Let the mind games begin

By John McMullen, NBA Editor
Sports Network) - Phil Jackson is usually the one playing mind games.

The Zen master has never been regarded as the best X's and O's guy, but his numbers and accomplishments can't be questioned.

Jackson has an astonishing 43-0 record in the postseason when his team wins Game 1 of a series, and he will be aiming for his record 10th NBA championship as a coach and 12th overall when the Finals kick off between his Lakers and the Orlando Magic on Thursday.

History tends to be a daunting opponent to overcome, so Magic mentor Stan Van Gundy is going to pull out all the stops to steal Game 1, and that includes using the mind games that Jackson is so famous for.

Enter Jameer Nelson.

Orlando beat the Lakers in both of their meetings during the regular season, but the combined margin of victory was only nine points. In those two games, the two superstars came through. The Magic's Dwight Howard totaled 43 points and 32 rebounds, while the Lakers' Kobe Bryant poured in 69 points.

But the big difference was Orlando's All-Star point guard, who scored 27 and 28 points for the Magic in the two regular season contests and tortured the aging and slow-footed Derek Fisher.

Fast-forward to the present. Nelson has missed the entire postseason with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, and hasn't played since February 2 against Dallas. The St. Joseph's product underwent surgery performed by renowned Dr. James Andrews on February 19, and his rehabilitation was estimated at four-to- six months.

If you do the math, four months would be June 19, safely after the finals will be history.

Nearly two weeks ago, Orlando general manager Otis Smith said there was no chance Nelson would make a return for the playoffs, but team president Bob Vander Weide wanted Nelson to take another MRI and consult with doctors.

The doctors cleared Nelson to practice this week, and the Magic's braintrust will then make a decision on his availability. If healthy, Nelson's return could be the difference against the Lakers.

Fisher has averaged just 7.1 points and 2.4 assists on 35.6 percent shooting from the field, and a miserable 23.5 percent from three. The veteran has been abused at times by Deron Williams, Aaron Brooks and Chauncey Billups during the postseason.

Fisher can be taken off the dribble at will these days and especially struggled with the lightning-fast Brooks in the West semis. Nelson's replacement, Rafer Alston, isn't chopped liver and does have the quickness to get anywhere he wants against Fisher, but the former playground legend is a streaky shooter, will turn the ball over at times and isn't consistent enough on the defensive end.

Nelson is a much steadier presence, but his potential availability strikes me as a Van Gundy mind game. The risk of permanent injury to one of the franchise's marquee players is just too great. Not to mention that Van Gundy would be wagering his team's momentum and chemistry on a guy who hasn't played in four months but would be asked to walk onto the court and play at an NBA Finals level.

It certainly would make for quite the movie script, and the series will start in Hollywood. With Nelson on the floor playing at a high level, I can't picture anyone beating this Magic team. When you have five or six players that can stretch the floor and bang threes on a consistent basis, teamed up with Howard in the middle, that's toxic.

Would I like to play? Of course. I'm a competitor," Nelson told the Orlando Sentinel. "But I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize me long- term."

Nelson was on the floor Tuesday for his first full team practice since the injury and Van Gundy said his point guard looked "terrific."

Backup point guard Anthony Johnson went even farther saying, "I expect to see him out there at some point in the series."

It's official...the mind games have begun.

Your move, Phil.