Jameer, Magic At Contract Crossroads

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Jameer, Magic at contract crossroads?
Posted on Mar 13, 2007 12:04:54 PM

The idea of handing a contract extension to Dwight Howard this summer is, in the basketball vernacular, a slam-dunk.

The notion that Jameer Nelson also would be rewarded along with Howard was considered at least a lay-up at one time. . . but not anymore.

Nelson?s decline this season has introduced a degree of difficulty into the process. In fact, the Magic are wondering whether to offer Nelson an extension --- or wait to see what happens should he become a restricted free agent next summer.

"We start talking about extensions like they?re a given," General Manager Otis Smith told The Sentinel. "Jameer has to understand that we expect more out of him."

In some ways, said Smith, measuring Nelson?s worth is more challenging the figuring out Darko Milicic?s. The Magic nixed an extension offer to Milicic before the season, allowing him to become a restricted free agent this summer.</div>

From Brian Schmitz's blog.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_ma...r_magic_at.html

 

If we didn't resign Jameer, could we afford Darko and a big name free agent (like Lewis)? You're pretty familiar with our cap situation Gators, do you know?

 

Well I estimated that his extension would be worth 5 mil. So that means we would have 17-18 million to use in the offseason if we don't give him the extension. I don't know if Darko and VC/Shard would sign for that, but that just gives us a little more money to get more role players, like a Steve Blake.

 

Honestly, I'm all up for letting Jameer walk. We need a distributing point guard and he's not the answer at point guard for this team. He's a very talented player but the system we run is holding him back. He is scorer and I think signing Steve Blake instead would be an excellent idea.

 

With Diener and the possibility of picking up a solid, veteran point like Steve Blake or Brevin Knight, there's no urgency to resign Nelson. I personally think that Nelson would be a much better fit on a team with a skilled playmaker on the wing, a la Houston or Cleveland.

 

yea i could def live without nelson. I loved him in college but he hasnt turned into anything and with all the hype last offseason on he worked out and stuff i figured he would be what people expected but as we have seen it has been lackluster. I think Deiner is our best option still..

 

I'd see Jameer flourishing in the Suns system. Hell, Dooling would play pretty well in that system as well.

I'm pretty content with Diener and Arroyo(yeah I know). We need a veteran though, that's for sure.

 

<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I disagree, it's the fault of the coach if he can't keep a handle on his point guard. Typically a point guard is the extension of the coach on the court. They execute the plays and control a game, the way a coach designs in pregame practice and during timeouts.

Nelson is not a selfish player and his erractic play should be attributed to Brian Hill. I don't think Hill has a system in place where his players have defined roles, which leads to inconsistency from game to game.

There's a reason why Steve Blake has bounced around the league. He's a solid backup PG, but he's not talented enough to be the everyday starter for a team. Physically he can't handle the grind and it ends up effecting his productivity. Backup, spot starter is all Blake is good for.</div>

I originally thought the first 2 paragraphs too. The reason why I changed my mind is so many times Jameer is looking downlow to Dwight, Dwight has great position and he just flat out doesn't pass Dwight the ball. Same with Arroyo, same with pretty much everyone.

We just need a distributing PG and Steve Blake fills that. Not to mention he is much bigger than Jameer and can actually get a hand in someones face. I would love Steve Blake on the Orlando Magic to be a starter and get 25-30 minutes a game when Dwight is in. He would at last run the offense and his defense can't be any worse than our PG defense currently.

 

<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I disagree, it's the fault of the coach if he can't keep a handle on his point guard. Typically a point guard is the extension of the coach on the court. They execute the plays and control a game, the way a coach designs in pregame practice and during timeouts.</div>

While I do blame Coach Hill to a certain extent, there have been times when I've seen Jameer attempt to take over the game and just try to score each and every possession. I don't know how many times I've seen Jameer make a three pointer and then come down the floor and try to score repeatedly. Maybe that worked in college when he was St. Joe's go-to guy but we don't need a point guard who looks for his own shot before he looks for the pass.

<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Nelson is not a selfish player and his erractic play should be attributed to Brian Hill. I don't think Hill has a system in place where his players have defined roles, which leads to inconsistency from game to game.</div>

Brian Hill is garbage but this all can't be put on his shoulders. There is no excuse for Jameer settling for jumpshots rather than driving. There is no excuse for his terrible turnover/assist ratio. There is no excuse for any of those things and while the system may suck, it hasn't held him back that much.

