Games)
2006: 20.4 ppg, 10.2 apg, 3.7 rpg, 50% FG, 37% 3P, 91% FT (20 Games without Amare)
2007: 18.9 ppg, 13.3 apg, 3.2 rpg, 46% FG, 47% 3P, 89% FT (11 Games)

Without the bad luck like injuries, suspensions, Tim Donaghy, he would've won at least 1 title

Nash was an offensive savant. The MVPs were well deserved and the offensive dominance of those teams was greater than the sum of their parts, made possible only by Nash's running the point.

One of the few players who actually improved his numbers in the postseason!

Also, seeing the true nature of the award itself, if you take Nash off any of those teams... there's no way they are as successful. No way.

Sent from my SM-F936U using RealGM mobile app

[Biff]

Luka if he doesn't start taking conditioning seriously. Reports are he is taking it more seriously this offseason though.