G.E best non-U.S starting five

Hello everybody!

PARIS (The Monday International Show) - After 3 years blogging on nba.com, it's a pleasure to join fiba.com's hard working Dream Team to give my weekly take on the international players of the NBA.

These players, everyone must now agree, have brought variety, good shooting, fundamentals and heigth on a growing level over the last ten years to a league that sorely needed them since many of these aspects of the game were no longer being taught as much in the U.S. system!

To kick things off, here's my starting five of the best non-U.S. players in the NBA right now.

At number one, the German Dirk Nowitzki, whose incredibly consistent play has made him an all-NBA choice, NBA finalist and he's currently fourth in efficiency rating (the quasi equivalent of the Euroleague's evaluation).

His better team results in the NBA and with the German national team keep him barely ahead of the world's best center, from China, Yao Ming, fifth on the efficiency list and having his best season yet at around 25pts. and 10 rebounds a game.

If the giant's feet hold up, Houston should make the western conference semi-finals after a terrible season in 2005-2006.

My point guard for this international five is the double-MVP from Canada, Dirk's best buddy, Steve Nash, the king at making his teammates better who's riding a 14 game win streak with Phoenix!

The amazing thing is his individual stats are even better this season! Look it up!

Alongside Nash, of course I'm going to choose France's pride and joy(and especially the locomotive for NBA popularity in this country), Tony Parker who is oddly snubbed by the all-star game voters-only 7th guard in the west- but sure to be picked by the coaches like last season because of his impact on the Spurs excellent results.

Add to that, that Tony's going to marry an international sex symbol next summer and you have to be impressed with his accomplishments and maturity at only 24!

To complete the quintet, I'm going to surprise you by opting for the Turk, Mehmet Okur(in place of Japan's MVP, Pau Gasol, who's injured), because of Utah's great start and his decisive three point shooting in the money time along with his solid stats around 17pts. and 8 rebounds a game since he left Detroit's bench 3 seasons ago.

True, Biedrins or Deng have a better efficiency rating than Okur and my article next week will cover players like them and others who are among the satisfactions and disappointments of the first quarter of the NBA season.

Anyway, this starting five would be a valourous opponent if one day the NBA copied the NHL all-star format by pitting the international players against the guys from the U.S.

Let me finish with two short cuts to say that I prefer the image vehiculed by the Suns-Nets scoring orgy rather than the Nuggets-Knicks brawl and can't we find a way for two faithful warriors like Garnett and Iverson to join together for one last run at playoff glory?

George Eddy