Below is an interview Nash did with a Chinese reporter when he was having the charity match with Yao Ming in Beijing. I couldn't find the English version, so I translated the translated Chinese transcript back to English. I do not guarantee the grammar accuracy and this is definitely not the exact same words they say.

If the translation is by any means unclear, feel free to ask.

This is the link to the Chinese page: http://sports.sina.com.cn/k/2010-07-26/00145120404.shtml

 

H: Host

N: Nash

 

 

H: Hi everyone. We are very honoured to have Steve Nash as our guest to talk about this trip to China. Hi Steve.

N:  Hi everyone, this is my 3rd trip in 4 years to China. I really wanna have the chance to come here every year, I like the place very much.

H: You’ve been busy flying around the whole summer, do you mind telling us where you’ve been?

N: After the season I’ve been on vacation in Hawaii, and then I went to the World Cup in South Africa, and then New York, also Chicago. And now I’m here in Beijing, so you know, haha, I’m an acrobat. 

H: You thought you weren’t able to come to the charity match, but you turned up eventually, can you tell us about why? 

N: I have too many things to handle, and I was needed in a lot of places, so I  have to cancel a few trips and come here. 

H: Then why do you choose to be here?

N: I’m here to support Yao, to provide help for the kids in China. I hope I can help Yao and the kids here.

H: When did Yao invite you to the match?

N: Long long time ago. He knows if he organizes the match again I will come. I’m very happy to be able to help.

H: You were here last night (Friday). You long will you be staying?

N: Unfortunately I’m leaving on Sunday morning. I’m here for 2 nights only. But on the o ther hand, at least I’m here.

H: Here are some questions about NBA. Do you think you were the closest to the Finals last season?

N: You’ll never know the answer to this kind of question. Actually we had a lot of chances in the past few years, may be 3-4 times, and its hard to tell which one is the best, but I love my team. I have some great teamates, and we are unselfish, and I’m very proud of my team.

H: After you lost to the Lakers in G6, did you really cry in the locker room?

N: Actually my dog died the day before, so I was very upset.

H: After the Suns lost in the WCF, how did you encourage your teamates? What did you say to your twin daughter? I noticed they were quite upset too.

N: I’m just s grateful to my teamates, and its my honour to play with them. I congratulated them on having a successful season. My daughters are actually quite happy as they could go on vacation with me.

H: When you returned to the Suns in 2004, your teamates has been changing nonstop, Shawn Marion, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw. And Now Amare and LB are leaving, how do you feel about it?

N: It’s always a sad thing to see your teamates leave, especially they are friends in daily life. We were a part of a great team and had great results. But we have to accept that NBA is a business and you just can’t keep a team together for a long time. That’s the reality. But on the other hand, there are a lot of new teamates. That’s why I enjoy playing in the Suns so much.

H: Have you talked to Hedo on the phone?

N: No I haven’t. But you know, I know him well, so I don’t think there’ll be a problem playing with him.

H: Do you think he’ll fit in the Suns system?

N: haha I’m interviewing you now (taking the H’s mic)

H: Thanks! Do you think he’ll fit?

N: I think he’ll be very adapted. He’s a great player. He has skills, he can shoot, can pass, and totally PNR with me, so I think he can fit well.

H: haha I think I should take the mic back. When Amare leaves, lots of the Suns fan are sad. Have you tried to keep him?

N: No, I hope he makes he decision best for him and his family.

H: From a friend’s perspective?

N: Yeah, of course I want him to stay, but he has better chances in New York, and can get a longer contract, so I can’t ask him to refuse. I hope he does what is best for him.

H: Then do you think he can play as well as when playing with you?

N: Of course, I think he’ll have a great career in New York.

H: With coach Mike D’antoni.

N: Yeah, Amare is a great player he’s great on court, so I think he can perform well anywhere.

H: There are a lot of changes in NBA in the coming season, like Lebron going to the Heat. What do you think of his decision?

N: I don’t care where he goes, its his personal decision. I just want to play for the Suns, make a better team, and see whether we can get better results than last year.

H: Do you think you can Beat LA?

N: It’s really hard t tell, but hope when the season comes we can beat any team. This is what the season is all about, we picked up a lot of confidence in the Playoffs and we almost fulfilled our dream.

H: You worked for CBS during the World Cup and made a lot of interesting videos. Did you make them yourself? And did those ideas come from you?

N: I did those with my cousin, and we had a lot of crazy ideas when we are together.

H: So those are your ideas?

N: Yeah right, I just want to have fun.

H: But you looked serious most of the time, how come you were suddenly ….humourous in front of the camera?

N: Funny isn’t it?

