Is John Stockton the best pure point guard to ever play the game?
— John Hancock, Savannah, Ga. Let’s see — Bob Cousy, Tiny Archibald and Isiah Thomas were all scorers. Magic was a part-time pivotman and full-time scorer. Oscar scored, rebounded and defended. Even Jason Kidd has significant scoring responsibilities. That leaves the likes of Dick McGuire, Slater Martin, Andy Phillip and Stockton. Of these, my vote goes to Stockton. What are your criteria for the NBA’s MVP award, and who are your frontrunners so far? — Joe Olson, Kansas City, Kans. I pay no attention to the MVP award, simply because role players are just as important to a team’s success as its “stars.” However, the players do care about the award because of the prestige, the contractual bonus bucks and the increased bargaining power. As for me, I call it the Most Visible Production award, and see it as a manufactured contest adjudged by media types, who are unduly influenced by numbers. Isn’t Kobe Bryant the best all-around player in the NBA? — VJ, Atlanta Absolutely. However, beca
