Steve Nash says he feels great despite a report to the contrary. (Getty Images) |
The New York Post reported on Tuesday that Nash has been dealing with back pain that has limited his game.
At the risk of belaboring the subject, sources claim Steve Nash’s back is as bad as it has ever been, and that it’s affecting his shooting. In the last 10 games, the Suns point guard has taken more than eight shots once: 8-of-16 on March 27 against the Spurs.Within hours, Nash responded via ESPN.com.
The Suns are 26-26 and on the outskirts of the Western Conference playoff chase. Nash has appeared in all but four games this season, posting averages of 12.7 points, 11.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game.Steve Nash insists his back feels "the best it's felt in a decade." Nash, who turned 38 in February, also told ESPN.com in a phone interview before Tuesday night's game in Sacramento he intends to "sign for three more years this summer" and play beyond his 40th birthday when he either inks a new deal to stay with the Suns or finds a new team via free agency.
"It's been my best year physically from start to finish in a long time," Nash said. "Other than a little tweak (last week) against San Antonio, my back's been pretty close to 100 percent."
Nash is leading the NBA in assists per game for the third straight season. His shot attempts are indeed down, as he's attempting just 9.1 per game, the first time he hasn't been in double digits since the 1999-2000 season. With the smaller volume, Nash is actually hitting a career-high 53.7 percent of his shots, a ridiculous number for a 6-foot-3 point guard.
Despite his advancing age and issues with his back, Nash has been remarkably durable as long as anyone can remember. He's never missed more than eight games in a season during his prime years. If anything, this has been a year of over-achievement for a mishmashed Suns roster and there's no one else to credit except the man who drives the boat.
If his back -- or anything else -- is bothering him, Nash is doing a great job of hiding it.
RELATED: Nash said recently he would survey his options in free agency this summer