Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash was ruled out for the remainder of the season by head coach Mike D'Antoni just last week due to ongoing nerve issues in his back, but Nash plans to return to the Lakers' lineup against the Washington Wizards on Friday, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
Steve Nash injury: Lakers point guard plans to return Friday, per report
Previously ruled done for the season, Nash is expected to return to the Lakers’ lineup on Friday against the Wizards.
Nash has been plagued by back issues since last season, and he has been limited to just 10 games this year. The 40-year-old didn’t even make it through two weeks of the season before being forced to sit for nearly three months. When he did return, he only made it through another four games.
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In the 10 games he has played, Nash has looked nothing like himself, averaging 7.6 points and 4.7 assists while shooting just 36.0 percent overall and 31.6 percent from three.
With the Lakers in the midst of a lost season and both Kendall Marshall and Jordan Farmar on the depth chart, the team decided to shut Nash down for the rest of the year in order for him to heal up. But Farmar recently went down with a groin injury, leaving the door open for a possible Nash return. Nash practiced with the Lakers on Thursday and will be used as a backup to Marshall if he does play.
Because of his injury woes, there has been much speculation about Nash’s future. The two-time MVP has given several reasons for not wanting to retire, including the $9.7 million he’s owed on his contract for next year. The Lakers could use the stretch provision to waive Nash and spread out the remainder of his cap hit over three years if they so choose.
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