There is finally some good news on the Lakers injury front. As the OC Register’s Bill Oram reported, both Steve Nash and Steve Blake could make their return on Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves:
D'Antoni says injured Lakers PGs had no setbacks after Thursday practice. Nash, Blake could both play Tuesday in Minnesota.
— Bill Oram (@bill_oram) January 31, 2014
This is huge news for the Lakers as it was starting to feel like they would never get any players healthy. With both Kobe Bryant, and Xavier Henry experiencing recent setbacks, no one knew when the Lakers would finally get a couple of players back in uniform.
Just getting some guys back in practice was an accomplishment, and though Nash quickly stopped any rumors of him possibly playing tonight, a return next week is still welcome.
Of course, nothing is definite at this point. There is always a possibility that one, or both, could not quite be ready for Tuesday’s game. But with games on Wednesday and Friday as well, there will be ample opportunities for returns next week.
Once they do return, Coach D’Antoni will have some decisions to make about his rotation. Kendall Marshall has played extremely well since being inserted into the starting lineup. With Jodie Meeks playing well and Nick Young off the bench, it will be interesting to see how D’Antoni juggles his backcourt rotation.
But with the lack of options recently, I’m sure this is a welcome problem.
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STEVE NASH: Nash Back At Practice, Says This Has Been The Hardest Thing In His Career
