Apr 24, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash (10) brings the ball up court during game two of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at AT
According the Lakers trainer, Gary Vitti, Steve Nash may have a minutes restriction next season. Here’s what he had to say:
"“I think he’s going to come back in great shape, and then it’s all about how he’s used. You don’t want to beat him up in practice. Save it for the game, figure out the appropriate minutes that put him in a successful situation. The example I use is Robert Horry, where we played him a lot of minutes, and it was difficult for him to recover and be productive at his age. But he goes to San Antonio, plays 18 minutes a game, and the guy was an unbelievable force off the bench for them. I think if we figure out how best to use Steve, he can be the same way.”"
I don’t think the Lakers play him 18 minutes a game, but they might limit him to around 27-30 minutes a game. This past season he averaged 32.5 minutes a game, so it won’t be a huge cut, but it could help a lot, especially if his leg injury is lingering.
If you want to see everything Vitti had to say, you can find it in an interview he had with Lakers reporter Mike Trudell here.