November 25, 2012; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson (14) drives past Boston Celtics shooting guard Courtney Lee (11) during the game at the Amway Center. Boston defeated Orlando 116 to 110 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

On the first night of February, the Rajon Rondo-less Boston Celtics look to start the month on a good note as they take on the Glen “Big Baby” Davis-less Orlando Magic. Davis, who broke his left foot in the first half against the New York Knicks, has been shut down for the rest of the season and joins Rondo on a long list of big name players being injured this season.

The Celtics come into the game on a two game winning streak after a huge victory against the Miami Heat on Sunday and crowning the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Without Rondo, Boston has had to play a different style of basketball than they are accustomed to. Instead of running the half court offense, they’ve had to push the tempo much more and try running the fast break as often as possible. Courtney Lee seems to benefit from this style of play as he had one of his better games in a Celtics uniform against the Kings, and even though he only had 9 points in the game, he looked much more comfortable and in rhythm.

“The Pit Bulls”, Avery Bradley and Courtney Lee, played tenacious defense on the Kings backcourt. They can be expected to do the same against the Magic. If Boston can force turnovers and get on the fast break early in the game, the Celtics should have a much easier time scoring. Boston had a difficult time getting points in the half court game since Rondo is the one who directs and calls the plays on offense. To win this game, the Celtics need to run, and keep the pressure on the Magic.

January 20, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; Orlando Magic shooting guard J.J. Redick (7) shoots a three pointer against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at Amway Center. Dallas Mavericks defeated the Orlando Magic 111-105. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

For the Magic, a majority of their points will come from their guards. J.J. Redick and Jameer Nelson combined for 50 points against the New York Knicks and when those two get going, no lead is safe. This is why pressuring the ball for the Celtics is a must. Boston cannot allow Redick or Nelson to shoot lights out, and with Glen Davis out, the Magic will become primarily a jump shooting team.

Players to watch for would be Jeff Green for Boston and Nikola Vucevic for Orlando. Green had 12 points against the Kings, making his first five shots. He will not be going up against against a player with great length so he should be able to get to the basket easily. Vucevic is someone I’d keep my eye on. The Celtics are not known as a great rebounding team, and given the opportunity, Vucevic could have a big night grabbing boards.

Prediction -

Even without Rondo, the Celtics get a victory by double-digits. If Boston boxes out on rebounding opportunities and continues to pressure the ball, making it hard for Orlando’s guards to operate, the Celtics should have no problem taking this game.

May 2, 2012; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson (14) drives to the basket during the third quarter of game three in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Amway Center. Indiana defeated Orlando, 97-74. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

Jameer Nelson came into the league eight seasons ago along with Dwight Howard, a coup the Magic pulled on Draft night, after making a trade in the middle of the first round with the Denver Nuggets.  It signaled the beginning of a new era for the Magic, but save a failed appearance in the Finals in 2009, it has been one marked by mediocrity, as I have never felt Nelson had what it takes to be a starting caliber NBA point guard.

Detractors to this statement will cite Nelson’s stellar performance in the beginning of the 2008-09 season, when Nelson averaged 16.7 points per game and 5.4 assists per game while shooting a blistering 50% from the floor and 45% from three.  If Nelson continually were that type of player, this re-signing would make sense, but he’s not.  It was a fluke and since Nelson has been nowhere near that level of player for a Magic team on the brink of irrelevance.  With Dwight Howard likely on the way out, how does re-signing a 29 year old Nelson make any sense?

The Magic were unable to snag desired target Kendall Marshall in the Draft and finding a young and capable replacement won’t be easy.  Good starting level NBA point guards can be snagged in the middle of the first round (where the Magic will likely be selecting for the next few seasons), but it takes luck to get the right one, and the Magic spent their first round pick on another forward, Andrew Nicholson of St. Bonaventure, which did nothing to address their problems at the point guard position.

It’s not even as though the Magic have any promising backups.  With Chris Duhon and Ish Smith coming off the bench last year, the Magic went from bad to worse when Nelson exited games.

So why re-sign Nelson?  Is it commitment to Nelson or is it a move to appease Dwight Howard?

At this point, I’d be hard pressed to say it’s not both.  The Magic have a history of committing to players long past their primes, and while Nelson is still in his, it won’t last much longer.  At his best, he is capable of scoring in bunches and nearly taking over games, but it just doesn’t happen often enough.  After Howard departs and the Magic make their descent to being a .500 team, having a mediocre point guard might suit them just fine.