The Magic’s loss on Sunday reminded the value of a veteran leader like Jameer Nelson who can show as well as tell how to get out of a slump.
As the Magic were left licking their wounds in the locker room, taking another hard lesson in a painful and drawn-out rebuild, they needed a light to show the way.
Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic, ostensibly the team’s leaders, were saying the right things. Oladipo consistently and continually said the team needed to stay positive through a rough stretch. Harris talked about the team having pride and buying into the team’s system and principles. Vucevic spoke about coming out with some fire and staying physical throughout, taking and absorbing the punches opponents would give them.
They are all right, of course. The Magic need to do all those things.
The question remains whether they can do so. An ugly win does not seem in the cards for this squad. It is going to take things falling in the right place or confidence building.
It is here where the Magic’s lack of experience — real experience — is lacking. It is here where the Magic might be really missing the man that will be lining up on the opposite end of the floor for Tuesday night’s pre-Christmas battle.
Feb 5, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic shooting guard Victor Oladipo (5) and point guard Jameer Nelson (14) against the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons 112-98. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Orlando opted to trade away Arron Afflalo and Jameer Nelson this summer, officially turning the keys over to the young players for the Magic to let them lead and take ownership of the franchise. The future needed to come and the Magic wanted to give them the ball more — letting the team’s short-term fortunes ride with them as much as their long-term fortunes.
There was no longer room for the veterans. It was time to move forward.
The Magic brought in veterans for support in Channing Frye, Ben Gordon and Luke Ridnour. Gordon and Ridnour have been in and out of the rotation and Frye has always been more role player than team leader. Their experience is supposed to supplement the growth of the young players who are taking the lead.
Like everything else with this team, it is a growing experience and there are going to be growing pains.
For a team that is thinking about winning more, there are going to be moments where the team needs the veteran to step up, both vocally in the locker room speaking with the gravitas of experience and on the court. The Magic do not quite have that veteran, at least on the court.
That was the role reserved for Jameer Nelson and Arron Afflalo last year. It was part of the necessity of parting ways with them to ensure some growth and ownership of this team from its future.
Yet, after Sunday’s loss, you could not help but think the Magic could have used that veteran push and voice. Nelson described his role with the Magic the last few years and what his role has become to the young Celtics since his trade last week to Peter Stringer of Celtics.com:
"“I tried to plant seeds. Especially with the young guys, they really respected me, looked up to me for everything, for the weirdest things. It was good to be around those guys to be able to do that. When I’m around veterans as well, I’m doing the same thing and not always realizing it.”"
Magic players said after practice Monday how important Nelson was to their careers. And Nelson told John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com that he stays in touch with a few of the players currently on the roster.
Of course, a quick text randomly throughout the season is different from being in the trenches and growing together with someone as a teammate.
The Magic made it part of their gamble this season to move on without a prominent veteran. It was something they felt they had to do. But with Orlando stuck in what looks like a losing spiral, capped off with Sunday’s “embarrassing” defeat, the team needs someone who can truly show them the way.
That is lacking on the roster. The young guys have to figure things out on their own with their short list of experience to get them there.