Steve Nash nearing return
by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Dwight Howard didn’t want to offend the cavalry of Los Angeles Lakers point guards not named Steve Nash, but there’s just no escaping this reality: they’re not Steve Nash.
So after the Chris Duhons and Darius Morrises of their world were replaced by the two-time MVP in Thursday’s practice, with Nash working his way toward a possible return on Saturday that would end his seven-week stay on the bench because of a left leg injury, Howard and everyone else on hand couldn’t help but talk about the differences that were on display.
“Today, he (threw) a pass that I haven’t got hit with since I’ve been here,” said Howard, who arrived to so much hype and expectation via trade from Orlando over the summer. “Not any offense to the guys who’ve been playing, but he made some tough passes today. He hit Kobe (Bryant) on a backdoor (pass) – that was great. At the end of practice, he drove down the lane and Metta (World Peace) followed him and he hit Metta with the pass, then screened two people, and then Metta got the easy layup. Just little things like that will really help our team out.”
As for when Nash will start trying to help save this season in which the Lakers have lost 14 of 26 games played, he still isn’t sure whether it will be on Saturday at Golden State or a home game against the New York Knicks on Christmas Day. Nash – who practiced on Monday for the first time since his absence began on Oct. 31 but said all along that the Thursday and Friday sessions would determine the date of his return – is reassessing himself daily, if not hourly.
“I just want to try to get through today, see how I feel in the morning,” Nash said. “If I’m able to, practice tomorrow, and see how I feel Saturday, and we’ll just see how it goes. But I think Christmas is probably the most realistic.”
There are a number of obstacles in the way here for Nash and the Lakers, not the … [For more on Steve Nash watch: L.A. Lakers point guard nears return, click here.]
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