Steve Nash is truly a special point guard when he is healthy. Unfortunately for the Lakers, he has struggled to stay on the court since coming to Los Angeles.
Nash made an unexpected return to the court in tonight’s loss to the Washington Wizards, and though the team failed to get the victory, Nash looked excellent in limited minutes.
Coach Mike D’Antoni spoke to the media after the game, and according to LakersNation.com’s Serena Winters, had high praise for his point guard:
D’Antoni on Steve Nash: “They (teammates) just have more confidence with different guys & he’s one of those guys, he’s a special player."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) March 22, 2014
Nash’s court vision and passing ability have never wavered even as he has gotten older. Tonight, Nash collected 11 assists in only 19 minutes and the Lakers looked far more energetic than they have in recent weeks.
Nash’s return, along with the returns of Jordan Hill and Nick Young all contributed to the Lakers putting up a big fight against one of the East’s best teams. A true point guard always makes his teammates better and Nash obviously does that with this Lakers team.
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D’Antoni and Nash have been together for a number of years, and they hold each other in high regard. Things just seem to run smoother on offense when Nash is in the game.
There are sure to be discussions about how many more games Nash will play, as well as monitoring his minutes and whether or not he will start. But the Lakers will play hard when Nash is on the floor as his teammates are confident that he will make the right play for them.
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