The Mav's Dirk Nowitzki was the lucky winner last year, becoming the biggest German name to hit America since David Hasselhoff, golden locks, oversized silver-studded earings, broken english and all.
South African-born Canadian Steve Nash held the honor the previous two seasons, becoming the first cracker to win MVP since Basketball Jesus three-peated in the mid-eighties.
This year, the pundits and so called 'experts' will tell you that the MVP race is a four man race. Kobe is the league's best player. Chris Paul is the league's best playmaker. LeBron puts up the best stats. The Big Ticket is responsible for one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history, and the is best player on the best team in the league.
But let me take a moment to throw a name out that I feel is getting abominably overlooked: Hidayet Turkoglu.
The Magic forward does it all. Averages of 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists for a 50-win team should be enough to garner attention, especially since, of course, our man Hedo is white.
But not only is he white. In fact, he just might be the best white player in the NBA.
Hedo plays four different positions on the court for a Magic team that lacks a true point guard or power forward. He is their primary ball-handler and playmaker. He shoots 40% from threes. He throws down thunderous dunks for a white guy. He is the only player on the Magic who can create his own shot. (126 million dollar man Rashard Lewis is a shooter, and Superman is no more than a finisher at this stage of his career). He is the veteran on a young team. He is having the best year of his career with numbers very comparable to Tracy McGrady, another MVP candidate. And alas, he is white. MVP voters love players with a disadvantage.
So there you have it - Hedo for MVP. Just as Nash winning MVP gave hope to millions of short white guys playing office basketball in their 30's, and Dirk to lumbering, clumsy foreigners, Hedo can do the same for both.
Turks have been looking for a John Elway-type figure to worship since the Ottoman Empire disbanded. Let's give them every reason to erect another statue.
2 comments:
some interesting thoughts there. While I would agree Hedo is having a fine season, hes essentially a poor mans Peja Stojakovic, who by the way is having a fine season for the Hornets as well. Also, anyone with as much facial hair as Hedo deserves to be in a third category held seperate for immigrants.
I think that your missing a homage to the true place of a white player in todays NBA - the three point specialist. Im talking a throwback to the beautiful days of Steve Kerr - and Im talking Kyle Korver. Not only does he shoot the three beautifully, but for a team of white guys - look no farther than the whitest city in the US, Mormonville USA.
The Utah Jazz feature
1. Kyle Korver
2. Andre Kirilenko (Yes!)
3. Mehmet Okur
4. Matt Harpring
5. and something called a Kyrlyo Fesenko.
Wow.
C'mon now, the Magic have the top two whities in the show: Our boy Hedo, and of course the incomprable J.J. Redick.
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