Fan Duel Toronto Raptors

Statophile 36 | Snapshot – Steve Nash: Productivity and Age

So Nash has been very productive despite his age. But can he hold up and be productive at reasonably the same levels?

Older and Damn Productive

A quick one since its timely.

Everyone seems concerned with Nash’s ability to contribute at 38. While its very rare for a player to be productive at this age, its not without precedent. Here’s how “old and unproductive” Nash was last year – in a compressed season where most of the older guys suffered through the schedule.

Source: basketball-reference.com

He’s obviously too old to play any more. How did he stack up last season against other PGs – of any age?

Source: hoopdata.com

So Nash has been very productive despite his age. But can he hold up and be productive at reasonably the same levels? NBA aging curves suggest Nash should be in steep decline. However, PGs can often hold up longer, especially “pass first” PGs. And Nash’s diet and exercise regimen is well documented.

A PG playing at a high level at age 36 or older isn’t without precedent. The great John Stockton played at a very high level for several years beyond 36. I don’t see why Nash couldn’t replicate this feat.

Source: basketball-reference.com

I’m not sure how one can argue bringing a winning culture – with a NBA champion as a coach (Casey) and a two time MVP as a leader – to an organization is a bad thing.

Could he get hurt and it turn to be a bad deal? Sure. Could a #1 pick get hurt and play less than 100 career games? Yeah. There are no sure things – but this is as smart of a move as it gets.

Any time you have an opportunity to get a top ranked producer and a first class leader, you do it.

Questions? There is a dedicated to “Statophile Q&A” forum thread here . If you prefer to send questions privately, you’re welcome to email me at tomliston [at] gmail [dot] com or find me on Twitter (@Liston).