We told you Steve Nash’s health this preseason — which has limited both his time on the court and his play on it — has been a concern for the Lakers.
Mike D’Antoni may address that by resting Nash in certain games, including half of back-to-backs — and the Lakers open the season with a back-to-back (at home vs. Clippers Tuesday then on the road against the Warriors Wednesday). Here is what D’Antoni told Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.“There’s a possibility,” D’Antoni said of Nash sitting out against Golden State. “We have to talk about it. I haven’t talked to him. Obviously we’ll see how he feels in the next couple of days, but it’s very possible that he sits out.”
D’Antoni said he and Nash likely would determine the point guard’s playing status as each of L.A.'s 19 sets of back-to-back games come up in the schedule, rather than map it out beforehand and be married to the plan.What this means is the Lakers are going to lean even more heavily on Jordan Farmar, who played in Europe last season. And you thought the Lakers were in trouble this season….
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Farmar should be a better fit in the Mike D’Antoni system than he ever was in the triangle during his last stint in Los Angeles, but he’s not a guy that can carry this team very far.
We’ve said from the start that if the Lakers have any hope of living up to their expectations this season — making the playoffs — they are going to need to stay healthy. Already Nash is taking about missing a chunk of games and Kobe Bryant hasn’t even practiced with the team. A slow start could be too big a hole for this team to dig out of.
Well, at least Pau Gasol has looked good.