Andrew Nicholson: Life on the fringes

Andrew Nicholson has struggled to crack the rotation throughout the season. When he gets in, it is clear he can produce both inside and out.

Even in the midst of a season marred by frustration and underachievement, the Orlando Magic have still given plenty to get excited about.

Whether it is Victor Oladipo dropping a career-high 45 points on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Aaron Gordon throwing down yet another ridiculous slam or Elfrid Payton notching a triple double the bright spots have been there even when the wins have not.

Even at the end of the bench, there is reason for some optimism. Look no further than Andrew Nicholson.

Nicholson is playing some of the best basketball of his career right now.

Appearing in four of the past five games, Nicholson has averaged 11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in just less than 16 minutes per night. Additionally, he is shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from deep and 86 percent from the free throw line.

Yet his play is still has not resulted in guaranteed minutes.

Against the Cleveland Cavaliers last Friday for instance, Nicholson did not play. While against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday he logged just four minutes. This is quite a strong contrast to the 23 minutes of playing time he recorded against the Charlotte Hornets last week, or the 21 he played against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

Those two games resulted in 13- and 15-point nights respectively, while on Monday against the Boston Celtics, Nicholson scored 13 points in just 15 minutes.

Nicholson got in to many of those games thanks to foul trouble from the Magic’s bigs and Nikola Vucevic‘s continued absence with a strained groin. When he has an opportunity, Nicholson has performed.

Looking back at the season, it is clear some of Nicholson’s best performances have come when he has played 15-20 minutes per game, a fact punctuated by the season-high 23 points he scored in 21 minutes against the Hornets in the preseason opener and the 18 points he scored in 24 minutes against the Cavaliers back in November.

In 22 games where Nicholson played 15 or more minutes, he averages 10.2 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting a 54.7 percent effective field goal percentage. He clearly can produce effectively when given the time.

The problem is Nicholson’s time in the rotation has waned. After getting consistent playing time in the first few months, his minutes dried up.

Nicholson averaged 6.8 points per game in 16.8 minutes per game in November and 8.6 per game in 18.4 minutes in December, while in January those numbers fell to just 3.4 points in 11.8 minutes and then got even worse in February when he averaged a lowly 1.2 points in 5.8 minutes per game.

Things are looking better for him in March, as he is currently averaging 6.0 points in 10.9 minutes per game. But much of that has come in recent games, as prior to last Wednesday’s defeat to the Hornets he had logged a total of 24 minutes in eight games during the month, including four DNPs.

All this is somewhat baffling, as in a season that has failed to live up to expectation. Andrew Nicholson has not yet been given a consistent opportunity to prove himself, despite his production when he gets that time.

With Ersan Ilyasova out for Friday’s game against the Miami Heat with a strained shoulder, Nicholson is almost certain to get some playing time now.

On the one hand you could argue that he may not have done enough at practice and in games to earn his minutes in the early stages of the year. On the other, you could perhaps say that he has fallen foul of Scott Skiles’ rotation, which has been geared toward the requirements of individual matchups all season long.

Things have settled down since the Magic traded Tobias Harris to the Detroit Pistons back in February, but the arrival of Ersan Ilyasova provided yet more competition for Nicholson at the power forward spot.

And so it has proved, as the seven-year veteran has averaged 20.8 minutes per game in March, even if he has only scored in double figures three times during that period.

In theory, Ilyasova is a floor spacer who provides a constant threat from the perimeter that cannot be ignored. And yet looking at the stats reveals that he is averaging just 1.8 attempts per game from deep, while making 36 percent of his shots from there in March. And, he has logged some stinkers in that time too, shooting 2 for 14 against the Phoenix Suns and 4 for 13 against Toronto last Sunday.

Still, the perceived threat of his long-range ability influences the defense in a way Nicholson does not, especially since the St. Bonaventure product has taken his game back inside.

Nicholson has taken a greater percentage of his shots from beyond the arc this season, but has also gotten more looks inside the paint, as he did earlier in his career.

And it is this that made him so effective against the Hornets, as he played center in a smaller lineup, accommodated by an injury that kept Ilyasova out of the rotation.

By working hard in the post while occasionally stepping out to make shots Nicholson used his ability to fake and drive to the rim to great effect, offering the Magic a consistent source of points at a time when they needed them most.

This is something he seems capable of in short spurts on a regular basis, even if his opportunity to do so comes and goes depending on Skiles’ mood. It was favorable against the Hornets though, as the coach was so impressed by Nicholson’s effort that he left him in the game well into the fourth quarter. He did so again in the loss to the Raptors last weekend.

And yet merit is less likely behind Nicholson’s allocation than circumstance, as it is important to remember that Nikola Vucevic is currently suffering from a groin injury that has freed up a good deal of playing time.

This may offer Nicholson some reassurance as he heads for restricted free agency (assuming Orlando makes a qualifying offer), as it appears as if the experience of Ilyasova and Channing Frye before him has been the main obstacle preventing him from spending more time on the floor.

Next: What to look forward to the rest of the season

Still, all players like to go into contract negotiations with a solid year behind them and Nicholson will be hoping that the remaining 11 games provide him an opportunity to bolster his, even if his ability turns out not to be the determining factor.