Steve Nash isn’t ready to make cuts or change direction in practice

SALT LAKE CITY -- Steve Nash did some shooting and dribbling Wednesday but said he was “nowhere near� ready to take part in change-of-direction and cutting drills.

Nash has been sidelined since sustaining a small fracture in his left leg on Oct. 31. He went with the Lakers to Utah but did not suit up for the game.

“It’s sore. I don’t mind the pain. But it needs to heal. It hasn’t healed yet,� he said. “I’ll work through as much pain as I can without going backwards.�

Nash did some stationary dribbling drills Wednesday with assistant coaches Phil Handy and Eddie Jordan. He switched back and forth between dribbling two balls at the same time and dribbling one between his legs.

Then he dribbled while moving in a straight line from the basket to the free-throw line. He seemed to bend at the knee without much problem, but the ball got away from him a couple of times and he had to limp a few steps to regain control of it.

“I’m nowhere near ready to do multidirectional or unpredictable movement,� Nash said. “But predictable movements or stationary stuff, I can do OK at a moderate pace.�

Nash also shot dozens of free throws and took about 50 shots around the perimeter from just inside the three-point line.

The big question: When is he back?

“I have no idea,� Nash said. “It’s sore when I wake up but it gets better throughout the day, for sure.�

Nash will be medically reevaluated this weekend.

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