"Pressure? No, it's still preseason," Xavier Henry summed it up succinctly.
Henry's goal, like the Los Angeles Lakers' goal, is to be ready by the time the regular season rolls around. In less than two weeks, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers will face a stern test against Dwight Howard and the Houston Rockets on a nationally televised NBA Opening night game.
Bryant should be ready, but Steve Nash is a major doubt.
Two weeks into training camp, the Lakers have already experienced the best and worst of both worlds the 2014-15 season expects to offer. Nash and Bryant looked like a surprisingly spry offensive duo in their preseason opener against the Denver Nuggets. Two games later, the duo combined for a dismal display of shooting that ultimately resulted in a 41-point blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Prior to training camp, Nash was never truly expected to be a reliable contributor, but the 40-year-old Canadian point guard turned heads with his early showings in practice scrimmages and preseason. Two games later, Nash's health is a major concern again, and Lakers coach Byron Scott admitted that he would mull over whether to pencil in Nash, even if he is healthy, as the first-choice starter at point guard.
"The advantage is that (Nash) is one the best point guards that ever played the game," Scott said about Nash after Tuesday's practice. "Obviously, if he's out there, he's healthy, he makes us a better basketball team."
Nash, sadly, has become reliable in being unreliable at this late stage of his career.
Luckily, the Lakers have covered themselves for the likelihood of Nash not being an everyday player. Jeremy Lin may be recovering from an ankle sprain that will likely hold him out of Thursday's preseason game against the Utah Jazz, but the 26-year-old is certainly capable of starting in the NBA.
Playing alongside Bryant, Lin can act as an on-ball creator or an off-ball shooter. In his two preseason appearances, the boy who was birthed in Torrance has already displayed his versatility. Against the Nuggets, Lin ran the second unit as the primary passer and collected 10 assists with only one turnover. Against the Warriors, Lin lined up alongside Bryant for the first time and served as a shooter, scoring 14 points without missing a single shot.
Along with Lin, the Lakers also have a proven commodity in Ronnie Price. Already one of the most respected guys in the locker room, the 31-year-old offers tenacious defense that occasionally includes tossing a shoe at the opposition. Price is not a flashy guard that will pour in 40 points, but he is an experienced and stable player that only turned the ball over three times in 60 minutes of preseason basketball.
Another option, the Lakers also have an athletic kid named Jordan Clarkson, but rookies usually require time to acclimate to the pace of the NBA game. Clarkson’s promise is far from guaranteed to translate to production. Still, the kid can penetrate, is not afraid to shoot and possesses all the tools that can allow him to excel this season and beyond.
Pressure and the Lakers go hand-in-hand, but one would be wise to keep it mind, “it’s still preseason.”
