Steve Nash missed a total of 32 games last season while suffering from numerous injuries with the Los Angeles Lakers. After an offseason where his health was the focus, the point guard was hoping to return this year feeling much better and ready to play. However, the hits keep coming for the veteran and his health now a major concern for the Lakers.
Nash is reportedly now dealing with nerve damage stemming from a fractured left leg he suffered last season. The injury has limited the veteran at the start of the season, but Nash remains optimistic that getting to full strength could happen soon.
"I'm still extremely optimistic," Nash said, via ESPNLosAngeles.com "I just think maybe the level of health is different. It is going to be a day-to-day struggle for me, and that's something I'm up for, though, and I'm optimistic that if I don't have any freak situations again I can try to get on top on all of these things. Really, I'm still fighting things that happened because of the broken leg, with all of the nerve issues. So it is what it is."
Nash was also suffering from a sore left ankle and neck throughout the preseason as his body cannot seem to get healthy. Head coach Mike D'Antoni is resulting to sit Nash during back-to-back games as a precaution.
One thing the Lakers cannot afford this season is a heavy amount of injuries. Kobe Bryant remains out with his Achilles injury. At the moment Pau Gasol is healthy, but no one knows how long that will last. Most recently, backup center Jordan Hill was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right knee and will not be active for the next road trip by the Lakers.
Hill is important this year as a backup to Gasol. His health will be key going forward. As of now, Hill was leading the league in field-goal percentage and toping the league in offensive rebound percentage. D'Antoni hopes this is the last of his injury problems.
"Jordan is kind of a spurt guy," D'Antoni said. "The longer the minutes, the [more tired] he gets, the less productive. So he spurts out there and he gives us some energy and he doing a great job. There's no doubt we're trying to find him a few more minutes here and there, but we're trying to be strategic about how his minutes are going to impact the game and they have so far.