| « Dwight Howard's Vitamin Water commercial, set to air tonight | Scoring on the Lakers will be a different beast for Dwight Howard » |
UPDATE: Jameer Nelson will replace Tyronn Lue on the active roster tonight, but he still isn't expected to play.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Jameer Nelson won't play tonight and probably won't appear in the NBA Finals.
It makes you feel for Nelson, who's the heart and soul of this team and has been forced to watch the Magic make an incredible run to the NBA Finals. But there are too many reasons not to play Nelson, in my view. Let's look at both sides:
Pros
1. He's an all-star, and he's a significant step above Rafer Alston. Nelson was the team's MVP in both wins over the Lakers this season.
2. He could potentially provide a "Willis Reed" kind of spark to the Magic, giving the team and fans someone to rally around.
Cons
1. There's the obvious risk of further injuring the shoulder. And there's the risk that Jameer's shoulder isn't healthy, and he wouldn't be able to do everything that he's normally capable of.
2. It's difficult (to say the least) for a player to jump in and play at an elite level after not playing in a game for four months. And this isn't any game - the Magic are playing on the biggest stage against the league's best team. All the practice in the world won't prepare you for that.
3. Throwing Nelson into the mix could upset the team's rotation and chemistry. Nelson is the team's leader and unquestioned alpha-male, and he would have a lot of trouble playing just 10 to 15 minutes a game.
To me - and I know I'm outnumbered around here - the cons heavily outweigh the pros. And apparently the Magic agree.
Trackback URL (right click and copy shortcut/link location)