Stan’s Fantasy Land
Let’s take a quick trip to fantasy land where Jameer Nelson returns to Orlando for the finals and dominates the court like he did before his injury. Okay times up, come back to the real world.
Poor Jameer suffered a tear in his right labrum in early February and hasn’t played a game since. That’s 4 months, and though he claims to have full rotation in his shoulder, he won’t be the same All-Star player he was before the injury. In an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols coach Stan Van Gundy said “No one should expect him to be the player he was 4 months ago… that’s fantasy land right there.” However, the sports world is buzzing today about the possibility that he’ll be suiting up (and even starting) in Game 1.
His injury was projected to take 4 – 6 months to recover but he is way ahead of schedule. Nelson has been working out and even playing in full-court game and contact drills. Over the last week when asked about Nelson’s status Otis Smith (Magic’s general manager) and Coach Van Gundy expressed doubt for his return this season. However, the question is still up in the air.
“I just told him, ‘Don’t fall prey to the trap,’” Smith said. “The trap is, you want your team to do well, but you don’t want them to do too well because you feel like you’re not needed or missed.”
Should Jameer return to play against LA? Although Nelson has expressed his desire to return for the finals I don’t think he should risk playing again at this point in time, and it’s in his best interest to wait for next season.
With Nelson in the lineup during the regular season, the Magic took two games from L.A. Jameer lead his team in points, averaging 27.5 points in that stretch. He went 7-12 from three in those two games too, stretching out Orlando’s defense with accurate perimeter shooting. In fact, Jameer proved to be a better 3-point shooter than most people expected over the course of the season, shooting almost 46% before his injury- that’s a great percentage right there.
It would be a shame if Jameer got himself ready for the Finals and ended up pulling a Gilbert Arenas. Arenas came back for the Wizards too early and totally sucked in the playoffs. He had one good game where he scored 24, then went down hill from there scoring 10, 2, and 7 in his other three playoff appearances.
The Magic have gone further that most people imagined and it’d be a bad idea to upset the chemistry they have together. I’m not implying Rafer Alston is a better player. I just think that you don’t want to upset the basketball Gods.
According to The Orlando Sentinel, Magic president Bob Vander Weide insists that Nelson takes another MRI and consults with the doctors before any decision is made. If he does return, he’s going to be rusty. Do you think he should come back?
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Tbest says:
He’s been out 4 months and the injury is supposed to take 4-6 months to recover. How is that way ahead of schedule? It sounds like he is right on schedule. I’d like to see him come back even as a Lakers fan. Let’s have the best teams out there, so we can watch the best basketball. Can’t be scurred, you just got to play ball.
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Lady Luck says:
I think it would be a bad idea for him to come back now. The team has been playing the well, the rotations are set. If this were the beginning of the playoffs, then I could see this happening. But to start the NBA finals. Not a good idea. I can see the excuses and blame piling up now if it didn’t work out for the Magic or for Nelson.
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Tbest says:
The Master of panic will probably panic and put him in the starting lineup.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:00 pm
hahns says:
i like the idea of jameer as a rotation guy- really good change of pace from rafer…but yeah, this deep into the playoffs i think you gota stay with the girl that brought you to the dance. especially because hes making his return from injury.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:08 pm
hiimeric says:
rusty jameer is a better back up pg for this year’s playoffs than old aj no disrespect. i think it will only help chemistry, seeing as jameer seems to be a chemistry guy.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Yoooo says:
Otis Smith is the GM of the Magic? Cant be the Otis Smith from the Rockets back in the day, thatd be hilarious
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:21 pm
jzsmoove says:
Otis Thorpe was the Rockets PF you talking about bro?
If Nelson is coming back, he better suit up for 15-18 mins as a backup, a 3pt specialist off the bench.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Kudabeen says:
It’s not about Jameer being better than Rafer. It is about him being better than Anthony Johnson. Anthony Johnson is solid, but he allows Fisher to be on the floor and not be exposed. If Jameer has his speed and J I think he should be the 3rd pg. Let him get a taste and see. There were big stretches in the Cavs series where Rafer and Johnson weren’t in the game and Orlando just let Hedo attack and run things.
It makes me think of when Marbury was just coming back this year and we remembered him being if nothing else a strong ball handler, but Will Bynum was stripping him like nothing.
I want Jameer to come back and do some positive things. Lakers aren’t the strongest team at PG, so that is to Orlando’s benefit.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Guitar Hero says:
As a backup, yeah. Even rusty, he’s an upgrade over AJ (although I like him, too). He’s one of the leaders, that could inspire the rest of the team.
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Jon says:
Let him come off the bench. No way he starts. Let him play 10 mins or so. He should help by at least having an extra man in the rotation that understand the offense.
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:33 pm
quest??? says:
Ive never been a fan of jameer nelson. It is a horrible idea, he hasnt played in 4 months and is coming off a shoulder injury. Stick with Rafer. In my opinion the Magic should trade Jameer Nelson for quality bench players or a very good sf in case hedo leaves. Jameer Nelson is really small, he is a shoot first team on a team who has too many shooters and dwight howard. He is the 4rth best option. Rafer is taller, cheaper, shoots the three ball better and is a more willing passer, a thing this team needs more than a shoot first point guard.
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Ric Hardwood says:
if he does come back, he doesn’t have to be at 100% to dominate Fisher…
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:56 pm
foolio_iglesias says:
With all the chemistry problems the Magic are having Jameer should come back to rectify the whole situation..(WTF?)
