As some of you saw live last Wednesday night (a large portion of fans in the LA area could not get access due to a blackout of NBA TV), Steve Nash was inadvertently kicked in the leg by the Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lilliard.
We all held our breath until we heard news during halftime that Nash would return, only to get a quick breath in until we saw that Nash was struggling to put weight on that left leg. Nash sat on the sidelines on Friday against the Clippers, yet there was a feeling that it was a precautionary move to rest the 38-year-old.
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Saturday came the news that an MRI revealed that Nash suffered from a small fracture of his fibula on his left leg, sidelining him for at least one week. This was not the news that fans and the team were looking for especially when his role on the offense is so crucial.
On top of that, the words “at least one week” are a bit vague, and given his importance to the team, his absence may be prolonged to ensure that he returns at 100 percent. In fact, there are reports that he could be out up to four weeks. Thinking long-term here, that is the wise choice if need be.
I know there has been much chatter around social media of Nash’s back-ups and the concern that the combination of Steve Blake, Chris Duhon and Darius Morris will fail to step up during this critical time. Certainly I too understand that argument because of the numbers they have posted are real data for us to analyze and come up with that conclusion. However, that is what we have and the best thing we can do, as fans, is support them. Now, it is their challenge to continue their improved performance from Sunday night (combined for 12 points, 11 assists and five steals).
However, I want to talk about the impact that Nash’s injury will have on his backcourt partner in crime, Kobe Bryant. One of the biggest benefits of bringing Nash to the Lakers is what is does for Bryant. With Nash as the “general” on the court, orchestrating the offense, creating plays on and off the ball and opening Kobe up with his mere presence, Nash absence will surely having an affect on Kobe’ game, or at least the type of game that he was hoping to have this season.
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The good news is that Kobe has dealt with being a combo point and shooting guard for just about his whole career. Also, he has a dominant center once again in the low post that he can trust on offense. However, I think we all, including Kobe, wanted to see him do less this season. That is not because he cannot still amaze us with impossible shots or plays, since he still does that. It’s not because we don’t want him to take over games. It is because we want to see him at his best for as long as we can. That means more rest and less shots, but at a higher efficiency rate.
Next Page: A More Efficient Kobe Bryant
Besides the importance of having consistent time on the bench per game for his overall health, it is important right now for his injury. The high number of minutes is not helping his injured foot, which Kobe described as “about to fall off” after Friday night’s loss where he played 43 minutes. I am not a doctor, but I don’t believe that is how a foot should feel.
Here’s a look at Bryant’s averages so far this season.
PPG: 26.8
RPG: 5.0
ASP: 3.0
FG%: 59.7
MIN: 37.0
PER: 21.70 (28.24 first three games)
The bad news is that his minutes most likely won’t go down much during Nash’s absence, especially if they return to their performances displayed during the first three games. The Lakers are simply not in tune or in sync with the new offensive system yet. Therefore, Bryant will be forced to remain on the floor to generate offense. What makes matters worse is that the reserves for Bryant have not been effective during their time on the floor.
Brown has gone to Devin Ebanks (2.5 ppg in 11 minutes) for most of the games so far, which is a bit confusing to me and I know I’m not alone in this. I cannot give you an answer to why Brown hasn’t subbed in Jodie Meeks (1.5 ppg in 5.5 minutes) for Kobe on a consistent basis unless there has been significant change from him during practice.
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To honest, the still unsettled rotations that Brown has used is the most perplexing and frustrating aspect for me this season. Last year, unset rotations were a consistent conflict for the Lakers and I honestly thought that would change given a full training camp and preseason this year.
With the Lakers trying to learn and perform under a new offensive system without their general (Nash) on the floor orchestrating the offense, Kobe will have a lot of that old pressure back on his shoulders. Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace must continue to step up their performances as they did on Sunday (combined for 60 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks) to help Kobe cover the absence of Nash. Blake, Duhon and Morris must do an adequate job collectively at the point guard position.
Kobe and most of the other starters went to the bench with a few minutes remaining in the third on Sunday and it appeared they were calling it a night. The second unit failed to maintain the lead and in came Kobe and the other starters to rescue them. Kobe, Pau and Dwight in particular need to rest and therefore the reserves must improve.
Winning games at all costs seems to be a priority for Brown, who is arguably in the hot seat. I agree that winning needs to happen to help the mood around Laker camp and to hopefully build momentum, but with an already ailing Kobe Bryant, his minutes must be managed carefully not only for right now, but for long-term ramifications. With Nash out and more responsibility in Kobe’s hands, doing so multiplies in importance.