Nelson is far from an exciting guard at the ripe age of 35, but he's become a nice veteran presence for this young Denver team. The former Saint Joseph standout had to play much more than expected in 2016-17, as he took over starting point guard duties across the final few months of the season. The reason for that was Emmanuel Mudiay's inability to stay healthy, in addition to his lack of growth. That flung Nelson into a starting role, as the Nuggets competed for a playoff berth until the final week of the season. Nelson had a nice year too, as he averaged 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 0.7 steals in 27.0 minutes per game. That assist number actually led the team, as he ran the third-best offense in the league. The fact that this is a young team full of talent should garner Nelson more rest this season, as they need to see what they have in Jamal Murray and Mudiay moving forward. Murray's growth in his rookie season likely puts him as the team's starting point guard of the future, which could ultimately mean Nelson has to sacrifice some playing time. Nelson shouldn't be expected to match his numbers from a season ago as he transitions back to a reserve role, so look for him to focus more of his attention on mentoring Murray.
Coming off of a season in which he played a career-low 39 games, Nelson appears to have entered the twilight of his NBA career. A severely sprained wrist was to blame for the lengthy absence, as Nelson appeared in just two games after Jan. 15. Even when healthy, Nelson struggled, averaging 7.7 points per game on 36.8 percent shooting from the field, both the lowest marks of his 12-year career. Of course, the regression was due in part to a reduction in minutes with the arrival of Emmanuel Mudiay. Nelson will again play behind Mudiay this season, and he'll also have to contend with rookie combo guard Jamal Murray. It's unclear how often Murray will play on the ball, but the Nuggets have little incentive to keep him on the bench behind a 34-year-old veteran.
After spending the first 10 years of his career with the Magic, Nelson spent time with the Celtics, Mavs, and Nuggets last season, finishing out the season as the backup to Ty Lawson. In 34 games with the Nuggets, he averaged 21 minutes while posting 9.6 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game. Nelson shot 45 percent from the field while hitting 35 percent of his three-pointers, but he connected on only 58 percent of his free throws. While that final number is concerningly low, it was likely an anomaly. Prior to last season, the veteran had never shot below 67 percent in any season, and he holds a career average of 81 percent. Nelson isn't likely to attempt a high volume of free throws, but that percentage should be expected to return to a more palatable level. As the projected backup point guard again this season, Nelson figures to see steady minutes off the bench, but his primary role may be to mentor promising rookie Emmanuel Mudiay, who is expected to replace Lawson as the starter.
Jameer Nelson joins the Mavericks for his 11th season in the NBA after spending the first 10 years of his career in Orlando. Last year, Nelson averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.1 blocks in 32 minutes per game. Multiple injuries, including a nagging left knee injury, limited him to just 68 games. He shot 39 percent from the field on 11.0 attempts per game and 86 percent from the free-throw line on 1.6 attempts per game. Orlando elected to waive the veteran point guard in the offseason as their youth movement continues. Nelson signed a deal with Dallas where he won't be asked to carry quite the same load. He could be in a prime position to earn the starting point guard job with Raymond Felton suspended for the first four games of the season and Devin Harris thriving as a leader of the second unit last season. Nelson's up-tempo style of play should fit right in with Dallas' offense, and his assist totals could improve with Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons, and Tyson Chandler on the receiving end of his passes. An increase in three-point opportunities should be available with defenses honing in on Nowitzki, Parsons, and Monta Ellis.
Nelson had a surprisingly-effective season as the sole greybeard on a team full of kids, posting career-best averages of 14.7 points, 7.4 boards and 1.3 steals. Unfortunately, he compiled those numbers in just 56 games, missing the rest with a variety of injuries. With no real alternative on the roster – Beno Udrih opted for a job in New York, leaving journeyman Ronnie Price as Nelson's nominal backup – Nelson figures to have a very significant role in Orlando's offense once again, though that may be dialed back a bit as players like Tobias Harris, Maurice Harkless and rookie Victor Oladipo improve. Ex-Hoosier Oladipo is a shooting guard by trade but is expected to log minutes at both guard spots this year. If he thrives at the point, he could cut into Nelson's playing time. Also worth noting: Nelson is entering the final year of his deal and probably isn't part of the Magic's rebuilding plans, which makes him a candidate to be moved at the deadline, especially if a contender develops a need for a veteran point guard.
Nelson provided refreshing stability to the franchise this summer by re-signing for three years. He enters 2012-13 as the undisputed leader, and will be expected to play a bigger role this year as a scorer and crunch-time option. Nelson hasn’t put up good offensive numbers recently (11.9 points on 42.7% shooting last season), but should feel much more liberated on the court under Vaughn. Nelson’s never averaged more than 16.7 points per game, but could top that this year.
