NBA Playoffs 2012: Why Steve Nash's Hip Injury Will Doom Suns' Postseason Hopes

Steve Nash's return to the lineup Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers is obviously good news for a Phoenix Suns team vying for a tightly-contested playoff spot. 

That news might not be good enough, though.

No one has given any indication that Nash will be playing at 100 percent. Of course, if there's any player with the court IQ to overcome decreased mobility, that player is Steve Nash. Still, anything short of Nash playing playoff-type basketball won't be enough for the Suns.

Nash in his prime might not haven been, either.

The Suns's remaining schedule is about as difficult as it gets. After Monday's game against Portland—a virtual must-win—things will get really interesting.

Phoenix goes on to play a back-to-back at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers. Good luck with that.

Two of their three remaining games come against the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs. The Denver game will matter for both clubs, thanks to the Nuggets' interest in improved seeding. The Spurs game may be a different story entirely.

If San Antonio is content to sacrifice seeding for rest, the Suns could have a shot at the Spurs' bench unit—not that beating that bench is the easiest of tasks.

A schedule like that could be trouble for any team.

It could be even worse for Phoenix if Nash slows down or returns to the sideline. Most teams depend heavily on their starting point guards, but few do so more than the Suns. Nash is the fulcrum of an offense with weapons more adept at catching and shooting than creating their own offense.

If the Suns have any hope of sneaking back into the postseason, Nash will have to go above and beyond the call of duty—no matter how his hip is feeling.