Jameer Nelson Could Return From Knee Injury As Soon As Monday

Jammer Nelson did indeed return to the court for the Orlando Magic in their 104-99 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday night. He played just 14 minutes in a reserve role, however, and looked rusty, missing all five of his field goal attempts.

However, Orlando Pinstriped Post, SB Nation’s Magic blog, writes that Nelson actually played “a decent game.” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is also quoted as saying Nelson played “pretty well” overall, considering it was his first game action in five weeks.

My thoughts on Nelson? He played a decent game, and looked excellent running two fast-breaks with Bass late in the third quarter. Johnson got the call at point guard over Nelson in the fourth quarter because, according to Van Gundy, Nelson’s “decisions on when to shoot and when to pass were not real good, and that’s to be expected.” He said Nelson played “pretty well” overall and displayed “good quickness.”

Via Orlando Pinstriped Post, we learn that Jameer Nelson will play “limited minutes” in tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz.

John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com reports.

If there’s no swelling in Nelson’s knee, the Magic’s captain should play. The original plan called for him to return on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets, but Nelson impressed in practice the past two days so much so that he could be on the floor against Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy has said that Nelson is his starting point guard once fully healthy, but because he’s likely to play only limited minutes tonight, he’ll come off the bench if he can play. Jason Williams, who played well in Saturday’s win against Portland, will continue to start.

Nelson has missed the last month of the season due to arthroscopic knee surgery.

Despite his stature, Jameer Nelson has continually proven he can play through pain. He returned to play in the NBA Finals last year when few expected him to after missing half the season with a separated shoulder.

Now, according to Hoopsworld’s Alex Kennedy, Nelson could return to the court as soon as Monday after missing time due to arthroscopic knee surgery.

On Wednesday, it will have been four weeks since Nelson tore his meniscus in his left knee. The injury was originally expected to sideline the fifth-year point guard for up to six weeks but after intense rehab, Nelson is hoping to practice with the team this weekend and make his return as early as Monday against the Utah Jazz.

Jameer Nelson, tough guy.

Injuries and Jameer Nelson are nothing new, so you can’t blame Magic fans for want to get as many opinions on Nelson’s knee injury as possible.

Third Quarter Collapse, SB Nation’s Magic blog, comes through and asks renown injury expert Will Carroll about Nelson’s situation. Carroll said he is surprised by the timetable the Magic provided for Nelson’s recovery (4-6 weeks), saying meniscus injuries usually heal faster than that.

I’m a bit surprised they have Nelson listed as a 4-6 week recovery. I’d think this is more like 4 on the outside … unless Nelson has a history of knee injuries. I know he had the shoulder problem, but not knees, but he is a basketball player. The worry is that down the line, he’ll miss that cartilage and need microfracture or knee replacement (if he’s done with hoops)

As a Wizards fan, I’m well aware of torn meniscus injuries getting worse over time — Gilbert Arenas had a torn meniscus initially and he eventually needed microfracture surgery — so if I’m the Orlando Magic, I stay as cautious with this injury as possible. The Magic have plenty of talent besides Nelson on the roster and just blew out a good Oklahoma City Thunder team. Make sure Nelson is 100 percent before bringing him back.

OrlandoMagic.com’s John Denton caught up with Jameer Nelson after the news about his knee surgery broke. While Nelson is upset that the injury is worse than he expected, he is confident his teammates can pick up the slack.

``Really, it could have been a lot worse. You never want to be injured, but I keep telling myself that it’s still early in the season,’’ Nelson said. ``Things happen for a reason, but I haven’t figured out what the reason is for this yet. I just informed Rashard [Lewis] about my knee a few minutes ago and he was just saying how we can’t catch a break right now as a team. I just told him and the other guys that things like this happen and we’ll weather the storm just fine.’’

Nelson also expressed confidence in Jason Williams and Anthony Johnson, the players who will replace him in the lineup.

``Those two guys have been around a long time and know how to play this game. J-Will has won a championship and knows what he’s doing and AJ has just what it takes to keep this team rolling.’’

Perhaps it’s because they dealt with an injury to Jameer Nelson last year, but Third Quarter Collapse, SB Nation’s Orlando Magic blog, is optimistic about Orlando’s chances of surviving without Nelson for 4-6 weeks this time around.

Losing an All-Star is always tough and not having as potent of a threat at point guard on offense will hurt a little, but the Orlando Magic should be okay while Jameer Nelson is out. That is, as long as everyone else stays healthy.