Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
When a team ends the NBA season with the worst record at 20-62, there obviously aren’t many positives other than hopes of getting the No. 1 draft pick.
But one of the positives the Orlando Magic could pick up from the the final game of the season, a 105-93 loss to the Miami Heat, was a decent game from rookie Andrew Nicholson, who hasn’t been heard from in a while. Nicholson ended the season with 7.8 points and 3.4 points a game.
The Magic like the fact that he shot 52.1 percent from the floor and almost 80 percent from the free-throw line. He definitely gives the team a project to work with for future seasons.
Against the Heat, Nicholson was 6-of-8 from the floor for 12 points and had three rebounds. He had played a combined 39 minutes in two previous games, and only had a combined total of two points and seven rebounds. Nicholson had not scored in double figures since April 1 when he shot 4-of-6 from the floor for 10 points in a loss to the Houston Rockets.
He seemed to like the Rockets. On March 1, he was 7-of-8 from the floor and scored 17 points against Houston.
Still, he has yet to prove he can be a full-time player. On the other hand, the Magic simply need players who can contribute as they continue to rebound from the post-Dwight Howard era. Hopefully Nicholson can improve his aggressiveness next season and grow into an even better player for the Magic.
