After the devastating news that Steve Nash will miss the entire upcoming season was revealed, we are left to wonder what type of role he will be playing on the team. Nash still hasn’t decided on the status of his playing career, but with all the injuries he suffered, and this the final year of his contract, it’s tough to see Nash playing anywhere next year.
There was a lot of excitement when the Lakers added Nash two years ago, but the former two-time MVP has only played in 65 games throughout his Laker career. In his first season in LA, Nash was able to play in 50 games, then that number plunged to 15 in his second, and now he won’t even see the court once as he enters his third year. However, this doesn’t mean we haven’t seen the last of him around an NBA court.
Since Nash will continue to remain on the Lakers roster, it seems that coach Byron Scott has some ideas of how to utilize the future hall of fame player. When asked if Nash could be a mentor to his teammates, Scott said, “I have some things in mind already if he would like to do that. I would love to have him around. I think his expertise and experience could help a lot of our young guys.”
Although he can’t play, Nash’s knowledge and leadership is still a valuable asset to have on this roster, especially for guys like Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson. It is still uncertain if Nash is willing to accept a mentor or coaching assistant role at this time, but it would be nice to see him helping the Lakers on the sidelines since he can’t help them on the court.