The unreasonably prolific Phoenix Suns now have employed two Most Valuable Players without a role-model portfolio. Take a bow, Steve Nash. Nash, currently serving his second term as the NBA's MVP, may not be the guy you want influencing an impressionable young point guard. I'll wait a moment while you digest the last sentence. OK, this position seems sort of insane when proposed in the aftermath of Nash's 31-point, 12-dime effort during Monday's victory over the L.A. Clippers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. But despite Nash's remarkable two-year run in Phoenix, his tactics still should be considered dangerous for your baby playmaker to emulate. Please note that this warning has nothing to do with his MVP credentials (they're impeccable, although the only individual honor that really matters is playoff MVP). For the record, I live in metropolitan Phoenix, coach two club basketball teams and have about 20 kids enrolled as player-development (shooting, passing, handling, etc.) students. From his scoop layups to unfortunate hair, Nash seems to have quite an influence on more than a few of these future hotshots. And that may not be good. Let's begin with the obvious. As poster boy for Hair Canada, we may presume that Nash has saved thousands (not sure about the exchange rate) on shampoo and conditioner. With a coiffure not unlike that presented by crooner Tom Petty, the MVP's head might be confused with a waterfall at the end of a polluted lake. Nash led the league in free-throw percentage, but his pre-shot routine includes tucking that unruly hair behind his ears. Thanks to Clippers center Chris Kaman, Nash ranks second for worst hair in the playoffs. The wardrobe can be an even larger concern. Before this inaugural dress-code season, the toughest potential one-on-one match-up for our X Games refugee might have been with Mr. Blackwell. We can imagine that Steve hears "Hugo Boss" and thinks "owner of a car dealership." Since the sartorial intervention of NBA commissioner David Stern, the Suns point guard reaches full compliance with blazers, T-shirts and boot-cut jeans. Steve Nash manages to have success by frequently shooting an under-handed layup from a very low angle. But young players should avoid emulating this shot. (Chris Carlson / Associated Press) Now that the nitpicking is over, let's get to my on-court concerns regarding Nash. I'll preface this criticism by reminding you that the point guard should be the first line of defense for any team. Nash is more of a turnstile. At the tender age of 32, he seems fully capable of being beaten off the dribble in a wax museum. During the third quarter of Game 1 with the Clips, the alleged knee-bend in his defensive stance conjured images of a baby giraffe. This doomed-matador attitude invited Clipper Sam Cassell to seize the opportunity to score five baskets in succession. Nash's passing, which usually qualifies as textbook material, provides my next concern. The bothersome issue with Nash-as-passer is the tendency to leave his feet before delivering the ball. Based on his vertical prowess, this leaves ol' Steve about .2 seconds to find an open teammate. Fortunately, Suns coach Mike D'Antoni believes in stationing several snipers at the 3-point line, enabling Nash to save the possession by simply flinging the ball to the perimeter. That tactic is just dandy, if you're suiting up shooters the caliber of Nash's teammates. For everyone else, leaving your feet to pass is strongly discouraged. An official warning is included with every basketball sold in sporting goods stores — "inflate 7 to 9 lbs., but don't leave feet to pass." Nash the shooter generally provides a fine example for the adoring masses. His swan-neck release is pure and easily replicated. However, this follow through often occurs after the subject has faded away from a defender. That's fine if you're the NBA's MVP, but damaging if you're a kid attempting to create space without actually beating the defender. From a teaching standpoint, I'm also not a fan of his from-the-floor, scoop layup, which Nash executes with the nonchalance of a guy flipping a grenade out of a window. I won't pound Nash for dribbling into a trap against the Lakers, a violation of point-guard protocol that might compare with Bill Gates forgetting where to locate his laptop's power button. Anyway, with these concerns on the table, let's review a few of Nash's good points. He sees the floor like a casino-surveillance camera. Although not a blazer, he's as sneaky fast as the arrival of your monthly credit-card statement. He's fearless at taking (and making) the big shot. He's the best at screen-roll quarterbacking since John Stockton. Nash's skill at screen-roll forced L.A. Lakers coach Phil Jackson to employ a rope-a-dope defensive scheme that seemingly attempted to make the Suns tire of scoring. He's spent hours working on his offensive skills. Despite growing up in a soccer household, Nash earned a hoops scholarship to Santa Clara. He was a first-round draft pick of the Suns, but not an immediate hit. After serving as Jason Kidd's stunt double, Nash signed a relatively lucrative free-agent deal with the Dallas Mavericks. He survived some early booing before his career was advanced by the shoot-first philosophy of Mavs coach Don Nelson. Nelson didn't mind that Nash seemed unable to guard a parked car. After enabling the Mavericks to become an offensive machine, our point guard turned down a low-ball offer to stay in Dallas. Since returning to Phoenix, he's captured two MVP trophies (which he can lift without a spotter) and turned the Suns into a team whose style you'd like to copy, but can't. So, if Nash has limitations as a point guard role model, who would be more worthy? That's a tricky proposition. My first option would have been Stockton, whose credibility was undermined by those tragically unhip shorts. Kidd was another possibility before he quit guarding anyone and led the heyday version of the New Jersey Nets in field-goal attempts despite shooting less than 40 percent. Isiah Thomas was a sensational point guard, but his credibility is sabotaged by his work as a personnel executive. Our next candidate is Stephon Marbury. I'm kidding. San Antonio's Tony Parker is a better defender, shoots a ridiculous percentage (55) and dates Eva Longoria, but he's no Nash in terms of creating easy shots for teammates. Hornets rookie Chris Paul plays offense like Thomas and played defense at Wake Forest, but I haven't seen him play enough as a pro to give him a nod just yet. When the dust clears, I suppose a point guard role model should be someone who makes the game easier for his teammates. Making teammates better is a concept that seems fairly impossible to authenticate. But, at times, the game certainly seems easy for the Suns — especially the guy who's not guarding anyone. For role-model purposes, embracing the point guard who cruises at one end of the court never will be easy. Perhaps I'll encourage my young point guards to watch the Suns with one eye closed. Veteran columnist Randy Hill is a frequent FOXSports.com contributor. http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5590106?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=73 --

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