Orlando Magic Week Four Preview: Jameer Nelson Goes Down, Orlando Goes Up

This past week was a busy one for the Orlando Magic, on and off the court.

On Monday night, Orlando hosted the Charlotte Bobcats, who were led by the newly acquired Stephen Jackson. The Magic won the game 97-91, but lost their point guard in the process.

Jameer Nelson underwent surgery on a torn meniscus in his left knee. He is expected to be out four to six weeks.

Jason "White Chocolate" Williams will be Nelson's replace going forward. Williams has looked very good, and looks much younger than he did two years ago in Miami.

Orlando welcomed the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night and came away with an impressive 108-94 victory. Oklahoma City had previously beaten the Magic in a lopsided affair earlier this season.

Friday night the Magic were in Boston for a big matchup with the red-hot Celtics. Vince Carter exploded with a 26 point performance, leading Orlando to an 83-78 win.

Riding the hot streak into Toronto on Sunday, the Magic had no trouble putting the Raptors away, 104-96.

Toronto fans booed Vince Carter and obviously haven't gotten over his departure in the 2004-05 season. Carter responded with 24 points, a game high.

Vince Carter has been unstoppable in Jameer Nelson's absence, averaging 23.6 over the three games. The Orlando bench has also performed well, showing that there is no need for a desperation move to replace Nelson.

An interesting note on the week, before the Thunder game, coach Stan Van Gundy asked why his team had lost their spirit. Dwight Howard responded by suggesting that Van Gundy's negative attitude is a bit much at times.

Howard suggested that a tad more positive reinforcement could help team morale. Apparently the advice worked as Orlando has extended their win streak to five games.

The week ahead will show how the team stands in the East as Orlando faces off with the equally impressive Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks. The game in Atlanta will be the first of seven road games in the following eight contests.

Let's breakdown the four teams the Magic will face in the upcoming week.

Wednesday, Nov. 25 vs. Miami Heat (8-5)

The Miami Heat have seemed to fly under the radar despite having one of the most electrifying players in the NBA, Dwayne Wade.

Wade is making a case for the MVP this season by averaging 28.1 points, 5.2 assists, 4.9 rebounds and a pair of steals per game. With his destination uncertain for 2010, Wade is forcing the league to salivate over his talent.

Up front, center Jermaine O'Neal is playing his best basketball since he left the Indiana Pacers. Michael Beasley is starting to live up to the hype, putting up numbers you might expect from a number two overall pick.

Udonis Haslem and Quentin Richardson are expected back from injury and should bolster the lineup. Mario Chalmers will continue to hold down the point, playing off the ball when Wade controls the rock.

If Vince Carter can contain Wade, Dwight Howard can dominate the paint and create openings for the perimeter shooters.

Thursday, Nov. 26 at Atlanta Hawks (11-3)

The Atlanta Hawks share the best record in the NBA with Orlando and the Phoenix Suns. This game is shaping up to be a battle for supremacy in the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta has a 7-0 record at home, tops in the NBA. Before the loss to New Orleans on Saturday, the Hawks had won seven straight.

Veteran Mike Bibby shares the backcourt with team scoring leader Joe Johnson. In addition to his 22.6 points a game, Johnson also leads the Hawks with 4.9 assists.

The biggest story of the year in the ATL has been newcomer Jamal Crawford. Coming off the bench, Crawford has put up 16.7 points per contest and has adapted well to life with the second team.

Josh Smith is having his best season yet and is likely to be named to the All-Star team this season. Smith has been a lock on defense with 2.64 blocks and 9.3 boards per night.

Coming off a big game against the Heat on Wednesday night, Orlando faces off with a well rested Atlanta team. Thursday night will be Atlanta's first game since the Saturday loss to the Hornets.

The odds are stacked against the Magic as they head to Atlanta looking to take control of the East, and have reason for thanks on Thanksgiving.

Saturday, Nov. 28 at Milwaukee Bucks (8-4)

The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the biggest surprises of the NBA season. Without team leader Michael Redd (knee) and Charlie Villanueva (traded to Detroit), the Bucks have looked better than advertised.

The key to the shocking success has been rookie Brandon Jennings. Jennings bypassed college and spent a year playing in Italy prior to entering the NBA draft. His draft stock fell and Milwaukee grabbed Jennings at the 10th spot.

Averaging 24.7 points a game, including an astonishing 55 point performance against the Golden State Warriors, and leading the Bucks in assists, has the fans buzzing about the rookie. Jennings is a strong candidate for the All-Star game and maybe even the MVP.

Michael Redd is returning to the team and will likely cut into Brandon Jennings' scoring, but Redd should boost scoring for the team as a whole.

The big force up front, center Andrew Bogut, is grabbing nearly 10 rebounds a game while scoring just over 16 points.

The Bucks will likely still be adjusting to Redd's return, and how he cans split the scoring with Jennings. If Orlando can take advantage of the adjustment, they might be able to walk away with the win.

Sunday, Nov. 29 at New York Knicks (3-10)

Few teams are in as much disarray as the New York Knicks this year. Freeing up cap space and rebuilding under Donnie Walsh has the Knicks struggling for wins.

Al Harrington has been the most reliable scorer though he's coming off the bench. Harrington is averaging over 20 points a game and provides a spark with the second team.

New York is focused on developing youngsters Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Toney Douglas, while hoping they can retain leading defender David Lee.

While Chris Duhon is currently starting at the point, the Knicks hope Douglas can take over the job by the end of the season. Douglas has outperformed lottery pick Jordan Hill and is one of the few bright spots on the team.

With the Knicks looking to the future and hoping to come up big in the 2010 free agent madness, Orlando is focused on the moment and overpowers New York in nearly every facet.