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Justin Solomon says:
What is Orlando going to do when Nelson does come back? Rafer is proving now more than ever that he is not a backup PG in this league.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:23 pm
AY says:
The question isn’t whether if he’s better than Anthony Johnson; the question is whether if he’s better than Chris Bosh. This is ridiculous, you have a guy who started for you, he might be healthy and well, why don’t you run him out there for a few minutes to see if he can make a difference; worst case, he bricks a couple of 3s and gets beat by jordan farmer with D12 ready to swat the shot. If he can knock some rust off with limited burn, you have an extra guy in the unlikely case of foul trouble or injury if the series go deep. It’s not like skip is lighting the 3 pt line on fire and stopping the other side, run jameer out there the down side is pretty limited.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Bron42 aka Had Springs Before Slamball says:
It sucks for jameer cuz as its been proven, you never know if your gonna make it back to the big dance…I’d stick with current rotation for the majority but put him in here and there to see how he plays in game one…like 8-10 min max….that way hes a change of pace guy but he won’t be relied on too much or screw up the flow. And if his shot is decent, it keeps one more shooter on the floor. I mean its not like lue is usin those minutes
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Dennis Castro says:
What about his aggressive mentality? Will that still be the same, with him knowing that a big hit could re-injure the shoulder. Cause that’s the only way I see him being effective, being aggressive, because his shot won’t be there.
I’d say let him sit this one out. The Magic’s chemistry is really good right now, and Rafer is doing an excellent job filling in for Jameer. Jameer seems to be a pretty team first guy, and I don’t think he’d make this an issue, so long as the Magic are doing well.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:06 pm
K Dizzle says:
Just a small reminder for all the hoopheadz out there. When Jameer was torchin the Lakers, we didn’t have Shan Brown AND Jordan Farmar. Just a small public service announcement…
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:18 pm
MrBuckets says:
Look at it like this…If Jameer come back, he gonna have to face derek fisher and that other guy with that sex case. One, Derek fisher cant keep up with him. He will smash him. And ya boy with the sex case can’t keep up with Jameer either. Hence the reason he smashed them in the regular season to the tune of 2-0. If it takes 4-6 months then he on schedule 4-6 months later. He the guard that the team goin..an all-star guard. N Skip has showed that he can play at a higher level too. So why not possibly have a all-star guard in the line-up and a guard who displays potential to be an all-star?After all these years, Skip has found a team he can mesh well with.Skip gonna get his still, n Jameer could possibly be the same player he was before. He seems smarter than Arenas, so he is probably ready to come back. So give the man a chance to see. How would you feel if the team you played with all season and was a major part in their success made it to the NBA Finals? You would want to play too, cause it was probably your dream. So why not play if you possibly could? Let that man try n live out his dream. Cause you wouldnt want to sit on the sidlines n watch your dream play out when you could have been in it.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:56 pm
DurrtyInjun says:
Shoulder vs Knee means he ain’t nothing like Arenas. If there is no discomfort he should go for it (as long as he’s coming off the bench)
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Lady Luck says:
I wonder if the Magic and Jameer were considering a comeback in earlier rounds? I wonder if the Cavs had forced game 7, would Jameer have suited up? Or I wonder if this is a planned distraction trying to keep LA guessing? Remember the first round with all of the Garnett comeback possibilities? It turned out to be a non-story but something to be considered and talked about. It will be interesting to see what happens. I can’t wait for Thursday. Go Lakers.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:49 pm
jp2506 says:
Nike Air Structure Triax 91
Air Max 97
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:53 pm
son#1 says:
“totally sucked”
awesome example of today’s quality journalism.
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:03 am
K Dizzle says:
oh, the irony of readin post 19 right after I posted what I did. “The other guy with the sex case” wasn’t in LA yet and conveniently actin like Farmar can’t slow Jameer down is also head scratchin…
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:02 am
the cynic says:
Jameer didn’t play play half the season and not a minute in the playoffs. He ain’t ready to play and this is a different team when Jameer isn’t dominating the ball. He would force his own teammates to adjust to his game at a time in the season when roster adjustments don’t work. Sit Down Jameer and enjoy the show
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Danny says:
all these players saying he couldn’t help the team at all?? lol an injured jameer is still better than ANY of the lakers pgs.
June 3rd, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Bizz says:
Once again, my boy Jameer gets NO RESPECT OR LOVE from you haters. 4 months on the shelf, if he’s healthy enough to go, let him play. If Kobe, LeBron, D12, CP3, Melo, Wade, or any other marquee guy, or even a sidekick allstar was in the exact same position, you would all be saying, there’s no way they should be sitting. Half of the Magic’s turnaround this year was because of Jameer carrying the team in the 1st half of the season when they had injuries, and got them to buy into the system of team basketball, so I very much doubt he’s going to come in and “upset the chemistry”. He’s already been on the sidelines HELPING the team chemistry.
June 3rd, 2009 at 8:54 pm
tja says:
i can understand that he wants to play… imagine orlando wins the chip and he was missing half season plus playoffs… it will haunt him for the rest of his opportunities-of-playing-for-a-ring-himself-less life
June 4th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Orlando2WinitAll says:
He should play, let him knock off the rust….they can gauge whether or not he will play the whole series…I’m sure they’ve been able to see what he can do in practice
So sit back and watch the Lakers get pimped…
June 4th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Orlando2WinitAll says:
ESPN JUST REPORTED
JAMEER NELSON IS OUT FOR GAME 1