SEATTLE — Seven seasons ago, Steve Nash was taking his lumps as a raw NBA rookie point guard.
Today, the two-time All-Star is the one doling out the lumps to young players as raw as he once was. Fellows like Luke Ridnour of the Seattle SuperSonics, who will tangle with Nash this afternoon when the two teams meet at KeyArena.
It will be a clash of two players of similar styles, physiques and assorted other likenesses, including geography — they grew up in towns about 25 miles apart, albeit communities divided by salt water and an international boundary.
What remains to be seen, of course, is whether Ridnour’s years in pro basketball continue to parallel Nash’s fine career. And that answer, with Nash again our guide, may take some time to be revealed.
As a rookie with the Phoenix Suns in 1996-97, Nash backed up Jason Kidd, which meant playing time was scarce. Nash ended up averaging 3.3 points and 2.1 assists in just over 10 minutes per game. Two seasons later he was in Dallas, but still his progress was modest until his fifth season when his statistics jumped.
Beginning in 2000-01 and continuing through this season, Nash has averaged 16.6 points and 7.8 assists while helping lift Dallas to prominence in the NBA’s Western Conference. The Mavericks love to run and the reason they do it well is because Nash is usually in the middle of the fast break.
"It really plays to his strength, playing fast and open and somewhat out of control, but he does it in control," said Sonics coach Nate McMillan. "He has players beside him that are very good playing off him, but I think that system has been built mainly because of him. Not so much (fellow All-Stars Dirk) Nowitzki and (Michael) Finley, but because of Nash."
Ridnour, meanwhile, is in the midst of his rookie season and his numbers, like Nash’s all those years ago, are rather modest. The youngster from Blaine — a short hop across the Strait of Georgia and a few San Juan islands from Nash’s hometown of Victoria, British Columbia — has appeared in 66 of Seattle’s 79 games and is averaging 5.4 points and 2.2 assists in almost 16 minutes per outing.
Like Nash, McMillan said, Ridnour "is more of an up-tempo player who pushes the ball. I think he is best in transition … pushing the ball and playing somewhat out of control, creating shots for himself and his teammates."
With the Sonics out of the playoff chase, McMillan has been experimenting with different rotations and today he is expected to have Ridnour in the opening lineup. The idea, McMillan said, is to see him "run the team and see what he can do out there with that starting unit beside Ray (Allen), quarterbacking our offense and establishing an offensive rhythm for the team."
Ridnour, meanwhile, said his goal is "to come out and play, and to try to make as many things happen as I can. And to just try to help the team win."
Being an NBA rookie, he went on, has been challenging and, at times, a frustrating experience.
"All in all, I don’t think it’s something you can really get ready for," he said. "I think you have to go through it before you understand. You just have to try to learn as you go through it."
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
