Andrew Nicholson once again looked like a stud in the Orlando Magic’s loss to Cleveland, but now comes the harder part: building on it.
Andrew Nicholson has flirted with being a successful NBA player several times now.
There is certainly an observable NBA skill set. He has an array of moves on the block and is comfortable shooting with either hand. He can stretch the court. He gets good position rebounding and boxes out.
And yet, so often he sits on that pine while watching teammates, surely thinking that he could do the same or better.
That “better” was exhibited in Orlando’s lopsided 117-103 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. As hard as it is to believe (especially if tuning in late), the Magic commanded the game at one point, leading 48-38. And Orlando’s seldom-used power forward keyed the run that made it happen.
Nicholson was entirely en fuego. He shot with confidence, ran the court, and he looked like a first round pick.
He was one, after all.
But he has done this before, and most Magic fans are slow to jump on the bus when it comes to predicting further success.
Can Nicholson be consistent? Is there any way he can build momentum on a game which saw him lead the Magic in scoring?
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Nicholson came off the bench to score 12 points in 12 minutes just in the first half, and the Magic were very much in the game at the intermission, trailing by just four points. The Cavs proceeded to obliterate the Magic in the third quarter, but Nicholson was hardly the one to blame.
Nicholson finished the night 6 of 9 from the floor and 3 of 5 from 3-point range, with 18 total points. It led all Magic scorers, and he finished just -4 in a game the Magic lost by 14. That seems like a high cry for more playing time.
Perhaps what will earn Nicholson the time most is his effort on the boards and defensive abilities.
Orlando’s defensive intensity has ramped up on a team-wide basis this season, and Nicholson seems to be taking in the P’s and Q’s of what Scott Skiles wants done on that end of the court.
The entire team has played stellar defense, and if Nicholson can prove himself capable on the defensive end, there is nothing to stop him from getting consistent minutes.
Oh, but he is undersized? Let us not pretend that matters a ton.
He is not an outstanding athlete nor has a true power forward’s size, but Nicholson has game. He has outstanding fundamentals and footwork to compensate for his athletic shortcomings. And he does belong in the NBA, or at least he certainly does when he plays like he did Monday in Cleveland.
What can Orlando do to ensure Nicholson consistently plays at such a high level?
That is the million dollar question.
Perhaps it is mostly a matter of mentality and intensity. Find a way to get Nicholson to realize what he does right, and how well he does it, and that mental block that allows him so frequently to disappear in games might vanish.
Or it might not.
This place just seems so familiar and we would like for it to be more than an elusive mirage at last. For one more night at least, prime Nicholson made an appearance.