Hope Vs. Skepticism For Steve Nash

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Hope vs. Skepticism for Steve Nash


by Mike Trudell
Lakers Reporter
Posted: Sep 30, 2014

What if Steve Nash can become Steve Nash again?

How much fun would it be to watch the NBA's oldest player, newly-freed from crippling nerve pain for the first time in two years, do the things that made him so great for one final basketball ride en route to his inevitable spot in the Hall of Fame?

Two seasons ago in Phoenix, the two-time MVP was still "himself," which on the court translated into 10.7 assists per game and 53.2 percent shooting, not to mention teammates exceeding their own expectations thanks to an excitement to be on the court next to the then 38-year-old Canadian.

Fast forward to Oct. 31, 2012, Nash's second game as a Laker, when he broke his leg in Portland. That crack set off a series of painful nerve issues that limited the so-crucial-to-his-game free movement and plagued his two seasons in Los Angeles to the point of limiting him to just 10 starts in 2013-14. Sure, flashes of his younger self returned in spots -- like on his 40th birthday at Philadelphia when he went for 19 points and five dimes amidst a bit of magic -- but the sparkle was fleeting.

So … how could it return? He certainly isn't getting any younger.

Well, the first time one's head might have turned towards the hopeful nature of "What if" was after an interview with Gary Vitti on Aug. 1, when the longtime Lakers trainer shared this:

When nerves are involved, they either get better really quickly, or they take a long, long period of time. There’s usually nothing in between. We're in that really long period now. He'll be coming back to Los Angeles this week, and all my conversations with him are that he has absolutely no neural issue at this point. He's playing full-tilt, unrestricted soccer. He's doing all the corrective injury and performance exercises he's supposed to be doing, and right now he's 100 percent healthy.
As August turned into September, you kept hearing how great Nash looked around the practice facility. From his teammates to the coaches and the support staff, a mention of Nash produced a raised eyebrow implying that, maybe, he was doing Nashy things?

The first practice of new coach Byron Scott's training camp came on Tuesday morning, which Kobe Bryant described as "The most running I've ever done in an NBA practice."

Apparently, that didn't trouble Nash.





"It was great," he said afterwards. "For me, I’m trying to enjoy this as much as I can. And to feel good out there today and be a part of this team in what’s probably my last training camp was a lot of fun for me."

What did Kobe think Nash looked like?

"He looked like Steve Nash."

The two 19-year veterans are being monitored closely by Vitti and Scott, and yes, the fact that both came into camp in such great shape makes it easier to give them some time off.

“They’ll do the morning practice, and I still don’t think I’ll have them do the whole (Wednesday) morning practice, but I want them to get the scrimmage in," Scott explained. "I think that’s important for both of them because they haven’t played a lot of basketball over the last year, and I think both of them want to get that scrimmage in. They want to play, which is a great thing.”


The bigger question is how long Nash can keep it up.

Nobody understands better than Nash why there's a round of skepticism every time his health is discussed. Rightfully so, and one successful practice is nothing close to a guarantee that his body will hold up in actual, live NBA games. But most didn't see how desperately he tried to get his body right last season, how many times he pushed through pain to try and offer a team long out of the playoff hunt everything he had.

"To have the hopes to light the city up and to bring joy to people, to express yourself on the court in the team context where you pick the team up a little bit, that was always what was so exciting about coming here," Nash said on ESPN Radio's "Max and Marcellus" on Monday. "And for that not to happen was devastating for me."

That devastation was a big part of what drove Nash through his offseason workouts, as he aimed to give himself one last chance at a healthy season, one last attempt to find the joy on the court that he's delivered to NBA fans since 1996.

"Feeling like I have a shot at this," offered Nash. "With a bit of luck you might see a whole bunch of glimpses of the old Steve Nash."

We can only hope.
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Now that he's making his money, I will root for him to stay healthy all season. I really wish he had retired, and that's after being very happy when he came to LA.

 

It would be the ultimate feel good story if Nash & Kobe became the best backcourt in the NBA this season.

 

Nash gives us another angle. That can't be overlooked.

But we're RIGHT to be skeptical. The chances of his nerves giving him a full 82 seasons are very small. Heck the chances of his nerves giving him 41 games are slim. I'd LOVE for him to make it through the year and play well and have a great season, but I just don't see it happening.

 

I'd be happy if we get 60 games from him. To get the most out of him, and especially in the crunch, I might want to play Nash as more of a spot up shooter with the ball in Lin or Kobe's hands to create.

 

If he plays 20 games I'll be pleasantly surprised. Scott should try to give him 10 minutes per half and hope he can set a tone out there.