Jameer Nelson has watch the Orlando Magic make it all the way to the 2009 NBA Finals without him. Now there are rumors circulating that Nelson can return from his shoulder surgery in time to play in the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jameer Nelson - Could he return against the Lakers (Image: Zuma Press)

If you are hooping it up in playoff fantasy basketball, Jameer Nelson’s injury update could have a lot of impact. Named to the All-Star team, Nelson was having an amazing season prior to his shoulder injury. He was averaging 16.7 points, 5.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds, while shooting 50.3% from the floor and 45.3% from beyond the three-point arc.

However, even if he is able to return, it’s all but certain that he’d come off the bench. Rafer Alston hasn’t been amazing but he’s been good enough to retain the job for the rest of the way.

Nelson’s return would most likely result in replacing Anthony Johnson in the rotation. He would also cut into Alston’s minutes if he plays well.

For fantasy purposes, take a wait and see approach with Nelson. If he returns and then looks decent on the court, that’s when you start considering him for your fantasy basketball team. Prior to that point, he’s more of a tease than a sure thing.

With a Game 6 victory over the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers have advanced to the 2009 NBA Finals. If you are still playing playoff fantasy basketball, here’s a preview of what you can expect from the fantasy players on these 2009 Lakers.

Who’s hot and who’s not?

HOT

Kobe Bryant
In Game 6 against the Nuggets, Bryant had arguably his best game of the 2009 NBA playoffs. He shot the ball well, passed the ball well, rebounded with authority and avoided turnovers. Next to LeBron James, Bryant is the best thing going in the fantasy basketball world.

Pau Gasol
Next to Bryant, Gasol is the best player on the Lakers. He’s extremely talented and he can rack up fantasy stats in a hurry. While he’s not quite Kobe, he could very well be the best fantasy power forward still alive in the postseason.

Lamar Odom
About a week ago, Odom appeared as if he were stuck in a funk. Now, Odom is playing very well. He just completed his second straight positive outing and should be primed for a big finals.

Trevor Ariza
These playoffs have introduced Ariza to the world. The starting small forward for the Lakers is a good shooter who can stuff the stat sheet in multiple categories.

Shannon Brown
If you want to located a sleeper on these Lakers, look no further than Brown. In his spot minutes, he’s played well more often than not. His energy is helping Los Angeles in their march to a championship.

NOT

Andrew Bynum
He’ll have a good game here and there but Bynum just isn’t a very dependable option in these playoffs. He’s definitely oozing with talent and has a bright future — but that future doesn’t appear to be now.

Derek Fisher
The ol’ gunslinger for the Lakers appears to be running about of bullets. He’s not shooting accurately at all and isn’t doing much else to impact the stats.

Sasha Vujacic
Last year, Vujacic was a decent fantasy basketball option in the playoffs. This year? Not so much. He’s basically a shooter that can’t find his range at this point.

Luke Walton
Bill’s son is having a tough time in these playoffs. He’s dealt with injuries and inconsistent minutes. Can he turn it up in the 2009 NBA Finals? Don’t hold your breath.

On Sunday, two NBA Game 7s will take place. First, the Los Angeles Lakers will play the Houston Rockets in the decided game of their Western Conference battle. After that game, the Boston Celtics will host the Orlando Magic in a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference.

If you are playing playoff fantasy basketball, these two games could hold a lot of meaning for you. Which players could shine in their Game 7 contest?

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
After the Magic lost Game 5, Dwight Howard had a meltdown. He basically blamed the loss on not getting the ball enough. Howard got the ball a lot in Game 6 and expect him to get the ball a lot in Game 7.

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
When it comes to big times and big moments, Paul Pierce is usually the Celtics player who steps up. He has had some bad moments in this series but expect him to go off in Game 7.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Is there any doubt who the Lakers will go to in Game 7? Kobe Bryant could very likely end up with 40 or more points as the Lakers battle for their playoff lives against the Rockets.

Luis Scola, Houston Rockets
Without both Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, Luis Scola is now arguably the best player on the Rockets. In Game 6, he dominated the action early on in the ballgame and helped the Rockets force a Game 7.

Yao Ming’s season is over. The superstar center for the Houston Rockets has a broken left foot that will keep him out for the rest of the 2009 NBA playoffs. Without Yao, the Rockets will face a huge challenge in their second round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. After three games, the Rockets trail 1-2 in the series.

During the 2009 playoffs, Yao has averaged 17.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 assists per game in 35.8 minutes. Earlier in the season, the Rockets lost Tracy McGrady due to microfracture knee surgery. Earlier in these playoffs, center Dikembe Mutombo was lost for the rest of the playoffs due to a knee injury.

If you have Yao on your fantasy basketball team, this is obviously devastating news. He was playing well and was undoubtedly helping your team.

For those looking for a sleeper to emerge due to this Yao injury news, the most likely player is Carl Landry. In the last two games against the Lakers, Landry has scored in double figures — including a 21-point and 10-rebound performance in Game 2. Pick up Landry off the waiver wire if he’s available and hope he can put up Yao-like numbers the rest of the way.

Yao Ming Injury Update - Fantasy Basketball (Image: Newscom)

Derek Fisher, the starting point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, has been suspended for Game 3 of the second round series between the Lakers and the Houston Rockets. Fisher found himself in hot water after decking Houston’s Luis Scola. Watch the video at the end of this entry to see what got Fisher suspended.

