Orlando Magic: Whose team is it anyway?
By S.W. Guest
2013: Jameer Nelson
In the immediate aftermath of the Dwight Howard trade, the Magic were left with a roster littered with youngsters, veterans and, well, spare parts.
Consequently, Jameer Nelson took the reigns – something he was used to doing in Howard’s absence anyway.
Hampered by injury, Nelson made just 56 appearances in the course of the 2013 season. He averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 35.3 minutes per game while playing with the kind of familiar grit Magic fans had grown to love.
But the team around him straddled both the past and the future. It struggled mightily.
Still, he helped the Magic registered a huge win against the team Howard had abandoned the Magic for – the Los Angeles Lakers. Nels had a 19-point, 13-assist performance in a game that clearly meant something to him with the wound so fresh.
Sadly this turned out to be one of the few highlights in a season that saw Orlando log just 20 wins. And while he was afforded another year and a half in pinstripes, Nelson served more as a mentor than a leader on the new-look Magic before departing.
He has continued to play well, but clearly was not ever going to be someone who could define a franchise. For one hurting for some nostalgia before a rebuild, Nelson served his purpose.