Steve Nash: Why He Hurts the Phoenix Suns More Than He Helps

The headline of this article will be sure to confuse some, and I have to admit that without context the headline seems completely out there.

Steve Nash is not hurting the Phoenix Suns at this point in time and is in fact the reason they are even floating around the .500 mark. Surrounded by a mediocre group of players, he is leading the entire league in assists without a single All-Star by his side.

However, Steve Nash is 38 years old and his basketball years—though hard to admit—are winding down.

When he leaves, whether it be this year or two years from now, the Suns are going to see a huge drop in production and could very well have a season similar to the one the Charlotte Bobcats are currently having.

Steve Nash has a reputation throughout the league and media of making the most of the players around him, and it is in this way that he has been able to keep the Suns a respectable franchise over the past two seasons.

It is is now that I want to take a small step back and look at the big picture.

The best player lining up next to Steve Nash is Marcin Gortat, who is currently sitting on 16-10 average. The rest of his team includes Hakim Warrick, Josh Childress, Robin Lopez, Ronnie Price and Michael Redd.

Combined, the players above average a total of just under 25 points a night.

This is where we see the problem that Nash creates for this team.

He is leading a group of below-average players to a potential playoff berth, when in fact they should be finishing close to the bottom of the conference and league.

They should be in the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. However, due to Nash single-handedly elevating this team, we see a 26-26 team that is average, but not bad. Phoenix has one of the worst rosters in the entire league, and yet, due to the play of Steve Nash, they get away with it.

Had the Suns traded their future Hall of Fame point guard, they would have likely gained a few younger players and perhaps a few draft picks, instead of keeping him and gaining nothing if he leaves.

It is my hope that Nash does not play another full season in the desert. While the constant losing and mediocrity will be tough at first, it is best to get it over with and start the rebuilding process now, rather than continuing to delay the inevitable.

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