The Los Angeles Lakers are still without superstar Kobe Bryant in the lineup and after having Steve Nash sit against the Golden State Warriors in a blowout loss on Wednesday he will be back in the starting lineup at point guard for head coach Mike D'Antoni as the team hosts the San Antonio Spurs at the Staples Center on Friday night.
According to ESPN.com, Nash will be playing after sitting out on Wednesday and D'Antoni said that resting Nash is part of the plan for the team to keep him fresh and healthy this season. With Kobe Bryant still out of the lineup as he comes back from his Achilles injury, having Nash as healthy as possible along with Pau Gasol will be imperative to any chance that the team has to make the postseason in the west. The conference is stacked much deeper than the east and with teams like the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers as well as the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers will have to remain as healthy as possible to keep up.
Mike D'Antoni said that Nash would play on Friday and he said that it was likely a smart move for Nash on Wednesday, as the team was playing the second game in as many nights and that is one target area where he will look to give Nash rest in the future this season. Nash is still looking for his elusive first championship and he is just one of a handful of MVPs that has never won a title and having Kobe Bryant back is likely the only way that the team will get it done.
The Lakers have a solid enough bench with Jodie Meeks, Jordan Farmar and Steve Blake to get by, but if Nash gets hurt past what is already ailing him, the Lakers could be in some trouble. The coaching staff has already looked at the schedule in detail and now the Lakers have 18 back-to-backs left this season after playing in one the first week of the year. The Lakers were able to defeat the Clippers in the first game of the season and Nash saw some action there, with three points and five assists, while playing in 21 minutes, but he was absent on Wednesday and that game was an embarrassment, as the Warriors blew out the Lakers and it was never close.
Nash has been dealing with a number of ailments, including a sore back and ankle injury and while he sat out the first game in this set of back to backs, the coaching staff said they will determine each time which game is better for Nash to possibly sit or at least get limited minutes. Without Bryant in the lineup, having Nash healthy is integral for any chance of winning the division. The team next plays against the Hawks on Sunday and that comes after the Friday game against the Spurs and that will be on ESPN from the Staples Center and the game against the Hawks is from LA as well, meaning the Lakers play three of their first four in LA, with the first coming on the "road" against the Clippers.