Steve Nash will prove to be effective in the coming year

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The glory days of the crafty and ever efficient Steve Nash had ended long before the 40-year guard put on the purple and gold jersey. Nash's statistics had stooped to all time lows during the course of the last two seasons, averaging 12.7 ppg during the 2012-2013 campaign and only 6.8 this past season.

However, no one has the right to blame him. Nash had suffered from some freak injuries that really were beyond his control. The former two-time MVP has not been coy about his own upsetting play as he has personally admitted that he has not looked the same and will likely never be the same.
 
Nevertheless, Nash has never backed down from working to keep himself healthy enough to contribute to the team the best that he possibly could. When he managed to stay on the court, he helped players like Nick Young, Chris Kaman, and Robert Sacre flourish. He has also showed some glimpses of his vintage game when he managed to get the consecutive playing time that he fought so hard to get back to.

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Nash has made it clear that this will be his last season on the court and given his work ethic, it is obvious that he will lay it all out on the table. Moreover, with 19 seasons under his belt, Nash will be a great mentor to younger guards like Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson (who has really opened some eyes during Summer League). With a player that has the potential of passing the torch over to young, athletic guards, keeping Nash will only help the organization in the long run. Take a look at Goran Dragic and the player that he has developed into, the possibilities are endless.

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The Lakers seem to be heading into yet another rebuilding season so Nash's influence on Lin and Clarkson will hopefully give the young guards enough time to develop their skills for bigger and better years to come.

If Nash could manage to make the most of his expected playing time, he could still produce a great exit from the Association. The depletion of his game has been quite depressing to see but his courage and strength to stay optimistic is everything that you would hope to see from a dedicated athlete. Although Nash has received some backlash for his comments concerning money and staying on the team to collect his final paycheck, Nash has not simply given up and has put his body through grueling workouts to get back to earn that money.

Nash will go on to be one of the most captivating point guards to have ever played the game and though it is frustrating for fans to see that his game had never reached its full potential as a member of the purple and gold, he still has a season to make it all worth while.  

For now, take a look at Nash and his offensive highlights with the time that he has spent on the Lakers:

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