Most of the players on the Phoenix Suns’ roster would be lost without Steve Nash, except Marcin Gortat.
Nash has led the Suns into playoff contention, bringing out the best in everyone around him, and that includes Gortat. However, even while playing alongside Nash, Gortat has managed to establish his own identity.
Before Phoenix acquired Gortat last season, the center had spent his entire career buried on the Orlando Magic’s bench behind Dwight Howard. It wasn’t a mistake on Orlando’s part, the simple fact is they already had the NBA’s best big man and there wasn’t enough minutes to go around.
But then came the Suns, a team desperate for some additional talent to place alongside Nash after opting not to bring back Amar’e Stoudemire over the summer. Phoenix had minutes spare, and consequently, had an opportunity to offer.
Fast forward more than a year later and Gortat is averaging 16.1 points, 10 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He is shooting more than 56 percent from the field and has refined his defensive awareness to the point where he is capable of containing some of the league’s best bigs.
Does Gortat owe his claim to fame to Nash? Perhaps partly, because, well, he’s Steve Nash, the facilitating machine. That being said, his development is mostly his own.
Look closely and you’ll see Gortat exhibiting end-to-end speed even when Nash isn’t a part of the play. Watch him create his own offense when given the ball in the low post. And witness him finishing plays that don’t come off of Nash-led passes.
Gortat’s most recent highlight-worthy finish is the perfect example of how far he has come, and what he can do outside of Nash. Shannon Brown tosses up an alley-oop pass for the center, but it’s not Nash-perfect, yet Gortat finishes anyway.
The 6’11” big man is exuding confidence and athleticism that you just cannot teach, and that Nash cannot be solely responsible for. He has taken what seemed to be a subpar career into one worth following.
No, Gortat is no Howard, and he will never be. But he has attained an identity and established himself as one of the league’s most talented big men.
And that stands true with or without Nash.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His basketball musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
