5 Things Every Los Angeles Lakers Fan Will Know After Training Camp Begins

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Five things everyone is about to learn about the Lakers, with training camp opening Saturday…

 

1. Steve Nash Is Still Amazing

As hard as it is to remember, there was overwhelming optimism about Nash joining the Lakers a year ago. Now it’s all skepticism, with Nash coming off an injury-plagued season and just four months away from turning 40.

Here are a couple reminders from last year, though: Lakers executive VP Jim Buss told me his private basketball valuations, counting offense and defense, had Nash pegged as a top-10 guard in the NBA, maybe top five. And after the Lakers’ first practice of that 2012 training camp under Mike Brown, Nash said, “I feel as good as I’ve ever felt. So we'll see if that's the truth or if Father Time's catching up with me. But I have to say I feel as good as I've ever felt.”

Nash does need to be careful with his body, but the guy with the chronic back condition has had to do that his whole career. He comes into this season motivated to prove he’s not nearly done and, according to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, has been at 100 percent health for the past month and a half.

Don’t go out and draft Nash in your fantasy basketball league as if he’s going to put up his old numbers, because the Lakers want to limit him to 25 to 31 minutes per game. But he is going to show right off the bat how great he remains at what he does—especially in the familiar Mike D’Antoni system—knowing he only has to do it for shorter bursts.



 

2. Jordan Farmar Is Kind of Amazing Too!

I kidded in a recent column about “Farmar-velousness” being the second coming of “Lin-sanity,” but there is real potential for a breakthrough.

Farmar, nearly 27, is hitting the sweet spot of his career, where he...

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