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Orlando Magic Top 30: The Most Under-Appreciated Player in Orlando Magic History

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Everyone remembers the Orlando Magic's superstars like Dwight Howard. What about players we don't talk about much like Jason Richardson? (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Everyone remembers the Orlando Magic's superstars like Dwight Howard. What about players we don't talk about much like Jason Richardson? (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) /
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Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic
To some, Jameer Nelson’s shining All-Star season was overshadowed by an ill-fated comeback. (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /

5. Jameer Nelson (2005-14)

It is hard for a player to hang with a team for a decade and not feel appreciation from the fans. Jameer Nelson was among the most popular players in team history when he finally departed the team. He was beloved for sticking around when Dwight Howard jumped ship.

Never mind that for much of his tenure in Orlando, fans seemed eager to move off him. There might have even been a current of fans who believed trading him was inevitable and blamed Otis Smith for his loyalty to Jameer Nelson not to go after a star point guard as accumulating stars began to escalate.

Even in Nelson’s best year, he seemed overlooked.

The 2009 season was both Nelson’s triumph and his bane. He was a clear-cut All-Star, averaging 16.7 points per game on a 58.0 percent effective field goal percentage. Teams could not stop him from creating his own shot, getting into the paint or hitting open 3-pointers. Using a secondary ball-handler in Hedo Turkoglu helped give Jameer Nelson space to shoot.

But he never played in that All-Star Game thanks to a shoulder injury. And his return became as controversial.

Nelson did try to play in the 2009 Finals. It was clear he was not right and his averages reflected that — 3.8 points per game and a 37.0 percent effective field goal percentage. He probably should not have been playing the end of those games.

That decision to come back has colored at least some of Nelson’s legacy. He is not as beloved as perhaps he should be — although, he is still plenty loved in Orlando. It made a lot of people forget just how good he was in 2009.

That season was a huge spike, but Nelson was reliable and dependable throughout his career too. He was much more than that season. He was a solid scorer and shooter for the team for a long time. He was the right leader for many years too.