Jameer Nelson is struggling largely because of the constant talk that Dwight Howard would love to play with Deron Williams or Chris Paul.

That's the opinion of Magic general manager Otis Smith.

"You spend time [in the media] talking about Chris Paul or Deron Williams, but what position do they play?" Smith said. "It's the same position that he plays. So, it's not necessarily that he [Howard] is directly throwing him under the bus. But he's indirectly throwing him under the bus.

"They're the best of friends," Smith continued, referring to Nelson and Howard. "They get along. They've had their talks about this whole thing. But the human side of it? It still bothers him a little bit."