Steve Nash, much like Kobe Bryant, is a major question mark for next season. Not because of his ability, though there are some questions there after last season, but because he can’t seem to stay on the court for the Lakers. Despite his age, Nash was still pretty durable with the Phoenix Suns, so it was disappointing to see that Father Time appears to have caught up to him.
Steve Nash‘s game appears to have slipped as well. In his first season with Los Angeles, Nash pretty much looked like himself. He averaged 12.7 points and 6.7 assists per game, while still being his efficient self from the field, as he had an impressive .497/.438/.922 line from the field. His dip in points and assists was because he was no longer dominating the ball like he used to with the Suns, but he had not yet shown signs of a major decline.
Those signs came last season, where Steve Nash only played in 15 games, only playing 20.9 minutes per game. Nash was simply terrible, as he shot an absolutely horrendous .383/.333/.912 from the field. Decline was to be expected for a player in his 40’s.
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All of this still doesn’t tell us much about Nash’s health coming into this season. With the Lakers, Steve Nash has only played in 65 games out of 164 possible games. All of his health issues with the team stems back to his second game with the team, when his leg crashed into Portland Trail Blazer’s point guard Damian Lillard‘s leg, causing it to fracture. The time table for his return kept getting pushed back, for one reason or another. He ended up having some nerve damage in his leg. Honestly, it was a miracle that he managed to play 50 games for the team.
We figured he would be healthy for last season, but that simply wasn’t the case. Steve Nash continued to suffer from nerve damage in his leg and it showed in his play. Nash couldn’t quite get his legs under his shots, resulting in a lot of shots coming up short and flat. As a result, Nash’s game was at the worst of his career and he couldn’t produce NBA caliber numbers.
Luckily for the Lakers, Steve Nash has stated that his leg is in great shape and that he isn’t suffering from any more nerve pain. To add to the good news, reports out of the Lakers camp are very positive. Via Mike Trudell:
Consistent word from last several weeks has been how good Nash has looked in scrimmages. Really does change dynamic of LAL if he's healthy.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) September 23, 2014
Although Nash looks great so far, there is no telling if the nerve pain will return once the season starts. It is not easy to stay healthy for all 82 games. It’s a very good thing that the Lakers got Jeremy Lin for almost nothing, as there is no way the Lakers can count on Nash to stay on the court. It would also be great if Nash could experience a return to form and help lead the bench, since there is no point in starting a 40 year old over a player with some upside.
As it is, there is reason to be optimistic for the two time MVP. It’s reasonable to think if Nash has full use of his legs again, he could see a bit of a resurgence. Great shooting doesn’t usually decline as hard as Steve Nash did last season, especially not with a player with such great form (see: Ray Allen). However, we should also be skeptical that he won’t break down again next year. After all, Steve Nash is the oldest player in the NBA. Here’s hoping Nash can have a good final season before riding off into the sunset.