Report: Jameer Nelson Done for Season

On Monday night, it appeared Jameer Nelson had a separated shoulder that would knock him out for a few weeks. Bad news, Magic fans: Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel (via 3QC) reports that Nelson has a torn labrum and it appears he'll have season-ending surgery, putting Orlando in a real (not delicious) pickle.

To call Nelson's injury a disaster is an insult to the Hindenburg. Dwight Howard is the team MVP and the best center in the world. But if there's a No. 2 capo in terms of team import in Orlando, it is without question Nelson. Why? Because of Anthony Johnson.

Johnson, Nelson's old veteran backup, has been somewhere between bad and awful for at least the past few years, possibly his entire career. Right now, most teams wouldn't want him as their backup. (In fact, a lot of pundits panned Orlando's signing of A.J. back during the summer.) Johnson had to fill in at the point for pre-Bibby Atlanta last year; there's a reason the Hawks got off to an awful start in 2007-08. Johnson does little well at this point (wide-open spot-up threes would be one), and several things poorly (defense, ball-handling, shot creation, scoring, defense, defense). He's a net negative no matter how you slice it. There are conceivably a half-dozen or more point guards better suited to start on the Magic than Johnson.

Options exist, and Magic GM Otis Smith told Schmitz the team would look at every avenue (trades and free agency) to add a point guard. The Sporting Blog's Bethlehem Shoals suggests letting Hedo Turkoglu run the point some, and that's a fine idea assuming the conjoined two-guard (Courtney Lee, Mickael Pietrus) can guard the quicker opposing points. If the Magic wants to be viable on the trade market, the small expiring contracts of Keith Bogans ($2.5 million) and Adonal Foyle ($1.2 million) could come into play. Or, Smith could toss J.J. Redick into talks for a decent stopgap/eventual Nelson back-up until next season.