Orlando Magic: Guard Jameer Nelson Is 'the Man Who Wasn't There'

I was recently in Chicago discussing sports with my family. A cousin of mine, fresh off of a sleepless night with a newborn baby, was irritably talking about the Bears and the Cubs with that typical dead-look in a Cubs fan's eye, so I moved the conversation to basketball to maybe brighten the mood.

It was I, however, that later turned sour.

My grumpy cousin pointed out the "one major flaw" in my Orlando Magic's game: Jameer Nelson. Or, as he put it, "you don't have a guard."

The first thought in my head is to punch him in the throat, but I know that to be unwise. My second thought, more reasonable, is to point out why Jameer Nelson, the invisible guard, is anything but. But I have to think about it so instead I say, "Well, we'll see. Jameer has done a lot for Orlando." I trail off, the grumpiness now transported to me and the historical portion of my brain in full gear examining the many years with Jameer.

I have to say that my cousin, sleepless night aside, was thinking clearly: When you think about the Orlando Magic, they don't, indeed, have a guard...at least in the collective consciousness. Dwight Howard is the best center alive; they used to have Shaq and Penny; Turkoglu is back now; Gilbert Arenas was a bold move; Vince Carter was terrible, etc. Nary a point guard (except maybe Arenas) is brought up.

And even MY brain, the great defender of Jameer Nelson, is trying to find something memorable about the man; a specific stat line, a phrase he spoke in the media, a Sportscenter highlight.

And I'm mad at myself because I'm not finding it. Because after looking at multiple life/sports experiences, Jameer Nelson is the invisible man of the Orlando Magic; a Claude Rains of the hardwood. And, I learn, this isn't a bad thing.

Like any silent predator, Jameer is ready to strike without you knowing it (when he is available anyways).

I flashback to a memory in Phoenix. As a resident of Phoenix for the last 12 years, I make sure to go see the Magic/Suns matchup (only once a season) every single year. In 2007, I saw the game, as usual, and witnessed the invisibility and the death-strike in action.

Phoenix, still in its offensive heyday, was having its way with a young Orlando team. Dwight Howard was still bricking dunks here and there and the squad was trying to put what would be a Finals-bound team together. 

Jameer Nelson, listed at 6' but surely smaller, was running the floor as the quiet general. The folks I brought to the game with me, Suns fans, asked who the "little guy" was. I told them "Jameer Nelson." There was a kind of scoff, as if he was too inconsequential for a run and gun Suns team and, of course, Steve Nash.

But Jameer scored 26 that night on nine of 15 shooting including four three pointers and Jameer was draining those threes while fully guarded with a hand in his face. My distinct reaction was of the crowd going "woah" in a collective form of disbelief: The "little guy" was nailing three after three!

The Magic still lost the game but it came down to the wire—something the Suns and their fans weren't expecting.

This game, to me, is not only the most memorable for me of Jameer on an individual level, but of Jameer's career on a whole.

To many folks, he is just the "little guy." Despite being an All-Star, Nelson is never really thought of and seldom seen. His small stature extends to his cultural visibility: "You don't provide the flash, we won't see it."

And this is a shame because Nelson is a key piece of a championship contending team and is virtually unknown or ignored by the general NBA fan. His constant injury problems (he hasn't played more then 70 games twice and his season high is 79 during his rookie year) and lack of box score explosives prevents him from basking in the glory but opponents ignore or, rather, "choose not to see" Jameer Nelson at their own peril.

Like the stunned crowd in Phoenix, Nelson can rain threes on you if you let him. His bulldog persona, one that displays no fear even when going up against "clear" superiors like Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul, is an indication of Jameer's toughness and his willingness to fight when his back is to the wall.

Yes, Rondo has the rings and Paul has the numbers and the raw talent, but Nelson has been a career Magic player and as much as Howard's leadership and improvement has, in turn, led to the Magic's improvement, Jameer is always the key piece of the puzzle pushing that improvement forward alongside Howard (not behind him).

Howard's just too big and blocks Jameer from view.

Intangibles are almost a lost art. If Nelson needs to be the man he can be, but he has the fortune of playing with the greatest center in the league and a veteran group of roleplayers and specialists. Nelson, thus, has the right and opportunity to freelance: Control the game without having to dish out the fancy pass (or, for that matter, get 11 dimes a game) and take shots when and where a point guard normally doesn't take them. 

His presence on the court alone dictates the success of the team and that is something you can't buy on the free agent market or pursue with a trade.

Nelson is homemade Magic and that provides the team with an edge every night. He knows the players, he knows the plays, he knows the ebb and flow of the game and the thought processes of his long-time teammates and he runs the squad without you or anyone else really knowing it.

And until other teams take notice, Jameer Nelson will be the "little guy" that lights you up.