"If anyone wondered how Jameer Nelson would approach the Orlando Magic's training camp this year, he answered that question at the end of the first 5-on-5 scrimmage.

Crouched in a perfect defensive stance, his weight on the balls of his feet, Nelson crowded the opposing team's point guard. When the ball-handler dribbled left, Nelson sprinted to his right, never giving up an inch of space. When a much larger player attempted to set a pick, Nelson fought through it, absorbing a glancing blow on his left shoulder. The man Nelson was covering had nowhere to go.

That sequence typifies the way Nelson has responded to challenges this week. Coach Stan Van Gundy wants Nelson to improve his man-to-man defense, particularly against quicker point guards, and Nelson has responded. President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith wants Nelson to be a more vocal leader, and teammates say that Nelson has obliged.

"The number one thing is I have my health," said Nelson, who has missed 57 regular-season games the last two years because of injuries. "I'm more focused on the task at hand, and that's to win a championship."

The last time basketball fans in Central Florida saw the diminutive point guard play, he was averaging a team-high 19.0 points and 4.8 assists per game during the 2010 postseason.

But perhaps the last time fans heard about Nelson, his name was being bandied about in trade rumors. The Magic supposedly had made a run at acquiring New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul and had included Nelson in an offer; Smith has said the rumor is false.

Nelson insists that the speculation didn't bother him.

"One thing I know is 'Believe half of what you hear and none of what you see,' " Nelson said. "You can't buy into things. I don't know where it started and I really don't care."

Meanwhile, Nelson continued to build on the momentum he generated during the playoffs. In mid-August, he hosted his annual "Building Magic" week in and around Philadelphia. Teammates gathered in southeastern Pennsylvania to train together and participate in team-building activities. Nelson helped organize a trip to a bowling alley, a visit to a Phillies game and an outing in which players zoomed down zip wires."