After working extremely hard the entire off-season to give himself a chance to compete this season, Steve Nash has dealt with nagging injuries through the first three games of the year. With a limitation on his minutes and sitting back-to-back games this season, Nash has struggled tremendously so far — averaging 4.0 points and 5.0 assists in 22.0 minutes.
In Friday’s loss against the Spurs, Nash came out with great energy but only converted on one of his eight shots. After a disappointing performance, Nash realizes that he’s about to turn 40-years-old in a few months, but still accepts the challenge via Bleacher Report:
“The want is there; I’m still enjoying the challenge. It comes from within. I know what I’ve been through; I know how old I am and the miles I have on the body, but I still take the challenge. And there are things I can build on and can improve.”
In order to maximize his production in games, Nash is considering less work and more rest to last the entire season:
“I’ts going to take more patience than usual, and it’s going to take maybe less work and more rest. I really have to check myself a lot as far as my typical approach to things to not overdo and not put myself back because I’m overdoing it or I’m trying for too much.”
After two games, it’s very clear that Nash still doesn’t have his legs under him. While Nash worked extremely hard to get his body right during the off-season, it’s going to take some time to get in game shape.
With Nash turning 40 and still wanting to accept the challenge despite all the injuries, he deserves a chance. While some feel that he can’t perform at a high level anymore, he has never relied on his quickness or athleticism. Once Nash is able to find a balance, he will still be an effective player for the Lakers this season.
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