August 29, 2008 11:00 am  |  38 Comments

Steve Nash Doesn’t Think He’ll Get a Lot of Rest Next Season


by Marcel Mutoni

Steve Nash is thirty-four years old, he has a bad back, and could use all of the rest that he can get if Phoenix plans to last longer than a single Playoff round next year. Management thinks they can get him to sit out 12 games of the seemingly interminable regular season; Nash, though, isn’t holding his breath.

From the East Valley Tribune:

“What do you think of (general manager) Steve Kerr’s plan to limit you to 70 games next season?”Nash gives me that “you’re-not-going-to-get-much-out-of-me smile” and then proceeds to, well, not give me much. “We’ll see how it goes,” he says. “Those are great intentions, but is it realistic? We’ll see.”

[...]

Is Phoenix good enough that it can sit Nash for 12 games? “I don’t know,” Nash says. “Probably not.”

The team - which has played .235 ball with Nash in street clothes - already relied on him heavily during the D’Antoni Era; he has every right to think he’ll be seeing a ton of minutes under new coach Terry Porter.

With Phoenix promising to play actual defense from now on, though, Steve Nash’s effectiveness will be something to keep an eye on throughout the season.

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This story is filed under: NBA, The Wire, Top News

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  • a_whiteman Posted: Aug.29 at 11:03 am
    poor steve, poor poor steve

  • Jukai Posted: Aug.29 at 11:10 am
    He may never win a ring, but he’s already the best in my heart for making awesome internet videos.

  • mat smith Posted: Aug.29 at 11:12 am
    nash is my favourite player ever, if you dont like the man, there is something wrong with YOU

  • a_whiteman Posted: Aug.29 at 11:32 am
    i dont think so unless he takes a cut(his deal is up after next season) and goes to boston!!!!

  • Tommy Patron Posted: Aug.29 at 11:34 am
    What type of plan is that? That’s their strategy to win?

  • BETCATS Posted: Aug.29 at 11:34 am
    does the taste of kobes a$$ play point guard?

  • Irishpaul Posted: Aug.29 at 11:40 am
    I have to say that I will be pleasantly surprised if Phoenix wins more than 50 games this season. The Laker’s, Rockets and Hornets have put an end to the Sun’s era as a Western Conference force. rest their best player for 12 game’s? There’s more chance of Zeke and Marbury co-writing a book on the evils of misogyny

  • Darksaber Posted: Aug.29 at 11:53 am
    Steve Kerr sure can shoot threes, taking care of his main man in Phoenix? Not so much. Don’t worry Steve, you have options, maybe play for Newcastle Utd? Or become the general secretary of the UN ?. Think about it, cause 08/09 is gonna HURT. Marion’s not there guard the bigger guards of the league, and Shaq is gonna miss his usual 34 games as soon as pre-season starts. Plus the west is loaded, as usual. Good luck, and say hi to Baron for me hmm?

  • Sparker Posted: Aug.29 at 12:00 pm
    what has happened to phoenix makes me sad

  • JackBrown Posted: Aug.29 at 12:39 pm
    Don’t worry, Steve, they got Goran Dragic to back you up. Hilarious.

  • Kary Rivera Posted: Aug.29 at 2:04 pm
    No way he will let them sit him out games next year! He runs on passion and heart…when he needs to be effective he will step up! Go SUNS!

  • Tarzan Cooper Posted: Aug.29 at 2:24 pm
    sean singletary????

  • DP Posted: Aug.29 at 2:58 pm
    D.J. Augustin would have been a great backup if he would have fell that low. But Sean Singletary? he can score like barbosa but like him he is a shoot first point guard. not good.

  • KiddFan5 Posted: Aug.29 at 3:39 pm
    5 years from now when Nash is old and decrepid, people are going to look back at his career and say “How did we give THIS guy TWO mvps”. The man is not a winner. He’s had two reasonably successful years in phoenix, but hasn’t even been able to win the conference with 2 other all stars. When all is said and done, his reputation as a ball player will be the same as it was when he left dallas; very talented, very smart, but can’t get it done.

  • Yknot Posted: Aug.29 at 3:47 pm
    Maybe they should rest him all year and hope to win the Rubio sweepstakes next year!

  • DP Posted: Aug.29 at 3:54 pm
    Rubio with Nash’s guidance would be incredible but that’s like my hope of Luol Deng to go to the lakers.

  • Jukai Posted: Aug.29 at 4:34 pm
    KiddFan5: You’re right, he could never get it done. The mob and the league wouldn’t let him.

