The Lakers recently got Steve Nash back on the floor after seeing him sit on the sideline since Halloween, but they’re still without their second string point guard, Steve Blake. While Nash has been very helpful, the lack of Blake has still impacted the team, who has been forced to play Chris Duhon and Darius Morris for significant minutes at the point guard position.
Following Wednesday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni mentioned that Blake is still a little ways from being able to return to the team’s rotation, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles.
D’Antoni said that Blake was about “2-3 weeks” away from returning after undergoing abdominal surgery in early December. Having Blake available will certainly cut into Nash’s minutes.
One of the main reasons Blake’s return is so important is the impact it will have on Nash’s minutes. He played 31 minutes on Wednesday in Denver, which was on the heels of a 40-minute game against the Knicks on Christmas. Even for a player with the conditioning of Nash, that’s brutal for a 38-year-old.
Blake’s return will certainly be a positive sign for the Lakers, but until he is able to get back on the floor the team will have to make do with the personnel they have.
