Nearly lost in the trail of debris Kobe Bryant's top-secret timetable has left behind is the welfare of one Steve Nash.
Curious was the best way to describe his situation at first. Limited preseason appearances weren't of concern, not for the oldest player in the NBA. They were precautionary measures, and those were to be expected.
Not even when coach Mike D'Antoni admitted Nash might miss some time this season did we panic.
"I'm not concerned," D'Antoni said after Nash left a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings with a sore left ankle, per ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin. "I think this will happen off and on all year, but he's going to give you a good season and good stuff. We have to take care of him."
Breathe easy, Mike. We know you're posturing; preparing us for the worst when Nash is headed for the best. Your basement-level expectations aren't fooling anyone.
Since then, it's become clear D'Antoni isn't masking Nash's progress or dramatizing his injuries. Nash isn't right, and D'Antoni isn't the only one who has noticed.
“He hasn’t been able to compete in practice,” Pau Gasol admitted, via Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding.
With the Los Angeles Lakers already down Kobe and wearing thin on established players, the team needs Nash on the floor. Unfortunately, it may have to trod along without him, too.
So, can we panic now?
Why yes; yes, we can.
Poor Prognosis
Pretending that Nash's injuries and spotty absences are no big deal is to ignore the obvious. Nash is old, much older than he was in 2011-12, when he almost led the downtrodden Phoenix Suns to a playoff berth on his own.
Nash, already the oldest player in the league, will turn 40 in February. In NBA years, which are typically crueler than dog years, that's anc...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
