Were Nash & Rose top 5 players in the league the years they won MVP?

[SouBeachTalents]

'05 is one of the hardest seasons to rank players, as no one clearly established themselves as the best in the league, and ranking a top 5 that year is extremely difficult. But considering the Suns turnaround with his arrival, helping lead his team to the most wins in the league, plus playing as well as anybody else in the playoffs, I'd consider Nash a top 5 player in '05

'06 is a lot easier, and I'd easily rank Kobe, Wade, Dirk, LeBron, and Duncan over Nash, and there's arguably a couple others others you could as well

As for 2011, I'd rank Dirk, Dwight, LeBron, Wade, and Durant over Rose, but if you swapped out Durant for Rose I wouldn't necessarily disagree

What say you ISH?

[branslowski]

Dirk wasn't a top 5 player in 2011

[IncarceratedBob]

They were top 1. MVP = best player in the league

[R.I.P.]

Dirk wasn't a top 5 player in 2011

Thoughts Bill?

[Nash]

of course they were,

[DMAVS41]

Dirk wasn't a top 5 player in 2011

What the **** are you talking about?

He led the league in RAPM in the regular season and led that mediocre supporting cast that sucked with him off the floor to a 55-18 record...2-7 without him.

Then was easily the best player overall in the playoffs.

If that doesn't warrant top 5...we might as well just stop talking basketball.

[TheMarkMadsen]

Nash was top 5 in 06 easily

Rose was top 5 in 11 easily

[Dresta]

They were top 1. MVP = best player in the league

It doesn't mean that at all.

[HylianNightmare]

Yes

[ClipperRevival]

Yes, that's why they won MVPs.

[Legends66NBA7]

I would definitely say Nash was Top 5 in 05, but I am not sure about 06.

Dirk was definitely top 5 in 11, no doubt.

[RightTwoCensor]

Why do idiots still try to bring postseason success into MVP conversations? It's 2015, do you retards not understand how irrelevant that is.

25 points per game/7 assists per game/4 rebounds per game/1 steal per game

Anyway, best player on the best team. (funny because people criticize Rose for winning the award but believe Curry was the MVP this year)

[DMAVS41]

Why do idiots still try to bring postseason success into MVP conversations? It's 2015, do you retards not understand how irrelevant that is.

25 points per game/7 assists per game/4 rebounds per game/1 steal per game

Anyway, best player on the best team. (funny because people criticize Rose for winning the award but believe Curry was the MVP this year)

The OP asked if they were top 5 players the year they won MVP....and is including the playoffs.

That is different than MVP.

One can think Nash deserved MVP, but wasn't the best player in the league.

I'm not sure why people like you can't see the difference.

I rarely see people say Rose doesn't deserve the MVP actually. It's just that he clearly wasn't the best player in the game.

I don't think Curry was the best either, but he has a better case than Rose did.

[Wade's Rings]

They were top 1. MVP = best player in the league

MVP doesn't mean that at all

[TheMarkMadsen]

Why do idiots still try to bring postseason success into MVP conversations? It's 2015, do you retards not understand how irrelevant that is.

25 points per game/7 assists per game/4 rebounds per game/1 steal per game

Anyway, best player on the best team. (funny because people criticize Rose for winning the award but believe Curry was the MVP this year)

except no, the criteria changes every year

if the criteria was "best player on the best team" Shaq would have 2+ MVPs