I'm sure he would, but nobody, I mean NOBODY with any objectivity thought Billups had achieved Hall-worthiness simply based on getting that award.
When evaluating players, the Finals MVP is huge when comparing players who are otherwise in the same league, but it's absolutely clear that as a baseline, the MVP is more impressive than the Finals MVP. Case in point, the award Billups won could have easily gone to several of the Pistons had things worked out a bit differently, would that have meant that that teammate was a clear superstar? Of course not. The Piston victory was a team victory with an ensemble cast. The only Hall debate that came directly out of it didn't even involved Billups, it involved Ben.
I agree and disagree with your response. I agree that a number of Pistons could have won the award that year. Wallace helped put the team on top in a mid-season trade. But, you are talking about his supporting cast and neglecting to mention the supporting cast that Nash had when he won the awards, which is now disassembled, and now that the team that he won the two MVP awards with isn't together any longer, is Nash still in consideration for the MVP award today? NO, he isn't, and the MVP awards Nash won very easily could have gone to a few other deserving players around the league the same way that a couple of other Pistons could have won the NBA Finals MVP.
You said that nobody in the discussion is better than Tim Duncan yet Nash beat him in the MVP voting twice.
Nash had Shaq, Amare, JRich, and Grant Hill on his team this season and couldn't even lead his team into the playoffs. The Pistons traded Billups to Denver and we all know how that turned out for the Pistons.
In another post you also said that the Norm wouldn't take a peak Deron against a peak Nash, but if you look at the numbers of their first 4 years in the league and then look at the age difference of when they came into the league. Deron is/has put up better the better numbers.
Deron Williams 1st 4 seasons in the league: (you can't go back farther because this is how long he has been in the league).
16.2 pts per game
8.7 assists per game
47% fg
36% 3pt fg
Steve Nash's 1st 4 seasons in the league:
7.2 pts per game
4 assists per game
43% fg
40% 3pt fg
It wasn't until Nash was in the league for 8 years before he averaged more than 8 assists per game in a season. Deron Williams hasn't even reached his peak yet, he is still only 24 years of age, and was only 20 when he entered the league. Nash was 30 years old the first year that he started to put up the numbers that Dwill is putting up now. I'd take a Peak Deron when he reaches it over a Peak Nash even if I am out of the norm.
John Stockton never won an MVP award, but:
Peak Stockton against Peak Nash, who would you take?
Isiah Thomas never won an MVP award, but:
Peak Thomas against Peak Nash, who would you take?
Nash is one hell of a talent, but so are several others who never won the MVP award that very well could/should have. The NBA polls a panel of 125 reporters and broadcasters for the official MVP award. IMO a popularity contest shouldn't be a determining factor of who makes it into the hall of fame.
