After all, as that same article points out, the Suns are less than 24% (4-13) without Nash in the lineup, and over 73% (228-83) with him the past four seasons.

Definitely not my favorite Nash quote ever, and yes, I’d (hypocritically?) be annoyed were it made by someone with a history of self-aggrandizing comments (coughAmarecough), but I’m going to chock this one up to Nash clearly not being in the mood for an interview to begin with (as the article makes clear was the case). Besides, it’s not like he didn’t have a point. The Suns have looked worse than a lottery team in most of the games he’s missed the past few years, and until that changes, well, truth hurts.

Was this comment taken out of context? I’m sorry Stan, but whatever the context may be, I don’t think this makes him a “pompous ass” at all. He’s the core of the team. Everyone knows that. What coach would intentionally leave out a key player for 12 games? And it’s not like Nash was there bragging and saying there was no way they could do it without him. He simply said “probably” which is what I think any confident, key player on a team would say.

How is this pompous (not to mention who rests a superstar 12 games?)

Steve Nash is the most productive player on the team and has been for the past four years. For him to miss 12 entire games, when our backup PGs are two rookies, would be horrible. Without Nash, we’d be fortunate to make the playoffs.

The same is true for Amare. We don’t have good backups for these people. We can lose swingmen or Shaq, since he isn’t as uber-productive and Amare and Nash.

But if we lose either of those two, then it is not good and hovering around .500 would be all that we could hope for. And remember it was only a 5 game difference between making the playoffs and being at home, so hoping for .500 ball doesn’t seem like a good idea, especially since there doesn’t seem to be any reason we can think that the Suns are Spurs kind of team that can coast into the playoffs and “turn it on.” We need every advantage we can get and so every regular season game matters.

What Nash said is true and I don’t see why honesty is pompous.

I thought it was sort of a humble answer. He’s not sure that the team, as a whole, will be good enough that they can let up, by resting him, and still be in a good spot for the playoffs.

I obviously could be wrong, but that’s how I took it.

I have to echo what the other comments to this post have already stated. Nash isn’t stating anything that isn’t the truth (we aren’t anywhere near the same team without him since he’s been here). When I first heard the plan to sit Nash for up to 12 games I reacted the same way he seems to be in the article. It would be nice but probably not realistic. Limit his minutes sure but to sit him for 12 entire games when the west is so competitive I don’t see that. Hey, maybe Goran will live up to the hype faster than expected and this strategy may have some hope of succeeding but until that happens (and I’m not holding my breath on it) I think Nash is absolutely correct with his statement weather we like it or not.

… But I am absolutely going to pile on. What self-respecting 2-time MVP is going to say that his team can live without him for 15% of the season? Could you imagine those words ever leaving Jordan’s lips? Duncan’s? Malone’s? Bird’s? I

The idea of resting a player of his caliber for 12 entire games is ludicrous. It’s a nice thought, given his age and back, but the Suns in their current incarnation have not demonstrated they have the firepower or savvy to do without Nash for 576 minutes this season, especially given the competitive state of their conference.

So I’m not sure exactly who Steve Nash insults by stating this team is not quite ready for prime time without him. Sean Singletary and Goran Dragic, his two rookie back-ups? Amare Stoudemire, without whom the team has made a playoff run, but who has never had to shoulder the load without Nash? Terry Porter, an inexperienced head coach with one playoff season and one sub-.500 season under his belt in Milwaukee? Steve Kerr, whose idea of franchise leadership is to bet the house on a $20 mil a year has-been, an unproven Euro, and Sideshow Bob?

There’s nothing in that quote that indicates Nash was anything other than blunt (and coincidentally) correct about the situation. Given his years of humility and otherwise astounding insight, I think it’s safe to say the guy was just being honest and not the pompous ass you’re making him out to be.

look, two points:

1) Most of you argue that Nash was right. Yes, he was right given history. But this is a new team and the only way to break our dependency on foreign point guards is to stop being dependent on foreign point guards (and by foreign I mean Canadian).

The Suns need to learn to play better without Nash and the only way to do that is to play without Nash. I think the 12 game resting plan is a good goal.

And besides, we have no idea what Porter’s offense will be but there’s a darn good chance it will not be so dependent on the individual brilliance of Nash and his ability to lead the team to 25+ points per quarter.

The Porter Suns should be able to hold a lead without Nash and also operate efficiently in the half court using a more traditional low post offense and isolation oriented system feeding off Amare and possibly even Diaw and Tucker in the post.

Of course Nash is the best option but you simply can’t ignore the need to develop a more balanced attack and to rest him for the playoff’s.

2) Even if he’s right and you all are right that the team probably can’t afford to sit him for 12 games it was a poor comment on his part. This is a team sport and especially because he has young players behind him the leadership-y thing to say would have been more like “I love to play and always want to play but we have a lot of talent on this team and we aren’t just dependent on any one player.”

His comment was overly focused on himself and that’s not the kind of leadership and style we’ve grown to expect from Nash. I would bet my Prius that he would take that comment back if he could.

If we rest him for 12 games, we’ll lose ~7 of them. A better plan would just be giving him 20-25 mpg.

Pompous? Please.

The Suns and Suns fans are now convinced that the best way to push the team forward to a championship is to bench our best player.

Just like all the other great teams did: Remember when they benched Duncan? Shaq? Wade? Jordan? Bird? Magic? 12, 20 games at a time so they could learn to play without their superstars.

Oh, wait. That never happened. Ever. Because it’s a stupid idea.

I have zero context in what context that comment was spoken, but it’s probably true.

How ’bout 11 games?

That Step-Brothers spoof is hysterical!

He moves this team.
 I agree with his statement. I guess the Suns can afford to give 12 games away this year since they will be so strong. Jeez we are looking at a 52-30 season and the Suns want to sit there best player.
 When Nash leaves and retires we will see Amare’s numbers decrease.
 If Amare puts in the work, and stops running his mouth “about putting the work in” he will be the best player.