“What do you think of (general manager) Steve Kerr’s plan to limit you to 70 games next season?”
Nash gives me that “you’re-not-going-to-get-much-out-of-me smile” and then proceeds to, well, not give me much.
“We’ll see how it goes,” he says. “Those are great intentions, but is it realistic? We’ll see.”
Nash, 34, is receptive to the idea of getting more rest. He played in 81 of 82 games last year and averaged 34.3 minutes per game. To put that in perspective, Dallas point guard Jason Kidd, 35, was the only player older than Nash to log as many minutes.
Nash points out that San Antonio point guard Tony Parker had fresh legs for the playoffs last May in part because he missed three weeks and 13 games of the regular season with an ankle injury.
Of course, Parker is also eight years younger than Nash.
“I feel like you can always use the rest,” Nash says. “If you can get to the postseason well rested, it’s perfect. But you can’t always afford to do that.”
And there’s the rub.
Is Phoenix good enough that it can sit Nash for 12 games?
“I don’t know,” Nash says. “Probably not.”
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/124314
