Will Los Angeles Lakers’ Steve Nash bounce back?
When Steve Nash joined the Los Angeles Lakers, they believed they had a big four of Nash, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard. Since then, both Howard and Gasol have left in free agency and Bryant and Nash have barely seen the court due to injuries.
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Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders does not have high hopes for Nash to have a bounce back season.
"The situation looks bleak for former two-time league MVP Steve Nash. The veteran guard has missed 99 regular season contests over the past two seasons and when he has laced up the high tops he has looked years removed from his respective prime.The Lakers have over $30 million of their salary cap dedicated to their aging backcourt of Nash and Kobe Bryant. If the team hopes to make the playoffs in the competitive Western Conference, Nash will need a huge bounce back campaign and many aren’t predicting that to occur."
At 40 years old with a beat up body, Nash will probably be lucky to play in half of the Lakers’ games next season.
Last season, Nash played in just 15 games, averaging 20.9 minutes per game. He averaged 6.8 points, 5.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game while shooting 38.3% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 91.7% from the free throw line. In his 18-year career, the 15th-overall pick of the 1996 NBA Draft has put up 14.3 points, 8.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 49.0% from the floor, 42.8% from three and 90.4% from the free throw line.
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