Only two players in the NBA this season are in the elite 50-40-80 club -- that is, 50% field-goal percentage, 40% 3-point percentage, and 80% free-throw percentage.

A lot of you might have guessed Steve Nash was one of the two, and you'd be right. Near the midway point of the season, Nash is the popular early choice for this year's MVP, and with good reason, because he's having the type of year John Stockton used to put up in his prime -- high assist rate, high shooting percentage, minimal turnovers.

It's a little strange, though, that most of his MVP campaign is being driven by "the little things" he contributes -- his unselfishness, his energy, his leadership, his intangibilityness -- whereas "the big things" he contributes, mainly his scoring efficiency, are being largely ignored.

As Greg Anthony might say, that's very ironic.

Steve Nash
FG: 52.0%
3PT: 41.5%
FT: 89.3%
PSA: 1.24

What takes Nash to the next level, and what he isn't getting nearly enough credit for this season, is that he's such an efficient shooter and scorer, and that's just not something you can say about point guards with elite assist rates. As of today, Nash's 41.1 assist rate ranks second in the league, sandwiched between Brevin Knight's 44.6 and Chris Duhon's 40.1 among players who average at least 20 minutes per game. No other player in the league has an assist rate above 39.

Just for kicks, here are the percentages for Knight and Duhon.

Brevin Knight
FG: 40.2%
3PT: 85.7%
FT: 14.3%
PSA: 0.95

Chris Duhon
FG: 32.9%
3PT: 33.1%
FT: 70.0%
PSA: 0.88

Right now, I have Nash 7th in my current MVP race, behind Duncan, KG, Shaq, Lebron, Amare Stoudemire, and Dirk Nowitzki. Nash has been great this year, but his teammates have been just as important to the Suns' success, and not a lot of people seem to be acknowledging that. Passing the ball is only one facet of the game, and only one-third of what it takes to record an assist: The recipient of the pass also has to get open and then has to put the ball in the hoop. Obviously. I don't think we have these great stories about Nash if Amare Stoudemire isn't on the Suns, scoring 26 points a night and shooting 58% from the field. He's making Nash look good, just as Nash is making him look good. It's both, not just one or the other.

About a month ago, a lot was being made about Nash's importance to the Suns when he missed four straight games, a span in which Phoenix went 0-4 and was drastically less accurate from the field. I had a few problems with this.

1. It was four freakin games.
2. Leandro Barbosa took Nash's place in the starting lineup. Find me a team that wouldn't perform worse when it replaces an all-star point guard with a player who was in the Brazilian League two years ago.
3. The Suns lost a game two nights before Nash's injury, to Utah, 108-115.
4. The Suns were losing to the Pacers, 23-34, when Nash left the game in the 2nd quarter with the injury.
5. Any team that loses one of its best players is gonna struggle, especially a team that has a Joe Torre-like bench, like Phoenix does.
6. I believe the Suns would've fared just as poorly if Amare had missed those four games, even though Amare's replacement, Steven Hunter, is actually a good player, unlike Barbosa.

By the way, the other player in the 50-40-80 club is Nash's replacement in Dallas, Jason Terry. Who would've thought.... it figures.

Jason Terry
FG: 52.0%
3PT: 46.7%
FT: 82.4%
PSA: 1.27