/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/4798573/20121205_pjc_ai4_257.0.jpg)
The Orlando Magic have had to rely on many new contributors early on this season and one of the most surprising players has been rookie forward Andrew Nicholson. In Sunday's victory against the Phoenix Suns, Nicholson scored 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting thanks to shots in the post and from mid-range.
So far this year his teammates, such as guard J.J. Redick are talked with Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel about how well Nicholson is playing and how many ways he can score:
"Drew is a great offensive player," J.J. Redick said. "He's still learning the game. He's learning how to go from one play to the next. But he's got a bright future, and offensively he can get it done right now."
One play, set up by head coach Jacque Vaughn during a Magic timeout late in the fourth quarter, left Nicholson open to hit a 14-foot jumper that put the game out of reach:
"He is a scorer," Vaughn said. "He can do that, so we're going to continue to work on the other facets of the game and make him the best player he can be."
As of now, Nicholson leads the team in field goal percentage, making 56.5 percent of his shots during the season. In addition to that, he also leads the teams in points for each minute he's on the floor at 0.6. The Magic next play against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday at Amway Center with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.