Welcome to Player Projections! This series is here to establish how just how well a player is expected to do. At the end of the year, player review grades will be handed out according to expectations vs actual results.
Remember when the Lakers traded for Steve Nash? Remember that feeling of excitement you felt because the team was finally getting a good point guard? Two years feels like a very long time ago and the feeling of excitement has since been replaced by the feeling of dread. Steve Nash was supposed to help guide the Lakers back to the Finals, instead we’re left with two back-to-back disappointing seasons and wondering if Steve Nash can even play more than half of the year.
It’s hard to remember what the good version of Nash looked like. At the same time, it’s difficult to accept the fact that we will never see that kind of production out of him ever again. As great as Nash was at such an old age, Father Time will always remain undefeated. We are left with the question: What can we expect out of Steve Nash next season?
We can’t expect All-Star production out of the future Hall of Famer. His time has come and gone. With that said, Steve Nash can still be an effective player, should he be able to stay on the court. Great shooting doesn’t usually decline as hard as he did last season. Here are his 2014 statistics and his 2015 projections, according to ESPN:
I think ESPN is spot on in projecting that he only plays 46 games. I don’t think he will be like last year, where he was largely useless over 15 games. I think Steve Nash will still be a solid contributor on the offensive end. He should find his shooting stroke again now that he no longer has any leg injuries. I just don’t see him playing more than 60 games. He is old and has proven to be injury prone without the Phoenix Suns’ medical staff.
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The projected shooting percentages are encouraging because the Lakers will need to space the floor better and having a healthy Nash at the three point line helps accomplish that. Building on that, if Steve Nash can manage to stay completely healthy for more than 60 games, he will be a big help to this bench unit. Without Mike D’Antoni‘s run and gun style the bench will struggle to create the same impact. With Nash presumably leading the bench unit, those 7.6 projected assists per game will go a long way to maintaining a successful bench.
At the very least, Nash will be another able body on the offensive end. He won’t be dishing out assists at his usual rate any time soon, but his added shooting and scoring punch will help keep things running smoothly for the Lakers offense.
With that said, Steve Nash’s offense has never been a weakness for him. His defense, however, always will be. Expect Nash’s defensive numbers to slip even farther. While we’re at it, expect the Lakers to finish in the bottom 10 defensively. Obviously, Steve Nash won’t help the Lakers’ cause on that end of the ball. And with the type of players this team has, it will be extremely hard to mask Nash’s terrible defense. When you couple weak perimeter defense with mediocre at best rim protection, you get a bench unit that will likely allow points in spades.
Overall, Steve Nash looks good for a potential rebound season. We could easily be in store for a return to form and a Steve Nash averaging double digit points again. It all depends on whether or not Steve Nash’s health will allow him to.