NBA's senior citizens prove it pays to prepare

PHOENIX - The mild central Arizona winters can be catnip for NBA players who refuse to go quietly into the twilight of their careers.

Breathing the relatively warm, dry air for half of each regular season seems to have done wonders in helping prolong the productivity of senior Phoenix Suns Steve Nash and Grant Hill. But while climate is an attraction for golden oldies in all walks of life, it's also reasonable to imagine Nash and Hill continuing to excel regardless of weather conditions.

They, like several of the league's ranking graybeards, are thriving due more to commitment and preparation than abundant sunshine. This attention to detail (or lack of it) probably is the main reason why other aging NBA employees - such as Suns teammate Vince Carter - are not moving gracefully toward the basketball light.

Carter, whose limited exposure to the redeeming powers of Nash's passing skill and the franchise's celebrated training staff began in December, may have other issues we'll explore later. But on the day he arrived from Orlando in a six-player trade, Carter claimed he was ready to embrace the influence of Nash and Hill.

"You see a guy like Grant come here and it seems like he's drinking from the fountain of youth," Carter said during his introductory press conference. "I'm ready to start drinking whatever he is."

A guy like Hill is someone who appeared on a cover of GQ magazine that framed the daunting question "Can Grant Hill Save Sports?" That was 1995, back when Hill was considered a mortal lock to achieve basketball immortality. But well-documented injury and illness limited the star-crossed small forward to participating in 200 games over seven seasons after leaving the Detroit Pistons for a free-agent contract with the Orlando Magic in 2000.

Perhaps this limited participation spared him from a typical level of wear and tear.

Now in his fourth season with the Suns, the 38-year-old Hill is providing 13.2 points and 4.5 rebounds for a Phoenix team still clinging to the hope of landing a postseason ticket. But Hill, who has made 39 percent of his 3-point attempts, isn't exactly staggering toward the finish line. At 6-foot-8 and a lean 225 pounds, he represents - on an almost nightly basis - the Suns' best chance of keeping the opposition's top scoring threat in check.

Name the high-profile player and Hill probably has guarded him. The list includes New Jersey point guard Deron Williams, super-quick Golden State two-guard Monta Ellis (shooting 41 percent and averaging a measly 18.8 points in four games vs. the Suns), Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, Miami's LeBron James of the Miami Heat and Clippers' rookie power forward Blake Griffin.

While simply attempting to deal with the names on this list is worthy of reward, Hill has succeeded in either limiting their production or forcing these players to work harder than usual to post numbers. If enough voters have been paying attention, a spot on the league's All-Defensive Team should be automatic.

We're not sure what Hill's been drinking during this healthy run in Phoenix, but we know that he - like Nash - follows a consistent, comprehensive training regimen. This includes a diet that, according to witnesses, is about as a strict as what you see on those reality TV survival programs.

OK, they're probably not wolfing down handfuls of pre-game crickets, but chicken, fish, dried fruit, vegetables and raw nuts are in, while pasta, rice, breads and other processed foods routinely are out.

Nash, who turned 37 last month, has had plenty of excuses to give in and head for the McDonald's drive-through window for a discipline-busting cheeseburger, fries and a shake.

It began, at least publicly, when pick-and-roll co-star Amar'e Stoudemire left for New York, leaving Nash to find ways to incorporate several mismatched newcomers into the Phoenix offense. The door began revolving last summer and continued in December. Nash also has persevered through the end of his marriage, season-long rumors of his departure through trade or eventual free agency, and nagging injuries that kept him out of four games the Suns lost.

Through it all, Nash has been jockeying with Boston's Rajon Rondo to be the league's assist leader while providing almost 16 points per game. By the way, his overall field-goal percentage is above 50 percent, again, and - despite a recent cold streak brought on by injury-related balance issues - the 3-point accuracy is at 41 percent.

Efficiency has not defined the post-trade performance of the 34-year-old Carter. To be fair, there have been glimpses of Vinsanity-esque productivity, but the numbers - 14.3 points per game on 42-percent shooting - are skewed higher by big bursts in the first quarter. With knees we almost can hear creaking from press row, Carter no longer has the north-south burst, cutting ability or vertical explosion that used to enable him to transform shaky decisions into highlight-reel maneuvers. Instead, Carter - asked to provide the Suns with a measure of go-to scoring power - either fades to shoot contested jumpers or makes low-flying moves to the rim that usually end badly.

Attention to balance, stepping into the catch when he's open or using proper footwork to stop for mid-range attempts rarely appeared in Carter's game when he was younger and physically superior. Now that the pop has abandoned his legs, this lack of detail and adaptation often makes Carter a liability late in games.

Similar failure to prepare and adjust - on the court and off - also help to explain the grinding halt of Allen Iverson's NBA career. The iron will that served Iverson during his prime became career-dooming stubbornness when A.I. was asked to take a slightly limited role.

Like Carter and Iverson, Bryant's early years frequently were underscored by tremendous athletic feats. But like Michael Jordan, Kobe has continued to add and adapt as the regular seasons and playoff runs take their toll on his 32-year-old knees. Still capable of rising to high-noon challenges, Bryant thrives because he understands how to attack from different spots on the floor and how to get there when it matters.

This adaptive quality is seen in Dallas Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki, who will be 33 in June and averages more than 23 points per game by knowing how to take what defenders give him.

On the flip side, Hedo Turkoglu of the Orlando Magic struggles to maintain what had been a high-level of play because he doesn't read defenses or prepare for these situations like Bryant or Nowitzki. Sure, he never was close to their level in the first place, but his inconsistency should make Magic fans cringe as the 32-year-old Hedo pulls in that fat paycheck.

Maybe he wasn't around Nash and Hill in Phoenix long enough to get that paycheck off of processed foods.

From a collective standpoint, the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs offers long-in-the-tooth stars who manage to keep their teams in title contention.

In Beantown, the work ethic starts with Kevin Garnett, who has demonstrated preparatory intensity his entire career. Another Celtic refusing to surrender to the harsh reality of time is 35-year-old Ray Allen, a long-time premium athlete whose commitment to staying sharp has resulted in a 17-point-per-game average and a 46-percent mark from beyond the arc.

The Cs also are hoping for an uprising from codger Shaquille O'Neal; had Shaq done more work over the summer during his career, the regular breakdowns probably wouldn't have turned him into a role player before his time.

The Spurs have attempted to inject some youth to assist their veteran core but still rally around old post man Tim Duncan. Although Duncan's physical downshift is hard to miss, his attention to maintenance should help the recovery from a current ankle injury. NBA "bigs" typically can remain productive in their golden years because they aren't require to zip around the court. But those who give short shrift to conditioning eventually surrender to the bulk that's been compromising their knees, ankles and feet.

Spurs teammate Manu Ginobili, a resilient wing player with a history of injury, has been able to produce another quality season at age 33. Manu is shooting a chilly 43 percent from the field but is expected to help San Antonio - which holds the league's best record - rise far above last year's playoff run.

Thanks to Nash, Hill and their pals, the Spurs were swept by Phoenix in the Western Conference's semifinal round.

For the Arizona fountain of youth, that was as close as it gets to happy hour.