Jameer Nelson dislocates shoulder

[elcheato]

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Magic guard Jameer Nelson left Monday night's game against the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter after dislocating his right shoulder.

Nelson stole the ball from Mavericks center Erick Dampier, who fouled Nelson to the floor. Nelson got up clutching his right shoulder and headed to the locker room. The team said his return was doubtful.

Earlier Monday, it was announced that Nelson would participate in the skills challenge competition as part of the All-Star break contests. Nelson was already heading to Phoenix after being added as an All-Star reserve to the East roster, joining teammates Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis.

You never cheer for injuries but I can't help but think Mo Williams will now be a reserve for the all-star game.

 

[Mexi]

if he's out a while then yeah Mo will get in, but we don't know the severity yet.
trust me Magic fans, I feel your pain

when Wade injured his shoulder, he was out forever. Elton Brand dislocated his and was out a month.
not good Orlando. Looks like they're gonna be cemented at #3 in the East

 

[Mexi]

UPDATE:
He has a torn labrum and is out at least several weeks

question is, who's in?
Mo Williams or Ray Allen?
hmmmmmmmmm

 

[Whisper]

UPDATE:
He has a torn labrum and is out at least several weeks

AH HA!! You did pray to the basketball gods!!

 

[Yankees2772]

David Lee

 

[Mexi]

AH HA!! You did pray to the basketball gods!!

:mellow:

he needs surgery though. if he has it now, he's out for the season
if he doesnt have surgery he'll have to rehab but is still out a few weeks

he WILL need surgery though. just now or later

 

[Pugz]

Mo Williams takes his spot, this sucks for Jameer his chance to be an allstar is gone.

 

[Mexi]

Mo Williams takes his spot, this sucks for Jameer his chance to be an allstar is gone.

forget that
the Magic's chances are now shot

Jameer means just as much as Dwight does to that team

 

[Lake Louise]

UPDATE:
He has a torn labrum and is out at least several weeks

question is, who's in?
Mo Williams or Ray Allen?
hmmmmmmmmm

This is a big blow for Orlando, and a downer for Nelson. Getting into his 1st ASG, and this happens just weeks before it. I wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully he can come back next season and help Orlando get back to the team they have been this year.

As for who will get it, I really hope Mo Williams gets in, instead of Ray Allen. Boston already has Pierce & KG in there, they dont need all three of them.

 

[Rios15]

With Nelson down, Magic scramble

​

If you had asked NBA scouts about the Orlando Magic's weakest link before this season, they would have pointed to the guy who played point guard.

Jameer Nelson was coming off a season in which he struggled with injury and the accidental drowning death of his father. But he dedicated himself anew this season and has become an integral part of Orlando's success. In turn, he's earned his first trip to the All-Star Game.

"He makes us go, there's no doubt about it," Magic GM Otis Smith said. "When he's playing aggressive and attacking the basket, we're a pretty good team. When he's content to stay on the perimeter and pass the ball around and take spot-up jumpers, we're just an average basketball team."

The Magic will find out what kind of team they are now that Nelson could miss significant time with a dislocated right shoulder. On Monday, Nelson got tangled up with Dallas' Erick Dampier while going for a loose ball and landed awkwardly.

"We don't even know how bad it is right now," Nelson told reporters after the game. "We just know it's dislocated. That doesn't mean anything right now until we get an MRI and see how it goes after that."

That MRI on Tuesday revealed a torn right labrum.

"The course of treatment for the injury will be determined during the next week," the Magic said in a statement. "At that point, his playing status will be evaluated."

Losing Nelson, having his best season as a pro, for any amount of time will hamper the Magic's quest for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. As of Tuesday, Orlando (at 36-11) is three games behind Boston for the East's best record. If the MRI reveals an injury serious enough to require surgery, Nelson could miss the rest of the season and the Magic's hopes of going deep into the postseason will take a huge hit.

The Magic were already thin at point guard before Nelson's injury. Anthony Johnson, a veteran of 12 years, was the only healthy backup point guard on the roster. (Mike Wilks was already on the shelf after tearing his ACL in the preseason.) One NBA scout noted that 6-foot-10 forward Hedo Turkoglu has, on occasion, run the Magic offense. Rookie Courtney Lee also could be pressed into service at the point.

With 15 players under contract, the Magic have little roster flexibility. In order to sign a free-agent point guard, the Magic would need to waive someone. Any trade also would need to include someone from the current roster.

Regardless of what the Magic do, finding someone to match Nelson's production will be a difficult proposition. Nelson was averaging career-highs in points (16.7 ppg), field goal percentage (.503), 3-point percentage (.453), free-throw percentage (.887) and steals (1.2 spg).

Nelson's injury also creates a hole in the Eastern Conference All-Star roster and in the PlayStation Skills Challenge. NBA commissioner David Stern will appoint the replacement in both events if Nelson cannot participate. While the Nets' Devin Harris is the only other player on the East roster who regularly plays point guard, the East is full of superstars such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson who often initiate their respective team's offenses.

If the commissioner wants to add another point guard to the East, Cleveland's Mo Williams and Boston's Rajon Rondo would be the leading candidates, with Chicago's Derrick Rose -- who will be in Phoenix to participate in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam and the Skills Challenge -- as the dark horse candidate. If the commissioner decides to reward the best player regardless of position, either Boston's Ray Allen (who is averaging 18.0 points per game and is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field) or Detroit Tayshaun Prince (13.9 points and 6.5 reounds a game) could be the choice.

NBA.com

 

[dez]

Merged.

Maybe they should have gone for Crit way back when. He would be a good step in at this point.

 

[R6Vox]

What a terrible thing to happen to a guy who was obviously having the best season of his career. At the beginning of the season everyone was saying that the Magic were weak at the point, then Nelson had to prove everyone wrong.

I think the Magic will be okay but trying to beat the Cavs and the Celtics has just gotten harder. Johnson will be a crappy replacement.