In the fantasy basketball world, Fisher hasn’t been much of an asset in the 2009 NBA playoffs. In seven postseason games, the point guard is averaging 9.6 points, 2.9 assists and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 42.9% from the floor and 26.1% from beyond the arc.

The aspect that has hurt Fisher’s fantasy production the most is his three-point shooting. In the regular season, he drained 120 threes and shot 39.7% from downtown. Until he starts hitting from behind the three-point line, his fantasy value will remain limited.

In Game 3, expect the Lakers to play Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar at point guard. Brown is the player with a higher ceiling. So far in the playoffs, he’s averaging 6.4 points in only 16.1 minutes per game while shooting 51.7% from the field. Farmer is only shooting 36.4% in the postseason and is averaging 2.5 points in seven minutes per game.

Although the fantasy basketball season is nearing an end, there’s some good news regarding Los Angeles Lakers bigman Andrew Bynum. The center, who has missed the past few months after tearing his MCL, could possibly return to action this week.

According to Lakers coach Phil Jackson, Bynum looked strong in practice and was moving well. Jackson even called Bynum a “dominant force”.

With less than two weeks remaining prior to the beginning of the NBA playoffs, the Lakers need Bynum to get on the court as quickly as possible. It’d be tough to integrate him back into their system after the playoffs begin.

For fantasy basketball purposes, Bynum would be a high risk play at any point. However, he’s definitely capable of producing a big reward. There’s a possibility that the Lakers could give him extended minutes so that he can accelerate his acclimation back into their system.

Here’s an Andrew Bynum highlight video to remind you of what the bigman can do when he’s healthy:

Andrew Bynum has had a very active week. However, most of his action has been off of the basketball court. First, Bynum was photographed with Playboy Playmates on his shoulders. Now we have a video of Bynum hula hooping with Playboy Playmates.

Bynum has been out of the Los Angeles Lakers lineup since tearing an MCL ligament in his knee. Earlier this month, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that Bynum was likely out for the rest of the regular season. As of late, Bynum has indicated that he’s close to returning to the NBA hardwood.

For fantasy basketball purposes, Bynum would be a risky play. Unless your team is desperate, it’s best to ignore Bynum for the rest of the season. If he plays, it will likely be from off the bench. The Lakers will take it slow and hope that their young center can peak late in the playoffs.

In the meantime, the Lakers will likely keep starting Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Eventually, Bynum could return to the starting lineup but that will probably have to wait until the playoffs.

Here is the video of Andrew Bynum hula hooping with Playboy Playmates:

Last season, Vladimir Radmanovic spent considerable time in the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers. After an apparent falling out with the coaching staff, Radmanovic is being sent to the Charlotte Bobcats for Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown.

The reasoning for this trade for the Lakers is salary related. They needed to dump Radmanovic’s salary to open up room to re-sign Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza. By taking on Morrison and Brown, the Lakers have successfully lowered their long-term salary commitment.

For the Bobcats, they needed a small forward. Radmanovic wasn’t getting much playing time for the Lakers but he could eventually see a lot of time with Charlotte. The only true small forward the Bobcats have is Gerald Wallace and considering his fragile nature, they needed more insurance.

In the fantasy world, Radmanovic can provide three-pointers at a high clip and a frequent rate — as long as he gets the time. With Gerald Wallace suffering from a punctured lung, Radmanovic could step into a big role right away.

As for Morrison and Brown, it’d be a long shot that either one of the players ends up in the Lakers’ rotation. That said, both players are talented and if they reach their potential, they could still be long-term NBA prospects.

After Andrew Bynum injured his knee against the Memphis Grizzlies, many Los Angeles Lakers fans feared the worst. While Bynum apparently avoided serious injury, he has been diagnosed with a torn MCL. The recovery time for such an injury is typically 8-to-12 weeks.

For fantasy basketball owners who own Bynum, this isn’t very good news. If he misses the full 12 weeks, that means he’ll miss the rest of the regular season. Even if he misses only eight weeks, he’ll be back only for the last two weeks of the regular season. The only hope for Bynum owners is that he is able to recover quicker expected.

For the Lakers, Bynum out means that Lamar Odom will likely move back to the starting lineup. Odom will play power forward while Pau Gasol will shift to center. Backing up Odom and Gasol will likely be Josh Powell and Chris Mihm.

To pick up the slack, expect Gasol and Bryant to get more shots and more points. Odom should also see a sizable increase in production.

Last season, Bynum was injured at around the same point of the season and the Lakers announced that he’d be sidelined for a minimum of eight weeks. Although the Lakers made the Finals, Bynum never was able to return to the court.

As we reported yesterday, Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum suffered a knee injury in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Although no official diagnosis has been made, there have been a few rumors circulating regarding Bynum’s status.

A knee sprain appears to be a big possibility at the moment. Typically, knee sprains take about six weeks to heal. If that is the case, Bynum would be out until the middle of March. Although that would be a big blow to fantasy owners, that would give him plenty of time to warm up for the NBA playoffs.

The best case scenario would be that Bynum simply suffered a slight hyperextension. If that’s the case, Bynum could miss as little as seven-to-ten days. While this might not be likely, it’s entirely possible that Bynum avoided major injury.

The worst case scenario is that Bynum tore his ACL. If Bynum suffered a torn ACL, he’d be out for the entire season. The only good news would be that he’d be ready for the beginning of next season.

According to sources on the Lakers, expect to hear a specific Bynum update at some point on Monday.