NBA Playoffs 2013: Steve Nash Practiced; Should Start Game 2
By John Adair
After a Game 1 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers were concerned about the health of the second half of their star-studded back court, Steve Nash. After returning from back and hamstring injuries, Nash’s mobility was visibly hindered against the Spurs.
With Kobe Bryant tweeting his thoughts from the comfort of his home, the Lakers could not afford to lose another player, especially a guard. There was much talk after their 91-79 losing effort about whether or not the point guard would be able to play whatsoever in Game 2.
Good news came in after a light practice Monday as Nash is considered probable to start Wednesday’s match-up. The Lakers will try to steal Game 2 to even up the series before heading back to Los Angeles.
However, the presence of Nash in the line-up shouldn’t be overrated. In Game 1, he struggled to stay in front of Tony Parker, which was somewhat anticipated, but looked like a guy battling injuries and hardly able to move.
For his standards, Nash was inefficient offensively to couple his defensive deficiencies. He shot just 6-of-15 from the floor to go along with just a lousy three assists.
Nash has struggled all year long, playing just 50 games due to injury and finishing with his lowest assist rate in over a decade. Once the best point guard in the NBA and Mike D’Antoni’s security blanket, Nash is still needed by his team for leadership and depth purposes.