<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">There's a reason why Steve Blake has bounced around the league. He's a solid backup PG, but he's not talented enough to be the everyday starter for a team. Physically he can't handle the grind and it ends up effecting his productivity. Backup, spot starter is all Blake is good for.</div>

I think Blake has bounced around because he has to be on the right team to make an impact. On teams where they expect their point guard to score, he wouldn't be the best option. On team where he just has to distribute the ball to scorers, he is successful (like in Denver with Melo and Iverson). I think he would be good at distributing the ball to Dwight, Darko, and Ariza rather than coming down the floor and jacking up a three pointer which clanks off the back of the rim. I used to be a huge Jameer fan and I've always supported the little guy since he came out of college. I was ecstatic when he was traded to Orlando and I thought he would be great teamed up with Dwight. However, his regression has made me really worried and I don't know if he can handle being the teams starting point guard along Howard for years to come.

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If it's a case of Jameer not dumping the ball in the post when Howard has position, then it's up to Brian Hill to reprimand him for making a poor decision. He needs to point out what Jameer did wrong and if Jameer does it again he goes into the doghouse.

Same should apply for Arroyo or Diener or Dooling. The coach has to have control of his players' actions or they're going to develop bad habits.

Just look around the league at the more successful teams, those coaches have complete authority and all of them are disciplinarians. Pat Riley went as far as suspending Posey and Walker for not getting their body fat down. Ever since they've come back from the suspension they've performed at a higher level and the Heat are back to winnning.

If it's a case of Brian Hill losing the locker room then it's time for him to be fired.</div>

I agree with you here. We've been asking for him to be fired for awhile and I think he's a horrible coach (check out the user title ). Otis stands by him though which makes me sick. In Sporting News the other day, there was a short blurb about how Rick Adelman no longer wants to exclusively coach in the West. He has said that he and his family wants to move to the East and if the right coaching job opened up, he would have to consider it. I would be so happy if we could fire Hill and bring in someone talented who knows what he is doing like Adelman. Another option I have brought up in the past is Stan Van Gundy but I can't see that happening because he hasn't really shown any interest in coaching. The point is, we need to fire Brian Hill. It's been said far to many times on this board but we continue to be inconsistent, we play down to teams, our substitutions are horrible, and we took more than half of the year to start Darko which could end up costing us in the playoff race. I mean, seriously, what good things has Brian Hill done this year?

 

Here is an "update" from Brian Schmitz.

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Magic, through GM Otis Smith, told me several weeks ago that point guard Jameer Nelson is not guaranteed a contract extension this summer like his buddy, Dwight Howard.

Smith said he "wanted to see more out of Jameer," a pointed message reflecting his uneven season.

Nelson showed Smith a lot in hitting the tying and game-winning 3-point shots in beating the Knicks Monday night, delivering one of the Magic's biggest victories this season.

If the Magic do not extend Nelson this summer, he will become a restricted free agent after next season.

That means the Magic can match any other suitor's offer. They also gamble that it won't be sky-high.

They have already used the same strategy with 7-foot forward Darko Milicic this summer.

While Milicic is a young, skilled big, he hasn't put up the kind of nights that Nelson has since he arrived with Howard in the 2004 NBA draft. Not even close. What he has on Nelson is 14 inches of height.

The Magic aren't going to Milicic in the clutch, asking him to win a game. Nelson is their go-to guy most of the time, largely because he doesn't fear the responsibility.

So, Nelson has established his value as a go-to scorer, if not a run-the-offense point guard. He is --- and likely never will be --- a pure point. He still commits way too many turnovers, and doesn't always pay attention defensively, seemingly saving himself for the offensive end.

The Magic likely see Nelson as a backup -- and maybe other teams will, too. Nelson's size is a factor, whether he likes to hear that or not. But there are teams who desperately need a point, and in the right system, Nelson might be worth a considerably hefty contract.

The Magic are leaning more toward signing him for something close to what Seattle point guard Luke Ridnour received (three years, $19.5 million). If Nelson wants Kirk Hinrich money (5 years, $47.5 million), he and the Magic are miles apart this summer.

But if they expose him to restricted free agency, all it takes is one team to maybe split the difference, forcing the Magic to make a call --- and that's after Nelson goes on a salary-drive next season.

What the Magic have to decide this summer is simple: Is Jameer their point guard of the future or not? If Smith's stated goal is winning a title, is Nelson a guy to lead them there? If not, they need to go find another point, perhaps a more traditional point.

If they do, then at least they answer that question. The next one could be whether they decide to match an offer for Nelson --- who could be coming off the bench in a Vinnie Johnson-type role --- or let him go.</div>
Source

 

I reckon the Magic need a tall two guard that defends opposing 2 guards but on offence plays the one in order to give Jameer that scoring 2 kind of role.

Those guys are hard to find, so unless Nelson can brush up his point skills and stop turning over the damn ball, I wouldn't mind watching Nelson go.