Lakers.com’s Mike Trudell dismissed rumors that Nash, who has been out since Halloween with a leg injury, will return to action during Los Angeles’ upcoming road trip.
Mike D'Antoni said Nash is not likely to play on the coming trip. He said it was "possible" at shootaround, but was just being hopeful.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 10, 2012 Since D’Antoni made his sideline debut on November 20 against the Brooklyn Nets, the Lakers are 4-6.
There are certainly worrying signs across these 10 games. Kobe Bryant is putting up 28.4 points per game on 48.8 percent shooting while Dwight Howard is averaging 18.8 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks, but the Lakers have still found ways to lose.
The team’s defense has been average, ranking 15th in the league in points allowed, but the Lakers place last in bench scoring and 29th in turnovers per game.
While the stars have been productive, they have also been sloppy at times, and the bench is certainly not pulling its weight. D’Antoni has done little to fix these problems, but his coaching record suggests that everything will run significantly smoother with Nash on the floor.
During the four seasons D’Antoni spent coaching Nash in Phoenix, he had a winning percentage of .707. In his subsequent time with the New York Knicks, his winning percentage was just .420.
In three of his four seasons with Nash as his floor general, the Suns ranked in the top 10 in turnovers per game. The Lakers will commit significantly fewer errors when Nash has the ball in his hands.
D’Antoni’s up-tempo system r...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