Nelson has entered camp significantly trimmer and more muscular. He will be asked to be more aggressive and look to score more, especially in the fourth quarter. He shot over 40 percent from three last year and increased his scoring average slightly, but he has yet to regain his All-Star form from a few years ago. The Magic will ask him to carry a big load without a solid backup, which is concerning considering Nelson is somewhat injury-prone.
Over the last two seasons, Nelson has proven two things: he's a remarkably effective player in Orlando's system – a key to their continued success. And he is going to have a very hard time staying healthy. In the last three seasons, Nelson – who is listed at just 6-0, 190 but plays like a halfback – has seen action in 69, 42 and 65 games. The shoulder injury that sidelined Nelson for the second half of 2008-09 seemed to linger into the 2009-10 season, and was then compounded by knee trouble. Injuries aside, Nelson's value to the Magic far outweighs his worth in a fantasy context; his averages of 12.6 points and 5.4 assists in 2009-10 pale in comparison to those of any top roto guards.
After years of teasing NBA fans – and Orlando management – with his considerable potential, Nelson finally emerged as a top-flight NBA point guard last season, helping put the Magic in position to win the Southeast Division and Eastern Conference and earning a spot on the All-Star team. But a shoulder injury robbed him of half his breakout season – he dislocated it in early February and didn’t return until the NBA Finals. This year, with his shoulder fully recovered, he enters camp as the unquestioned starter at the point. But the Magic will be a very different team than the one that lost to Kobe and company in June. Hedo Turkoglu and his point-forward skill-set are in Toronto, and a new elite wing scorer, Vince Carter, will take his place in the lineup. With a finisher like Carter replacing a hybrid scorer/ball handler like Turkoglu in the rotation, Nelson’s role may change slightly, making him less of a scorer and more of a distributor. That might not play to Nelson’s strength – and a return to all-star level stats might be a stretch this year.
At times last season, it looked like Nelson had lost the starting job to Carlos Arroyo, but he’s survived for another season. Arroyo and Keyon Dooling are gone, leaving only 11-year veteran Anthony Johnson to contend for playing time. Johnson might not be a full-time starter in the NBA, but is a serviceable backup who can take minutes away from Nelson. All that’s left for Nelson to do is stay on Magic coach Jeff Van Gundy’s good side, which means staying aggressive and pushing the tempo. Nelson’s a fearless driver who can score some, but took nearly three shots less per game last year. His assists picked up because he has shooters like Rashard Lewis and Hedo Tukroglu lighting it up outside, while Dwight Howard finishes near the rim. But Nelson played just 28.4 minutes per game, and Turkoglu often ran the offense as a point forward.
Nelson has a point guard’s body, but is more of a scorer than a playmaker. His status as point guard of the future is very much in question – he’s lost playing time to Carlos Arroyo because of a propensity to turn the ball over and will have to compete for the starting job. Throw in a new coach, Stan Van Gundy, who prefers to play a slower game than suits Nelson’s skills, and we don’t know what to expect from him.
People have been underestimating Jameer Nelson for years; we suspect that’s a factor that has fueled his success. Hoops pundits didn’t give the undersized Nelson – listed at 6-1 – much of a chance to make the leap from dominant force in the A-10 to NBA star. (Please note that “listed at” is hoops writer code for “no way is that dude more than 5-10. I swear, I could post him up.”) It’s been injuries, not talent, that have prevented Nelson from moving up in the ranks of NBA points. He missed about a month of last season due to foot ailments, but will play this season with special shoe inserts that should solve the problem. It’ll be interesting to see how Brian Hill deploys Nelson and top draft pick J.J. Redick; it’s hard to imagine them spending a ton of time on the floor together, given that Redick is listed at just 6-4. Maybe the defensive presence of Dwight Howard makes that a moot point. Or maybe we’re just underestimating Nelson again.
Jameer Nelson had a great rookie year averaging 8.7 points and 3 assists in 20.4 minutes per game last year. He played so well in the second half of the season, that the Magic have decided to move Steve Francis over as a shooting guard. Fantasy owners will want to keep an eye on the battle between Nelson and Keyon Dooling for the starting job. If Nelson gets the starting nod, he would probably produce numbers similar to Antonio Daniels, Earl Watson, and Speedy Claxton.
Nelson will be used as a back up for Francis at point guard most likely this season, and may end up being quite a decent pick up for the Magic. During his college time with Saint Josephs, Nelson 16.8 points per game, with a .454 field goal percentage. He also averaged 34.5 minutes a game and will eventually be able to put in some serious playing time as he learns the NBA system. Don't expect him to give you any fantasy numbers this year, but watch his progress for keeper leagues.
Uses his strength and speed well. Proven defender. Proven to most he has what it takes to be a real point guard. Being compared to Tim Hardaway. His size is a downside. Averages about three turnovers a game.
