Steve Nash supports player resting, says he could have benefited from it

One of the biggest issues right now in the NBA is the tendency of some teams to rest their players in order to keep them fresh for the playoffs.

This tactic has drawn heavy criticism from both players and analysts alike, but recently former two-time Most Valuable Player winner Steve Nash has spoken in favor of the same. The eight-time All-Star shared how fatigue had affected his postseason performances throughout his career.

"I was always tired in the playoffs, I could have needed the rest. Frankly, this is the way the game is going to go." –@SteveNash on resting

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) March 31, 2017

"It's an evolution. Unfortunately, it's painful for the fan. It's very tricky on what's right & wrong" -More @SteveNash on players resting

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) March 31, 2017

This is a bit of an unusual perspective as most have gone out to criticize player resting. However what makes Nash’s input valuable is because he speaks from his own personal experience. What he is implying here is perhaps his career might have taken a different path had he been given opportunities to rest during the regular season.

A quick look at the 43-year-old’s back-to-back MVP seasons in 2005 and 2006 might shed some light into this matter. In those two seasons Nash missed a total of only 10 regular season contests.

In the 2005 Playoffs the Phoenix Suns did quick work of their first two matchups, sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round and eliminating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the second round. However, they ran out of steam in the Western Conference Finals when they were handily ousted by eventual champions the San Antonio Spurs in just five games.

The Suns had a much harder time in the 2006 postseason as they needed all seven games of their first and second round matchups with the Los Angeles Lakers and the L.A. Clippers before eventually losing out in the Western Conference Finals in six games to the Mavericks.

Things may have turned out differently had Nash been given the rest he needed during the regular season. Then again, it could not have. Right now we can only speculate.

What is clear is that the player resting dilemma continues to be a big issue in the NBA which will continue to have its critics and supporters.