For the exact reason you said, a hobbled Nelson is not going to make a difference. Having him back to give them a confidence boost is not a 'negative' to the Lakers because I see it has having a real impact
then how is it a positive for the magic?
A positive for a basketball team doesn't automatically make it a negative for the opposing team if it's not going to effect them that much (or at all in some cases) That was my point with the Bynum example of LA looking for a better brace for him.
Ariza came back for the finals last year and that was a 'positive' for the Lakers but meant nothing to the Celtics. Not that Ariza and Nelson have/had the same role. Just another example....
What kind of logic is that!? If Jameer is the best point they have, and he comes in as a back-up to Alston, he replaces AJ and his minutes. That puts more pressure on the Lakers defense, since he can get by any guard the Lakers put on him. It's not just for him to get to the basket, but to draw the defense in to kick the ball back out to the the 3 point-line or get Lewis or Hedo an inside shot.
A positive for one team is intrinsically a negative for the opponent. Whether it's significant enough to alter the outcome in series depends on how effective he can be.
Hypothetical scenario, Jameer has worked his way back into the starting line-up for Orlando in game 7 and lights up LA like he did in the regular season. Orlando wins the title. That would be a big negative for the Lakers wouldn't you say?
It's a no-loose situation for Orlando. If he can play well it's a plus, it he can't they're not any worse off then they were when they didn't think he was going to play.
Rick, please don't play the logic card. You are the poster who said that P will have an easier time guarding Kobe even though Kobe is the much better offensive weapon between Lebron and himself.
You are ASSUMING he is going to come in and be a positive. You are also ASSUMING the Lakers would change their entire preparation for the Magic based on Nelson coming back to play 10 minutes a game.
Nelson WAS their best point guard. Right now, coming off an injury, you cannot say that. No one has seen him play in a pro game in 6 months.
Using a hypothetical situation can be used in plenty of spots. Two can play at that game Rick. What if Nelson comes back in Game 1 and hurts his shoulder all over again? He's out for half of the next season and doesn't come back the same. Is it still a negative for the Lakers? There is a much higher chance that Nelson is going to be rusty than he is going to drop 35 in a game 7.
Jeeze, you make it sound like playing the RACE CARD! Logic is the first thing I use in any argument. But what you confusing is logic and assumptions. It would be an assumption that Jameer will play as it would if he can play effectively. But it is logical that the Magic will play him if they think it would be safe for him to do so, and if they believe he can help the team.
You are making the assumption that Kobe is more difficult to guard because he's a better scorer than LeBron. But physically LeBron is much bigger and stronger than Kobe, and Pietrus is closer to Kobe in size and weight. Those are facts. Also, Kobe will be forced to play defense in this series, because Pietrus is a good outside shooter. Combine all those things, and the fact that Mikael was able to defend LeBron and score on the other end, and it is a reasonable assumption that he will do fine against Kobe. How it actually works, out we'll find out.
Another thing that I've noticed about the NBA writers, who are picking the Lakers: they are somewhat concerned about the head to head match-up during the regular season, which the Magic won. So far, the regular season winner in the head to head match-ups has won the postseason contests. What they point out, quite correctly is that both teams are different. Ariza has become a more significant part of the Laker attack since then, and of course, Jameer Nelson has been out.
There is no clear evidence of how well Rafer Alston will play vs. Fisher. In this instance any projection would be blind speculation.
One thing that I have assumed which has been borne out by observation, is that individual head to head match-ups make a big difference in determining the outcome of games. Some people were surprised that a relatively weak team like the Sixers took the Magic to 6 games, what they didn't understand was that the Sixers match-up fairly well with Hedo and Lewis. IMO, had Jameer Nelson been healthy and played in that series, it wouldn't have been so close.
