Andrew Nicholson impresses Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn

Orlando Magic forward Andrew Nicholson has averaged 6.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in about 12.3 minutes per game so far this season. In Sunday's game against the Toronto Raptors, Nicholson, who grew up and went to high school in Toronto, scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds in 16 minutes.

Orlando Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn has been impressed with how Nicholson has played this season, and expressed how much he enjoyed coaching him because of his mild-mannered demeanor and how willing he is to learn. One lesson Nicholson took from Vaughn was to limit distractions by only inviting a select number of family members to Sunday's game:

"He has earned his minutes and he deserves to play. From Day 1, he's taken that approach and he's gaining the trust of the coaching staff,'' Vaughn said. "His approach has been great. He's a student of the game and he wants to learn. He's a fine young man and his parents should be proud of him. And Canada should be proud of him as well.''

He scored an NBA career-high 11 points against the New York Knicks on Nov. 13 and also scored 10 points on Nov. 9 against the Brooklyn Nets. The Magic next play on Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena with tip off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on NBA TV.