Steve Nash still unsure about his return to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup – NBA Update
The Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to be the all conquering juggernaut after they acquired the superstar duo of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in the summer. Nearly quarter of the way into the season though, they are anything but
that.
At 9-12, they are sitting at the 11th position in the Western Conference and barely look like a team which can pose a championship threat to the likes of San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat this season.
One of the major reasons behind their struggles has been the absence of star point guard Steve Nash, who has been out with a fractured fibula in left leg since Oct.31. His absence has become more of an issue under Mike D’Antoni, his former coach at the Phoenix
Suns.
Nash knows D’Antoni’s system better than anybody and the coach believes that things will start flowing once the guard makes a return and does the slick playmaking so badly required for his offensive system to take shape. Nash however
is not sure when he will be able to make a comeback from the injury which is proving extremely tricky;
"I think it will be at least another two weeks," Nash told USA TODAY Sports. "I can move. I can shoot. I just can't run full speed. And I'm not even in shape. I'll probably need at least a week of practice once I start running."
The guard also lent support for his under fire team mates, who have been struggling to come to trips with Mike D’Antoni’s philosophy;
"I hope I can make a difference," Nash added. "I think the team is close to doing well on their own. It's hard. It's like a second training camp. The guys haven't had a lot of time to practice under (coach Mike D'Antoni)."We really
haven't had a chance to play together in a new system, and we're trying to fight through that."
The Lakers are currently on a four game road trip, and have managed to win only one of their last five games. Most importantly, they are not even responding to Kobe Bryant, and are 1-9 in games where the Black Mamba scores 30 or
more. Under these circumstances, they need a leader, a man who can gel them together in a fabric of team, and there is no one better in this regard than Nash.
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