How can Steve Nash be effective for the Lakers this season?

Steve Nash

An 18 year veteran of the game, Nash has always been part of a title contender but has never won a championship. Let’s face it, the Lakers’ jersey is the last one Nash will wear before he heads into retirement and his time with the purple and gold isn’t going to get him a ring either.

Drafted 15^th overall in the famous 1996 draft, Nash joined an elite 50-40-90 group in the season of 2005-06. He would go on to repeat the feat following four seasons to join Larry Bird as the only two players to complete the feat in more than one season.

An eight time All-Star, two time NBA Skills Challenge Champion and eight selections to the All-NBA team, Nash is ranked as one of the top players in the history of the NBA in free throw shooting, total assists, assists per game and three point shooting.

To put it in short – a future Hall of Famer.

Aged 39, nobody expects Nash to be his MVP self, but Lakers fans and management expect his play to take the Lakers to their full potential.

Funny as it is, with Nash and Gasol, the Lakers can be a more effective team without Bryant. Why?

Steve Nash is most effective when the ball is in hands and in the previous season the biggest obstacle he faced was the lack of touches. Being relegated to the role of a floor spacer, he recorded 17.8% of his field goals in spot up situations (via Synergy Sports), his highest since the tracking of this stat started in 2009-10.

Pick and roll with Gasol

With the absence of Bryant, Nash’s terrific ball-handling skills along with Gasol’s versatility in the pick and roll offense would be highly effective. Off the pick and roll, Nash could kick it out to teammates with open looks considering the great setup man that he is, evident from his 8.5 assists career average, or hand it to Gasol who could finish it at the rim, hit a mid-range jumper or pass it further to another teammate.

With the departure of Dwight Howard, Nash, one of the league’ premiere screen and roll players, will be awarded far more opportunities in the coming 2013-14 season.

It is in the Lakers best interest to have Nash handle the orange and get his shine on.

Minutes played and with whom on the floor

One option the coaching staff and Mike D’Antoni could consider would be to play him for long stretches of minutes when Bryant is on the bench. That allows Nash to play his natural game which includes running the team offense.

The starting back court pair of Nash and Bryant averaged 29.3 minutes together on the court. By managing Nash’s minutes, D’Antoni could give him more opportunities to run the Lakers car and prove he is a threat on the floor.

Health

He missed 32 games the past season and looked completely out of sync at times. Heading into the coming season, Nash needs to start the season with the mentality that he is a major cog in the Lakers machine function and not just any role player.

With Bryant’s return date not certain, Nash would have to stay healthy and be a leader on the court for the Lakers, given his experience.

Familiarity with the Mike D’Antoni- Phoenix Suns offense

He spent the best years of his career under Mike D’Antoni in Phoenix. Entering training camp this season Nash could be reacquainted to his previous form which allowed him to run more quick hitting plays. This is one of Nash’s best gifts: picking apart a defense before it sets. He must get out in transition and use his creativity, which is incredibly tough to plan for and scout, to make decision on the fly.

The 2013-14 Lakers roster will mirror D’Antoni’s vision of offensive basketball. They will put one big man on the floor and surround him with shooters and play makers on the perimeter. Nash has routinely shown throughout his Phoenix Suns days that he is masterful in such a setting, and it should not be any different with the Lakers.

Improve Defense

There used to be a time in his career where his torrid defense was not quite a concern since what he gives away on the defensive end, he used to make up for it by running the team offense to dangerous effectiveness.

Over the past few seasons, his on ball defense has made even a mediocre point guard look like an elite one. In fact, is there any point guard in the NBA who can stay in front of Nash off the dribble?

Even if he improves his assists average by 2 or 3 a game, his days as a top 10 point guard in the league are in the past.

Heading into retirement, what would most be remembered about Steve Nash would be the impact he creates in LA and whether his acquisition was a boon or bane for the purple and gold franchise. A healthy Nash could make the Lakers an explosive and exciting team to watch, but they will still lose as the game is played on both ends of the floor.