<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">DENVER (AP) -- Steve Nash was too hurt to go back out and too embarrassed to stand for the beating the Denver Nuggets were putting on his Phoenix Suns. Nash's red-faced halftime pep talk inspired the Suns, who overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to beat the depleted Nuggets 113-108 Monday night, despite the league's MVP sitting out the second half. "During the first half they roughed us up, knocked us around and we didn't stand up to them. Steve had a talk at halftime and we played with a little bit more oomph in the second half," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They've got some tough guys and we had to stand up to it. We want to play pretty, but pretty wasn't getting it done tonight." Nash watched from the bench, having aggravated his injured right shoulder in the first half. "I thought it was best to come out," Nash said. "It hurts when I'm moving it."</div> Source
<div class="quote_poster">SpeeJ Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Damn :S:S, I really miss that he doesen't miss any games.</div> Nash hasn't played a full season since '03 (and only twice in his career), which was one of the methods the media used to prove Nash was MVP (as the Suns struggled once he was out) though you can just watch when he goes to the bench for that, he's got to have one of the highest +/- ratings in the NBA.
Barbosa did a good job filling in for him last night, but its real obvioust that they need him back as soon as possible.
Speaking of Barbosa, he's becoming one hell of a player. When is his contract up and what's the Suns salary cap situation? I can picture him getting some top dollar offers.
I think they signed him to a 5 year extension. He has a player option for the 2011/12 season. So the Summer of 2011 he could be a free-agent, otherwise summer of 2012.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">PORTLAND, Ore. - On the court, Steve Nash was trying to keep his right shoulder from hurting, and that was just hurting it more. The same kind of pain surfaced from Nash's protective movements that locked up vertebra in his upper back, causing spasms. The shoulder problems are not related to Nash's spondylolysis, a stress fracture in his spine that causes vertebra to slip. Suns head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson said Nash has experienced previous shoulder issues. "He seems to be doing a little better," Nelson said. "We're getting some of the spasms out of his trap and shoulder. The shoulder, the capsule itself, is a little inflamed still. Once we get that out, it's a matter of strengthening it. He's definitely feeling a bit better. Once you get the spasm out, he doesn't have to hold it up to protect it so much, which doesn't cause so much inflammation. "Everything around it is basically playing tug of war with his shoulder." Nash's personal physiotherapist, Rick Celebrini, coincidentally was coming from Vancouver to the Valley anyway today for regularly scheduled maintenance with Nash. "If the spasms go away, there's no reason why I can't do something again, especially to reinforce that strength and stability in there," Nash said. The spasms, caused when Nash tried to protect the shoulder by raising it, became too much for Suns coach Mike D'Antoni to watch, and so Nash watched Tuesday night's game from the bench.</div> Therapist On Way To Help Nash
Fans of Phoenix have always seen that Barbosa was going to be special, the problem in the past was consistency and the language barrier. I remember his first start, it was against Chicago the game after Marbury was traded, he had 27 points. The problem was he wasn't Point Guard material early in his career and when they finally made him a 2 his game really took off; this year he's finally able to play the 1. His rookie year I was amazed by his speed, he reminded me (and still does) of Clyde Drexler who had the fastest baseline-to-baseline speed I've ever seen. It almost seems like Barbosa cherry-picks because once Phoenix has the ball they launch it down court to him a few times every game, but it's simply his speed that gets him there quicker than everybody else. Barbosa did sign an extension this summer, he makes $33 million the next 5 years, which has got to be one of the biggest steals in the NBA; considering Diaw signed this summer and will make $45 million over that same period.
