Oct 29, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash (10) guards Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (3) in the first half of the game at the at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Stock Down: Steve Nash
Yes, Steve Nash’s stock has plummeted. First, he played 20 forgettable minutes in game one, finishing with 3 points and 5 assists. Then, he sat out the second night of the back-to-back, leaving the Lakers with just two natural point guards. On Friday, he played 23 minutes, but shot a dreadful 1 of 8 and finished with 5 points and 5 assists. He’s shooting just 18.2% from the field and has a player efficiency rating of 2.1.
The worst part is Nash is supposedly healthy, or likely as healthy as he can be. He has nagging injuries they likely won’t be going away anytime soon and his inability to play through them shows his age. At 39, it’s impressive he’s even in the league, but he’s just not able to compete at this level anymore. At best, he could take a Manu-like role off the bench as a veteran leader. At worst, he remains ineffective and does the Lakers more harm than good.