When the Lakers announced the signing of Steve Nash on July 4th, 2012, no one could have foreseen a freak accident collision with Damian Lillard that would have Nash sidelined with a fractured leg. Now, over a year later, Nash is still dealing with nerve issues that stemmed from that same collision.
It is going to be a day to day struggle for me,” Nash explained after Lakers practice on Monday. “I’m still fighting things that happened because of the broken leg – with all the nerve issues.
Unfortunately, it seems like every day, Nash’s evident aches and pains are a relevant topic of conversation. His hamstring, back, left ankle and neck have all had their issues over the past year. Nash was optimistic before the season that barring any freak accidents, he’d be able to produce effectively this season. Despite his set-backs, Nash remains optimistic.
“I’m optimistic still that I can get to the highest level I can get at this stage. I think if [Sunday] night is an indication, if I can get up another level or two, I’m going to be pretty effective.”
When asked how often he’s plagued by the nerve issues stemming from his injury last November, Nash said it’s almost everyday, describing it as the “nerve roots” being “on guard.” Nash has played limited minutes in the Lakers first four games of the season and sat out in the Lakers second game of a back-to-back against the Golden State Warriors. D’Antoni seems to be using Nash sparingly in the second half, worrying that he’ll be too stiff to re-enter the game if he sits for too long.
The Lakers take on the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday, visit Dwight Howard in Houston on Thursday and take on the Pelicans in New Orleans on Friday.
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