I find it tough to put much faith in Steve Nash at 39/40 years old.
For whatever it's worth, a 38 year old Steve Nash was an all-star just a season ago, finishing first in the league in assists and assist percentage (and second in assists per game), and 3rd in eFG%. A very poor Phoenix team finished in the top-10 in offensive efficiency, due almost exclusively to Nash.
Steve Nash had a tough year partly due to injuries, and partly because he plays with the biggest non-PG ball hog in the NBA. Despite that, he was still top-5 in 3PT%, had an eFG% of .557, and had a TS% of .605 (which is his career average).
I really think the move to LA has made some folks forget just how good of an offensive player Steve Nash still is, and just how well he runs offenses that aren't centered exclusively around Kobe Chucker Bryant.
That's one way to look at things. The other is that age has finely caught up to Steve Nash being 38, 39, 40 years old(38-39 last year, 39-40 this year) and his body can't do what it once did. I don't think it a stretch to say a 39-40 year old player may miss significant time after doing so last year or that his overall game, especially defense, is going to take a step back. And his back up is Brandon Knight. Its one of the reasons I don't see Dallas as highly as some. Playoff team, yes. Best in the west, no.
If people assume that the worst happens for any franchise, you can justify ranking them poorly. If I remember correctly, it was you who suggested that teams apply their pessimism about injuries, etc., equally across all teams, arguing it was unfair to ding one player but ignore such issues with another.
I find it hard to believe that Nash went from being an elite passer to a broken down has-been in one season, that just happens to coincide with playing next to a ball hog.
My belief in Dallas and Nash doesn't seem to be a popular one, but I'm not sweating it. You all have been wrong before.
(I mean, seriously, people once voted a team with an old Antwan Jamison and Hedo Turkuglu as its 2nd and 3rd best players to a championship, so it's not like any of this is scientific.)