Steve Nash Would Consider Joining the Heat: “I’m Not Gonna Come Back to the Suns if There isn’t an Improvement”

Steve Nash Would Consider Joining the Heat: “I’m Not Gonna Come Back to the Suns if There isn’t an Improvement”
March 30, 2012 – 8:45 am by Brad Gagnon
Steve Nash is 38 years old, a two-time NBA MVP and leading the league in assists per game. But with time running out on his career, Nash is doing his thing for a Phoenix Suns team that is currently in 10th place in the Western Conference. Many figured he’d be dealt at the trade deadline, but that didn’t happen and now the veteran point guard is playing out this season before he hits free agency and has a chance to join a contender in the summertime.

Steve Nash joined the Dan Patrick Show to talk about how he plays and sees the game as an aged veteran, compared to when he was younger. He also gave his two cents on the raging “Can Kentucky beat a bad NBA team?” debate and spoke about what might be in store for him as a free agent this summer.
On how often his back flares up:
“Actually it’s the first time all year.”
On if he’s ever been considered a lockdown defender:
“The weird thing is, my first few years in the league that was as much my role as anything. I wasn’t getting minutes unless I got in pressure full court and disrupted people and got stops. But once they start asking you to run a 195 pick’n’rolls a game, that doesn’t come off anymore.”
On how he paces himself at age 38:
“I think what I try to do is be in the best shape of my career every year so that I don’t have to consider that any different. I think all NBA players have to pace themselves to an extent, but we’re all competitive too, so you’re not out there taking plays off but you definitely try to pick your spots when to really go for it at both ends of the floor. There’s a feel that goes into it. I think you gotta do it with our schedule and the demands. But at the same time it’s a fine line because you definitely — I mean maybe when you’re 21, 22 you don’t have to think about that, but when you’ve played five, six, seven, eight, nine years in the league, you do have to pace yourself in some ways. I try to be very careful not to overdo it at different times. Also because you want to be ready down the stretch as well.”
On what he does better at 38 than he did at 28:
“I think reading situations, it’s obviously more second nature and natural. And pick’n’rolls and in different moments the game probably slows down a little bit. I probably slow it down a little bit.”
On if he sees the game a few plays ahead in the same way Wayne Gretzky did:
“Yeah, I guess you do in a way. I mean, I wouldn’t — Gretz is, like, my hero, so I wouldn’t wanna put myself in that category. And I also wouldn’t wanna over-romanticize what I do. But you do think ahead and you do see ahead. And especially as you get older I think you have more experience, you’re more comfortable. So the more things kind of occur to you that are possibilities or could happen, and so you’re not as pressed. When you’re a young player, you’re pressed for time always. You’re always in a hurry because as you get more experience, you feel almost like time’s on your side — even in moments that most people might be rushed. So I think that’s probably the biggest difference as you get more experience.”
On who he’d pick if the Kentucky Wildcats were to face the Charlotte Bobcats in a game:
“I got the Bobcats. I think Kentucky’s got probably more talent, but the guys are young, their bodies are young. Experience — those guys are kids still. I think there are some men on the Bobcats. There’s some kids too on the Bobcats, but I think it’s a stretch. Put it this way: if Kentucky played and they all played till they were seniors, they would make it very interesting.”
On Kentucky’s powerful recent classes in general:
“That’s the interesting thing about their program and how well they’re recruiting, obviously. You couldn’t do that for three years. You couldn’t (have) freshmen, sophomore, junior because there’d be too many NBA players to still be on the team. It’s amazing. I’ve been impressed. I haven’t seen them play a ton this year but I’ve been impressed with how much talent they have and yet they’ve all kind of seemed to sacrifice and play together and play both ends of the floor. So that’s great for college basketball. These guys are gonna come in and only play a short period of time — it’s great that they’re kind of embracing it and playing together it seems.”
On how close he came to being traded at the deadline:
“I don’t think from the Suns’ perspective they entertained any of it. I could be wrong but they always said to me that they weren’t going to and I don’t think that they really got close or entertained it to any serious degree. So I don’t think it was that close. But it’s gonna be interesting this summer, being a free agent. I didn’t wanna really leave at the deadline — I feel like I owed it to my teammates and the Suns organization, the fans. And I could possibly be back for sure, but that’ll be more interesting, I think, than the trade deadline.”
On his desire to go somewhere in which he can have a chance to win:
“I definitely do wanna win. I’m not gonna come back to the Suns if there isn’t an improvement, if they’re not ambitious and they’re not looking to upgrade the roster seriously. And I think they are. I think they’ll have a lot of flexibility in free agency. They also have, I think, been standing pat in many ways so that they could do some things this summer. So I think they’ll become a definite possibility for me. But I think you’re right — I do wanna win and I do wanna consider all my options. So it’ll be interesting to see what happens this summer.
On if he’s talked to Dirk Nowitzki about a reunion:
“No we didn’t. We spent a lot time at all-star break together, we never really talked about it. So I can’t say we have, but at the same time … at this stage in your career I feel like there’s gonna be so many options that it’s an interesting free-agent summer for me in particular. I think there’ll be a lot of things to consider.”
On what he’d say if LeBron James asked him to come to Miami:
“Can I stay in his guesthouse? … I’d listen. He’s phenomenal and I love what they’re doing there. A lot of people don’t like ‘em because they put all that talent together but they’re professional, they play hard, they play together and their coaching staff has done a great job. So I have a tremendous amount of respect for them and I would definitely listen.”
Listen to Steve Nash on the Dan Patrick Show here
Tags: Dan Patrick, LeBron James, Miami Heat, NBA, Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash

4 Responses to “Steve Nash Would Consider Joining the Heat: “I’m Not Gonna Come Back to the Suns if There isn’t an Improvement””

Steve Nash would be the missing link to the title
By manny on Mar 30, 2012

3 Trackback(s)

Apr 1, 2012: San Antonio Spurs (33-14) at Phoenix Suns (25-24), 10 pm (ET) – MiamiHerald.com (Pro Basketball) – NBA BASKETBALL News Updates – NBA Basketball Fanatic News Blog

Apr 2, 2012: Griffin’s strong finish lifts Clippers over Suns – Boston.com (Pro Basketball) – NBA BASKETBALL News Updates – NBA Basketball Fanatic News Blog

Apr 2, 2012: Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash fires back – Tucson Citizen (NBA Basketball) – NBA BASKETBALL News Updates – NBA Basketball Fanatic News Blog

Post a Comment

Name (required)

E-mail (will not be published) (required)

Website