Steve Nash and his 36-year-old body have been hurting as of the late, specifically his back and abdomen.  It was bothering him so much that he stayed in Phoenix on Tuesday while the team went to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder.  The Suns were able to escape with a 104-102 win without Nash, but they are not the same team without him.  He returned to the court last night at home against the Philadelphia 76ers and he looked healthy and fresh.  He only played 29 minutes, but he went 8-9 from the field for 20 points, 13 assists, and 4 rebounds in a 106-95 win.  Hopefully Nash’s back/abdomen problem will wear off and they don’t get worse, because if the Suns want to get anywhere in the Western Conference playoffs they are going to need a healthy Nash running the show.

Steve Nash has been playing at an amazing level, especially when you consider the fact that he is 35-years-old.  He is averaging 18.3 points, 11.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds, while shooting 52% from the field and 43% from three.  The Suns have not been playing very well lately though, and they have lost 6 of their last 10 games.  Now news has surfaced that Nash has an abdominal strain and he has been sitting out of practice because of it.  It obviously bothered Nash, as he went 2-10 from the field and 1-6 from three in their 115-111 win over the Houston Rockets last game.  Nash doesn’t need to score to make an impact though, as he had 16 assists and played through the pain in his abdomen.  The Suns are going to need Nash to continue his 18 ppg average if they want to be successful down the stretch of the season and leading into the postseason.  So, hopefully he can get over this abdominal strain quickly.  Nothing heals quickly in the grind of the 82 game season though, especially when your 35.  Some other Suns players need to step it up when it comes to scoring the ball, because this abdominal strain really effects Nash’s shooting.

Amar’e Stoudemire has been a beast for the Phoenix Suns once again this season and has been a very efficient force for them.  Stoudemire has been a great player for the Suns ever since he came into the league in 2002, and he recently reached 10,000 career points.  On the season, Stoudemire has been strong and healthy all year on his way to averages of 20.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 0.8 steals.  He is making a red-hot 56% of his shots and has been one of the Suns most consistent players.  The Suns have really been struggling this month though, with a record of 5-7 in January.  In each of their losses this month they have given well over 100 points, so everyone including Amar’e needs to step it up on the defensive end.  His rebounding and blocked shots numbers are a little down, so if he could give the Suns an extra boost on the defensive end it could help them get out of the funk they have been in this month.

The Suns will be without SG/SF Leandro Barbosa for about a month as he will undergo surgery to remove a cyst from his right wrist. He has played in 29 games (5 starts) for the Suns this season and he is averaging 19.7 minutes, 10.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. This will hurt the Suns as Barbosa gives them a shot of instant offense off the bench.

As a fan of the NBA, I enjoy filling out an NBA All-Star ballot a few times each year, but it is nothing more than a popularity contest.  Anyone of any age who can get to NBA.com can vote for whoever they want to star in the All-Star game, even if they have barely played this season.  That is the case with the Houston Rockets’ Tracy McGrady, who has more votes than Steve Nash despite only playing in 6 games this season.  McGrady is now barely a member of the Rockets, as he has been given permission to take a leave of absence after a rift over playing time when he returned from injury.  The Rockets don’t even want him, yet he is going to be the starter in the All-Star game?  The All-Star Game may just seem like pure entertainment for the fans, but it is also a great way of recognizing a player’s hard work and great play.  Steve Nash is averaging 18.4 points, 11.2 assists, and 2.9 rebounds while shooting an incredible 54% from the field, 43% from three, and 94% from the line.  The fan voting needs to either end or some major adjustments need to be made, because Steve Nash deserves to be the starter and McGrady has no business at the All-Star game unless he is a spectator.