Magic waiting to decide whether Nelson will play

LOS ANGELES - He's an all-star, he feels healthy, and he dominated the Lakers during the regular season.

So it seems pretty simple: Jameer Nelson should play in the NBA Finals. It's not so easy to the Orlando Magic, which still wasn't ready to make a decision Wednesday before practicing for the final time before facing the Los Angeles Lakers tonight in Game 1.

"It's a tough decision on Jameer either way you go, because I think he is able to play right now," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Now, how much he can do, I don't know.

"We'll just decide after today if we think playing him gives us a better chance to win than not playing him. It's really as simple as that, but the decision won't be easy."

On the one hand, it should be. Nelson averaged 27.5 points in two victories over the Lakers, expertly utilizing the Magic's pick-and-roll offense to create lanes to penetrate or step back for 3-pointers. On the other, can Nelson play anywhere near that well after being out of action since tearing the labrum in his right shoulder Feb. 2 against Dallas?

"No one knows. He doesn't even know, probably," Lakers forward Luke Walton said. "You've been out as long as he's been out, obviously, if he was playing at the level he was before he got hurt, yeah, obviously he would make a difference. But right now, at least until end of Game 1, there's no way to know that."

There may not be an answer then, either. Van Gundy, Nelson, general manager Otis Smith, or team medical personnel - Nelson said everyone would take part in the decision - all could decide the point guard simply isn't healthy enough or have enough stamina to take part in a game.

Or, they could decide it's not worth the risk to mess with the chemistry of a team that just knocked off Boston and Cleveland - though that one seems unlikely.

"He can't hurt us," said Rafer Alston, who replaced Nelson as the starting point guard after a deal before the trade deadline.

Nelson was expected to be off the court until August following surgery on Feb. 19. But he's regained full range of motion and began taking part in full-court drills during the Magic's Eastern Conference finals victory over the Cavaliers.