Steve Nash was the best shooter on the Los Angeles Lakers as of this morning.
Now he’s gone, out for the season with a back injury that could very well end his career. As though new coach Byron Scott needed a new reason to avoid three-pointers.
Nash, 40, certainly wasn’t being counted on by a Lakers team that seems be lottery-bound again. He has played 65 games over the past two seasons with various injuries, the end result of 1,217 NBA games and 38,069 NBA minutes over 18 seasons.
But Lakers point guards Jeremy Lin and Ronnie Price can’t shoot or pass on the same level as Nash. And Kobe Bryant can’t be expected to run the point again, can he?
The Nash injury is another reminder of both Bryant’s importance and his age. Bryant was drafted two spots ahead of Nash in 1996, though he came out of high school while Nash had spent four years at Santa Clara.
They came together in 2012, an offseason of great expectations for the Lakers. Adding Nash and Dwight Howard was supposed to revitalize the NBA’s winningest franchise but instead put the team where it is now, near the top of the lottery rather than the league.
That’s where Bryant comes in. He played only six games last season because of leg injuries and faced an offseason of intense scrutiny. But he’s back on the court, looking mad as ever and ready to make a charge at all of his critics and opponents.
Nash could have helped. Even with his mobility limited, he could have hit shots from outside. He has shot 42.8% on threes for his career and is the NBA’s all-time leader at 90.4% on free throws.
Nick Young is out with an injured thumb, but the colorful swingman likely will be the Lakers’ other best option from deep.
So Bryant’s going to be expected to create the offense and finish it. Nothing new during his Hall of Fame-bound career, but a lot to ask of a 36-year-old coming off two major injuries in the past 18 months.
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SOURCE: Adi Joseph
USA TODAY
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