2518

by ZonaFlash on Dec 29, 2008 9:53 PM MST

That's the number of minutes Steve Nash is on pace to play this season.

That's about 54 minutes less than he played under Mike D'Antoni but is still a far cry from the 30 minutes per game, 70 games this season (or 2100 minutes total) that management put forth earlier in the season.

Congratulations, Suns fans, you got it right so far.

Phoenix Stan thinks I'm off-base wanting to sit Nash for the Thunder game, given that the team has played just one game in the past 9 days. However, I think NBA wear-and-tear is NBA wear-and-tear whenever it happens. I'm not worried about a little rust at this point in the season.

While there might be a lot of positives to sitting Nash and really working with the Nashless Suns team in the preseason laboratory NBA fans euphemistically call the Oklahoma City ThunderDome, I'm more focused on the negatives. Steve Nash has had to quit two games this year due to back spasms, playing just five and nine minutes in those games, including tonight's game against the Loud Noise. Why did we have to play Nash against the Thunder, only to have him crap out, even if the move was precautionary?

To this point, P Stan made this observation:

Minutes vs games

I think as I understand Nash’s body – and clearly its a focus of mine – he tends to stiffen up if he rests too long. So if you want him in the game and productive at the end you kind of have to play him enough minutes to stay ready.

(and yeah, I wanted to point out that sexy post again)

Whether Nash usage rises as the playoff hunt intensifies is an open question. All I know is that to date, the Suns still need Steve Nash on the floor and that the none of the plans in the past five years to get him more rest has worked. We have swapped out the GM, the coach, all but 2 other players, dozens of wannabe PGs.

I think we inch closer to the goal, but I'm through hoping for a magical solution there. And not to complain too much about this lofty 2% improvement, but I do hope we save the the player a little bit more and try to rely on the other players a bit more.

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Comments

do minutes really matter?

i mean, seriously playing longer builds endurance, you can sustain a higher level of play for a longer period of time. besides, the suns get a few days off before the playoffs, i mean how much rest does a dude need? i never got how underplaying a guy kept him fresh for the playoffs, get a good nights sleep, a few days to rest your weary bones, and your good to go.

by ryansunsfan on Dec 30, 2008 4:06 AM MST reply actions

You need time to heal

And recovery time lengthens as you get older. Each failure to recover 100% has a cumulative effect until you’re back to 100%.

Healing for a sports professional also requires scientific training. E.g., marathon runners don’t train by running marathons. Running a marathon actually decreases muscle mass. You have to get ready for a marathon by doing things other than running a marathon.

Training gets you in shape and the competition breaks you down. Playing longer does not get you in shape to play longer. It does the opposite.

In sports requiring touch, feel for the game, timing, etc. (i.e., not track) the question then becomes “rust versus rest” — which is a serious concern. However, from just a physical conditioning standpoint, the best place to be is well-rested and properly trained.

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on Dec 30, 2008 10:21 AM MST up reply actions

Even if you don't agree with the objective

this criticism was leveled at D’Antoni all the time and was a major focus of the Suns’ managment’s offseason. Failing to deliver, even if the objective were fictitious, still shows that Suns Management didn’t deliver.

Everything must go.

by ZonaFlash on Dec 30, 2008 1:07 PM MST up reply actions

True enough

Nash’s minutes are a concern but they are using him less when he is playing. He’s not the play maker on every single play like he used to be so his wear and tear should be down. If they can play well again tonight without him it will give confidence to rest him more as well.

What killed us on a true backup PG was signing Banks to that big deal. That prevented us from drafting anyone and took up too much salary space.

I still think Barbosa might be moved for one of the young PG’s still on a rookie deal plus a backup big.

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Seth Pollack on Dec 30, 2008 4:41 PM MST up reply actions

I wouldn't want to gamble our only safe backup PG for another unproven commodity

Barbosa is our ONLY backup PG. He’s far from perfect, but I wouldn’t trade him without really knowing we were getting a solid solution.

The Shaq is Back

by ZonaFlash on Dec 31, 2008 3:03 AM MST up reply actions

He is playing

better of late both w/ the ball and on D so…yes, we would have to get a solid piece or pieces in return

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Seth Pollack on Dec 31, 2008 10:20 AM MST up reply actions

Thank Dan-Dan Tony for actually doing something good for the team.

Aside from stunting Barbosa’s D, he did convince Mike Dan Tony to actually play and trust Barbosa.

Hard to imagine that it was that highly inexperienced high school coach, brought in on a wave of odious nepotism, that solved the Suns greatest problem in the past 5 years.

The Shaq is Back

by ZonaFlash on Dec 31, 2008 1:14 PM MST up reply actions