Heading into the NBA season, the former two-time MVP was not even mentioned in MVP talks. There was LeBron, Kobe and Dwight – but not Nash. Kid Canada graciously accepts our apologies and continues to lead the Suns to a 7-1 (5-3 ATS) start with number like 18 points and 13 assists per game.
"I want to win a championship," Nash told NBA.com. "If I do, it'll be the best accomplishment of my career, but if I don't, my career has been really rewarding. I think I still have a lot to play for whether I win a championship or not."
He’ll take on Hornets guard Chris Paul Wednesday, who many consider to be the best point guard in the NBA. Paul is scoring almost 27 points per game but is dishing out only 9.8 assists per game – down from 11 and 11.6 in the past two seasons. New Orleans is off to a disappointing 3-5 start and has covered the spread just twice on the road this year.
Phoenix, on the other hand, returns home for only the third time after winning three straight games on the road – covering the oddsmakers’ number in all three.
Pick: Phoenix
Charlotte Bobcats at Detroit Pistons (-3.5, 172)
Take the Pistons’ top two scorers out of the equation and you have the result of Sunday’s 88-81 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, which played well under the 191.5-point total set by books.
Detroit got production from its makeshift starting five while Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince watched from the sideline, but only 26 points off the bench. Hamilton is nursing a bum ankle that will keep him out Wednesday night while Prince is out of action for a while after injuring his back.
"You're talking about a guy you can trust and a person who has been to a championship and won it," head coach John Kuester said of Prince. "We'll miss his experience and leadership and his ability to talk to players."
Detroit already ranks among the worst offenses in the NBA and now faces a team that thrives on defense and low-scoring, grimy games. Charlotte is scoring just over 85 points a night but its defense sits third in the league. The Bobcats will be coming off a game against Orlando Tuesday.
Pick n Roll 11/11
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