H: Yeah, can you tell us about that?

N: haha I like cracking jokes, my friends know about my sense of humour, butsometimes you have to face interviews nonstop and you have the same questions every day. It’s hard to keep up with the sense of humour, its really uncomfortable. I know many who watch the interview would say “oh he’s serious”, but most of the time I just feel bored because everyone asks me the same questions.

H: You’re right.

N: Actually I like what we’re doing, there are lots of fun questions, its pretty meaningful.

H: Do you still remember there was a clip you wore a sports bra? Your wife is OK with that?

N: Actually she does’t know, she wasn’t at home when I made that.

H: Oh then she didn’t watch the clip?

N: haha I was kidding, she did watch them. Actually she was the one holding the camera, right, so haha she was the videotographer.

H: Right, the last question. Your fans in China would like you tell them about the Suns’s coming season, the Storm Orange.

N: Planet Orange, Storm Orange. We are looking forward to the coming season. The season we had was a great year, and we were so close to the Championship. So I have to thank all the fans in China and your support in the next season. We will do our best to win the Championship. Thank you.

 

 

First I must apologize for my English as I am from the opposite half of the globe.

 

I’ve been keeping track of the offensive plays the suns used in the D’antoni, Porter, Gentry w/Shaq, and finally this year’s Gentry w/o Shaq era. A lot can be said in the different plays preferred by the coaches, but let’s look at how they come together and lead to our current early success.

 

Many of us don’t want to recall our failed experiment last year, may be especially the players who suffered a lot mentally. However, things don’t just happen without leaving any footprints, and in this case, I think it’s a positive one.

 

In the D’antoni era we seldom see players doing post-up offense, except maybe Diaw and STAT (whom I think is not really good at that). Mismatch is emphasized only if the defending teams switch pick and rolls on Nash and STAT, and Nash will either drive or shoot over the bigger defender.

 

If the Suns do a group offense it will first start with a side pick and Nash driving to the middle, then another cutter curves in from the opposite side and Nash pass to him. Then a third "curver" will come in from the original side and receive the ball and drive or the ball is kicked out to the wide open Diaw shooting 20ft jumper from top of key because all defenders will be drawn into the paint.

 

In the Shaq era, there are several plays being emphasized:
1) the forever-present mismatch of Shaq, and there should be a lot of drills on how to space the shooters on the floor and cut in when he got double-teamed.
2) Mismatch is also emphasized when PG (Nash) picks and rolls with SG or SF (Hill or JRich) on wing situation, and the SG or SF would be posting up the PG of the other team.

3) The most successful play, top-of-the-key pick-n-roll of Nash and STAT, is only used in key situations like at the end of the quarter or in clutch time. The side effect of these is Nash assist numbers go down, because there were a lot more 1-on-1 plays.

4) There was a special play which had made a strong impression. Shaq posts up and Nash dribbles on top of the key. JRich or LB, standing near baseline behind Shaq, curves around Shaq from outside to cut to the middle and catch the pass from Nash near the FT line and drives for layup. They were quite successful with the play during last season.

 

 

How has AG changed the offense?

On fast-breaks:

First, AG is NOT doing 7-secs-or-less, unlike what many analyses are saying (by-default) out there. The main difference between D’antoni and Gentry fast breaks is that D’antoni focuses a lot of transition 3s. At that time we have Bell, LB, Nash, and even Diaw to run the transition 3. But this year, we only nash and LB who can shoot transition 3s stably. Frye is not as athletic in running up the floor, and Hill was not as accurate from downtown. Also, Gentry prefers a more traditional layup attack with higher accuracy, especially with Shaq in line-up. Second, last year after Porter was dumped, many other players threw fastbreak outlets from baseline or after getting rebound (mostly Nash, Shaq, and Barnes). But this year the ball has to go through the PG to make the decision.

 

On half court:

Gentry brought back the top-of-the-key pick-n-roll as the default execution, but this year Nash has the luxury of Channing Frye rolling out to 3s. All left is the PG reading the defense and improvising and finding open shooters.

 

Gentry kept the JRich and LB curve in middle from behind play from Porter. And somehow the Suns learned to how to make use of the mismatches by posting up JRich or Hill. This play helps to get the team going when it is a bit sluggish, which can be seen in first half playing Wizards and 76ers.

 

The beneficiaries:

Nash definitely benefitted the most from this system because he is more of the key of offense than in Porter / Shaq era. He makes more decisions and directs the ball to the open guys and that’s why he is now the leader of assists in the league.

 

The whole team learned a few more tricks from Porter which helped them a lot this year as well, especially on moving the ball to find open shooters, and that accounts a lot for the many 3s made.