L.A. Lakers News: Steve Nash And Steve Blake Injury Update

By Anthony Riccobono | November 30 2012 2:21 PM

Before the Los Angeles Lakers game with the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, Mike D’Antoni was optimistic that he could have his two point guards back for the contest. Now, it looks like the head coach will be without his top two floor generals for longer than expected.

Reuters

Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash are both playing in their 17th NBA season.

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The fracture in Steve Nash’s leg doesn’t seem to be healing quickly. Right before L.A’s loss Indiana, Nash claimed that he was still unable to jog.

Nash expects to be out at least one more week. If he isn’t ready to play until after next Friday, he will miss at least the team’s next five games. Four of those will come against Western Conference opponents, including a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the club the Lakers were expected to compete with for the top spot on the conference.

The prognosis of backup Steve Blake is even worse. On Wednesday, an MRI revealed that he still has an abdominal strain, and it will keep him out for at least another two weeks, With Nash’s health improving at a snail’s pace, that could mean trouble for the Lakers.

Darius Morris has done an admirable job in his stint as the starting point guard, but he probably isn’t ready for the role he’s been put in. He played in less than one-third of the Lakers games last year, and has very little experience to be the point guard on a team with so many veterans.

L.A.’s offense might continue to struggle without Nash or Blake. Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol have struggled to find a rhythm, scoring less than 20 points in each of their last four games.

The one player who hasn’t been affected by the lack of a strong point guard is Kobe Bryant. He leads the NBA in scoring at 27.7 points per game.

The Lakers look to reach the .500 mark when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.