Mike Brown admitted after a Friday night loss to the Clippers that his 0-3 Lakers badly need a win. For now, Kobe Bryant and company will have to pursue that elusive first W without starting point guard Steve Nash.
The Lakers announced Saturday that Nash suffered a small non-displaced fracture in the head of his fibula in his right leg and will miss at least a week before being re-examined. Nash suffered the lower leg injury, originally called a contusion, during a Wednesday night loss to the Trail Blazers in Portland. Nash did not play against the Clippers on Friday.
Nash, 38, was acquired by the Lakers in a summer sign-and-trade with the Suns in exchange for two first-round picks, two second-round picks and cash considerations. Nash signed a three-year contract worth $27 million as part of the agreement.
Browns Princeton offense was already coming under fire with Nash. Without the two-time MVP and eight-time All-Star, Brown is expected to start reserve Steve Blake and to use Darius Morris and Chris Duhon behind him. To say that going from Nash to Blake is a downgrade would be an understatement. Blake, 32, is a somewhat serviceable veteran with a very limited offense game; he is a low-risk, low-reward player content to move the ball around safely and shoot only if wide open.
Lakers’ Steve Nash has non-displaced fracture in*fibula | The Point Forward - SI.com