Steve Nash Already Making Life Easier For Lakers

Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

We only got 15 minutes worth of Steve Nash last night but I’ve seen all I need to know that life will be much easier for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Kobe Bryant isn’t going to have to consume 20 seconds of the clock just to get his shot off. Metta World Peace isn’t going to have to make any more awkward attempts to run the break. Pau Gasol isn’t going to have to camp out in the corner just to get a decent look at the hoop. Even Mitch Kupchak can rest easy knowing he won’t have to scrape the bottom of the NBA trade barrel for a suitable guard to run the offense.

Pretty much everyone in the Lakers organization from top to bottom is going to find life a little more manageable with Nash running the show.

Mike Brown finally has a quarterback that can compensate for the offensively challenged coach’s shortcomings. Jim Buss has a move made on his watch that actually improves the team to the level of championship contender up from playoff pushover.

And of course Lakers fans have the peace of mind knowing what to expect from their point guard night in and night out.

Is Nash still a defensive liability? Yes, that will never change. Dude is 38 and has played one way for his entire career. We all have to make our peace with seeing more abuse from the Russell Westbrooks and Derrick Roses of the NBA.

However will Nash be more consistent than Ramon Sessions and infinitely more trust worthy? Does Andrew Bynum park in the handicapped spot outside of Geno’s? You’d better believe it.

But let’s just boil this down to what’s most important above all else. Nash gives the Lakers exactly what they were lacking in late game situations last season – confidence.

Sounds crazy considering the Lakers boast of the game’s best closer in Bryant. As we all know KB24 looked nothing like the cold blooded Black Mamba of years past in the clutch last season, specifically not during the Lakers’ many meltdowns against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs.

With Nash running the show you know for a fact each possession will be maximized in crunch time. You can rest easy having put your trust into a Hall of Fame point guard that can run the offense with his eyes closed or adlib and go off-script with the timing of a great sketch comedian.

We can all rest easy with Nash at the point, it’s one of the many luxuries his presence has afforded the Lakers. I’ve already seen enough to know that much. What remains to be seen is how this all works with Dwight Howard in the middle.