  • mat smith Posted: Aug.29 at 4:41 pm
    KiddFan5 is all kinds of wrong

  • Kevin Wilson Posted: Aug.29 at 4:43 pm
    He’ll be able to take all the rest he wants after the first round.

  • Patrick Lok Posted: Aug.29 at 6:26 pm
    here come the serbs… dragic is a lockdown guy on D so b/w him, singletary and barbosa (if he’s there) there’s more than enough stopgap options.

  • ThEAn$wEr3 Posted: Aug.29 at 7:38 pm
    Steve Nash will win a championship in 2009 if Shaq plays the best ball of his career but Shaq will retier so Suns will suck.Should of kept Marion.
    :(

  • john Posted: Aug.29 at 10:05 pm
    cris pual is taking over the point guard era

  • nyuk nyuk nyuk Posted: Aug.29 at 11:43 pm
    i am going to miss how badass the suns were, no d’antoni, nash going down with the ship, shaq walks in just to add to the epic downfall. Its like when sacramento had a wikid team but didnt win no rings. alas

  • tealish Posted: Aug.30 at 12:09 pm
    I think a good portion of the commenters here can cross up the two-time MVP with relative ease, so I don’t see big minutes being a problem for the Nash in the new PHX system where defense is no longer a dirty word.
    lololoL, he was a 2-time MVP! loLz!!

  • chicks love a prairie boy Posted: Aug.30 at 1:48 pm
    He is canadian too,i hope he gets to sit some games out dont get me wrong he is a good player- one of my favourites- but i dont want him to hurt himself worse -like an injury that could possibly end his career-and most likley Phoenixs chances at a good playoff run

  • Sanjeev Posted: Aug.30 at 9:19 pm
    For some reason this does not surprise me at all. Nash is truly a talented point guard which the ability to pass like no other. Easily him and Chris Paul are the top 2 guards in the league..hands down (I am a Baron Davis fan, but lets face it Paul and Nash are just amazing). Nash can shoot the ball well, pass the ball well, and helps his teammates improve and grow. He has helped Barbosa, Diaw, and Bell strengthen their image as solid basketball players. With a weaker lineup (Shawn Marion > Shaq…obviously), there is no rest in site for the poor Canadian. If they do play some DEFENSE they’ll be in good shape for making the playoffs. Check out my blog.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Aug.30 at 9:36 pm
    Steve Nash is a good player, but not a 2 time MVP or top 10 point guard of all time. Shaq ain’t got anything left so Suns ain’t winning anything

  • Hursty Posted: Aug.30 at 10:41 pm
    ah cash is back in the bank I see Money.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Aug.31 at 12:10 am
    back from a week at Falls Creek

  • Louis Posted: Aug.31 at 1:47 am
    dude this guy is the man i have met him twice both at charity events and he gives back to the community more than anyone i know and plus im from his home town so u gatta love him

  • sunburn Posted: Aug.31 at 4:33 am
    I dont get some of these comments! First everyone bashes the suns for not having a true big man, and for not playing defense. So they trade for a decent big, and start adding pieces to improve thier defense…. And now there in worse shape than before. Please, thats just the sign of a hater.

  • sunburn Posted: Aug.31 at 4:38 am
    I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if the suns take a hit in the win column next season, so they can rest there starters. Then come playoff time, with a new philosophy, rest, coach, etc…, they will be ready to go all the way to the finals. Now as far as beating boston when, and if we get there, that will be very tough.

  • BETCATS Posted: Aug.31 at 8:16 am
    maybe in 3 years Sean Singeltary will be ready for like 30 minutes a game, but by then steve will be old and all Jason Kidd-like.

  • G-Train Posted: Aug.31 at 11:17 am
    Steve is my favourite player in the NBA, he is a true PG. Being a Suns fan, I would expect Nash to play 70+ games, in spite of it seeming unfair, who else can we play at the 1? Barbosa, that’s pretty much it. Here’s hoping Steve doesn’t get run ragged this season though.

  • Allenp Posted: Sep.1 at 10:09 am
    Nash can continue to rest on defense…Right?

  • Ben Posted: Sep.1 at 8:03 pm
    there gonna rest him for like 2 games, get their a$$e$ whooped and play him the rest of the frickin season. he ain’t gettin no rest.

  • Dacre Posted: Sep.1 at 10:58 pm
    I love Steve Nash.

  • BJ Ballerz Posted: Sep.6 at 4:39 pm
    the suns cant rest nash, thats like saying their gonna get shaq to lose 100 pounds. not gonna happen.

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