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Steve Nash Can Have Impact Off The Court For Los Angeles Lakers

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By @pjacobosports

Steve Nash Los Angeles Lakers

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The Los Angeles Lakers acquired eight-time All-Star Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns in the summer of 2012. Nash was going to usher the second coming of show time in Los Angeles with fellow stars Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard.

That experiment failed miserably and set back the franchise a few years. Since Nash’s arrival to L.A., he’s played a total of 65 games out of a possible 206. His tenure with the Lakers has been tainted by numerous injuries.

Nash is well respected throughout NBA circles and beloved by fans. Lately, he’s been receiving a bad rap because he’s been away from the team. Nash is coming to grips that his career is over and is having a tough time accepting it.

Being as it may, he is still being paid by the Lakers and I think he could still have an impact even though he’s not on the court. He’s in the last year of a three-year $27 million contract with Los Angeles, and should be involved with his current teammates.

Nash rubbed fans the wrong way last season when a documentary hit the television screens detailing parts of his rehab training. It showed the world (and Laker fans) the difficult road he had to embark in order to get back on the court and help the Lakers. We see the struggles of 36-year-old Bryant’s body breaking down; now imagine a 40-year-old Nash who’s had a history of back issues.

If Nash cannot be physically playing, he can still contribute by mentoring Jeremy Lin and promising rookie Jordan Clarkson. His knowledge of the game could be instrumental in the development of both Laker guards. Lin has been unfairly judged by fans (including me) in his first year with the Lakers, but he’s still only 26 years old. Perhaps under Nash’s tutelage his game could improve.

For whatever reason, Lin has not been able to mesh with Bryant in the back court. Nash can significantly improve Lin’s game as he did once with Goran Dragic. The 40-year-old pro could help Lin with limiting his turnovers, the value of keeping his dribble alive and how to run an effective offense. From 2002-2010, Nash led the highest scoring offense in the NBA. Safe to say, the two-time MVP could show Lin a thing or two about having a successful career.

Lin has shown flashes in the past of what he can do when the ball is in his hands. Bryant has missed eight games so far this season and Lin has seen his role increase in those games. To no avail, Lin has delivered sub-par performances in those games. He has produced only one double-digit assist performance with Bryant sitting out. At this point, Lin’s confidence is down and he’s been relegated to the bench. He is slowly finding his game leading the second unit.

The Lakers’ organization loves everything about young Clarkson. He has great size, speed, agility and an eager attitude to learn. Learning from a future Hall-of-Famer in Nash would not be a bad thing. His guidance would do wonders for the first-year combo guard.

It’s unfortunate to see one of the top point guards in history going out this way. Nash can still make his presence felt by being around his teammates. By staying away from the team and collecting his paycheck, he’s looking like a selfish person who doesn’t care for the organization. Nash can change that perception if he rejoins his teammates for the second half of the season as a special consultant, similar to what Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did with a young Andrew Bynum.

Nash has been a joy to see on the court. His vision, passing, shooting and how he ran an offense was simply brilliant. Perhaps mentoring the two Laker guards could be a higher calling to another chapter in his life as a coach.

He gave so much to the game that I find it difficult to see him completely out of basketball. His track record of generosity in the community is legendary. If this is truly the end for Nash, as the NBA’s third all-time leader in assists, he can hand out one final assist to the Lakers by mentoring Lin and Clarkson.

Pablo Jacobo is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @pjacobosports, “Like” him on Facebook or add him on Google.

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