Los Angeles Lakers: Health a Key Concern for Steve Nash in 2013


 

Steve Nash

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

In early July 2012, one of the biggest surprises of the NBA summer occurred. Long time rival Steve Nash was traded from the Pheonix Suns to the Los Angeles Lakers. He was greeted with great optimism and championship aspirations. Nash came to Hollywood looking for the one things he has coveted his entire career: NBA championship number one. At the twilight of his career, Nash is looking down the path that John Stockton and Allen Iverson both strode not winning a single NBA championship. Unfortunately for Nash, things didn’t pan out as expected.

After missing 32 games last year and multiple games in the playoffs, Nash is ready to go. Nash is expected to show up to training camp for the 2013-14 season at 100 percent. The problem is that he’ll turn 40 years old in February, and is no longer capable of guarding most of the leagues quick and explosive point guards. With the additions of Jordan Farmar and Nick Young along with Steve Blake, the Lakers now have more options at guard to give Nash the rest he needs.

Lakers trainer Gary Vitti suggested that Nash be put on a strict minute cap. He then described that in the past, Robert Horry was playing heavy minutes and when picked up by the Spurs he played 18 minutes off the bench and he was an explosive force off the bench. It’s a approach that will be taken by the Lakers training staff but instead Nash won’t be coming off the bench. Nash will be the starter in 2013-2014 and with the help of Farmar and Blake, Nash will be rested on a nightly basis. In 2013, Laker fans hope that Nash can regain his form before he arrived in Hollywood.

Needless to say, if Nash can regain his previous form, he can provide the talents that Hollywood has been waiting to see. Whether Nash will be a Laker after the upcoming season nobody knows, but we can all agree that Nash is class act in the NBA and we hope him the best in what might be the last campaign of his career.

 

 

Nugesse Ghebrendrias is a Sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him/her on Twitter @NugasayWhat24, “Like” him/her on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

 


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