"The next four games will reveal a lot about the Orlando Magic.

And a lot about their starting point guard, too.

The Magic have arrived at one of the most difficult stretches remaining on their regular-season schedule, a road swing that consists of games against the New Orleans Hornets, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Boston Celtics.

No one on the Magic roster will be tested as consistently as Jameer Nelson, who will match-up against the Hornets' Chris Paul, the Thunder's Russell Westbrook and the Celtics' Rajon Rondo, three of the best point guards in the NBA.

"It's going to be fun for myself and for the team because those guys put a lot of pressure on you and they're going to test our defense," Nelson said. "They're all similar in terms of their speed and how aggressive they are."

With a win tonight over the Hornets, the Magic would set a new franchise record by winning their tenth consecutive game. No matchup should be more difficult for Orlando than the one that pits Nelson against Paul, whom many observers regard as the world's best point guard.

Dwight Howard remains the Magic's most indispensable player, but Nelson arguably provides the team with its heart and its soul.

So far this season, Nelson has delivered both on the court and off of it.

The diminutive Nelson is averaging a career-best 6.6 assists per game and 13.7 points per game, the third-highest scoring average of his career.

Coach Stan Van Gundy said Nelson "has played great."

But Nelson may be making his biggest contribution off of the court.

The acquisition of Gilbert Arenas on Dec. 18 has reduced Nelson's playing time. This month, he's averaging 27.0 minutes per game, three minutes under his season average. Still, by all accounts, Nelson has welcomed Arenas and hasn't grumbled. "