Jameer Nelson Plays The Disrespect Card, Revives Cavs-Magic Rivalry

There’s been a lot less bark in the Orlando Magic’s bite this year, and that’s too bad. What made the Magic so interesting last year was the way they thrived when they felt disrespected. They weren’t expected to beat the Celtics in the playoffs last year after going down 3-2 in that series, but they did by winning a seventh game in Boston. They weren’t expected to beat the Cavaliers in the playoffs last year, but they did so fairly easily. The “why not us” mentality became a war cry and got them so many new fans.

That swagger’s mostly been non-existent this year. Maybe it disappeared because of the weight of great expectations. Maybe there were just too many new pieces to integrate. Either way, Orlando was not only playing more unevenly, but they were also playing with far less confidence.

However, I can safely say that swagger is back. How do I know? Jameer Nelson, Orlando’s self-appointed vocal leader, uttered this line after yesterday’s win over the Cavs.

“You look at the commercials now, and you’d think Cleveland and the Lakers already were in the championship [series]. I guess that’s what the fans want to see,‘’ Nelson said Sunday after his Magic beat the Cavs, 101-95. “But I think we’re here to spoil it for the fans.’’

Now THAT’S the kind of attitude that caused me to love this team in the playoffs last year. Forget that Orlando has assembled an all-star team of their own, with the best big man in basketball (Dwight Howard), one of the most talented wings in the league (Vince Carter, two other all-stars (Nelson and Rashard Lewis) and a cast of wonderful role players. What matters here is that Orlando is playing from behind again, and when they play from behind, they play the disrespect card.

And when Orlando plays the disrespect card, they make whatever series they’re in a whole lot more interesting. Here’s hoping they get another crack at Cleveland at some point in the playoffs.