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Orlando Magic Top 25: The Nos. 6-10 best players in Orlando Magic history

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - 1994: Nick Anderson #25 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball during a game against the Detroit Pistons circa 1994 at Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1994 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - 1994: Nick Anderson #25 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball during a game against the Detroit Pistons circa 1994 at Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1994 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Jameer Nelson, Orlando Magic
Feb 21, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson (14) in the first half as the Knicks play the Magic at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Jameer Nelson (2005-14)

High/Low: 6/12

By Zach Palmer

“Mighty Mouse” Jameer Nelson clocks in here as Orlando’s eighth best player franchise history.

For those mid-to-late 2000s Magic teams, there was not a better barometer of how the Magic were doing than looking at how well Jameer Nelson was playing. Nelson might not have been the most talented point guard in the NBA, but one thing consistently rung true for him: He had the ability to make other players on his team better.

That is what made Jameer Nelson so special during Orlando’s prime from 2008-10.

Nelson’s lone All-Star selection came in 2009 when Nelson averaged 16.7 points per game and 5.4 assists per game, while shooting an insane 45 percent from three and 50 percent overall.

While Nelson was not nearly as effective in 2010 as he was the year prior, he turned it on in the Playoffs averaging 19 points and nearly five assists per game. The Magic eventually fell to Boston, but Nelson had clearly elevated himself to Orlando’s second-best player during that season. Nelson was widely regarded as the leader of those Conference Finals teams.

After the eventual departure of Dwight Howard, Nelson was left with a choice: stay with the Magic through a long rebuilding process or play out the remaining prime of his career with a team competing for a championship. Nelson chose to show some much-needed loyalty and stuck around with the Magic while his remaining prime passed him by.

Nelson ranks second in games played for the Magic with 651. He also ranks top five in nearly every statistical category relevant to his position in Magic history.

While overarching basketball history may not remember Jameer Nelson fondly, Magic fans will almost certainly remember him fondly for his two-year spurt that led Orlando to the upper echelon of NBA teams and another conference title.