Skip to content

Ultimate 5: The best Magic lineup since '95

Nathaniel S. Butler / National Basketball Association / Getty

While hoops remain on hiatus, theScore's NBA editors will be compiling the ultimate starting lineups for each team in the association. The catch: Only players who've been in the league since the 1995-96 season can be included.

Given the Orlando Magic's lack of success over the past decade, it's easy to forget the franchise has qualified for the playoffs 15 times in its 31 seasons. That includes two Finals berths in 1995 and 2009.

Orlando hasn't won the Larry O'Brien Trophy to this point but still boasts many notable names that helped the club threaten for championships on multiple occasions over the past 25 years.

Here are the players who make up the Magic's best starting five since 1995.

Guard

Penny Hardaway

Dale Tait / National Basketball Association / Getty

Before injuries took their toll, Hardaway was one of the NBA's most athletic scoring point guards during the mid-to-late 1990s.

The No. 3 pick in the 1993 draft enjoyed his best years in Orlando, averaging 19 points, 6.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in 369 games across six seasons. During that time, Hardaway made three All-NBA teams, played in four All-Star Games, and formed a dynamic duo with Shaquille O'Neal that helped the Magic reach the Finals in 1995.

Guard

Nick Anderson

Anderson was the Magic's first-ever draftee ahead of their expansion 1989-90 campaign. The shooting guard out of Illinois would go on to become the franchise's all-time leader in games played with 692 across 10 seasons.

A productive scorer who could stretch the floor, Anderson averaged 15.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals, while shooting 36.3% from 3-point range. The 13-year-pro owns the franchise record for career steals with 1,004 and ranks second on the team's scoring list with 10,650 points.

However, Anderson will likely want to forget his most memorable moment in a Magic uniform. With Orlando holding a three-point lead with less than 10 seconds remaining in Game 1 of the 1995 Finals, the veteran missed four consecutive free throws, allowing the Rockets to force overtime. Houston went on to win the contest and, ultimately, the series.

Forward

Tracy McGrady

McGrady emerged as an NBA superstar following his sign-and-trade from the Toronto Raptors during the summer of 2000. No longer playing in the shadow of his cousin, Vince Carter, the dynamic swingman proved he was capable of being a go-to offensive option from the moment he arrived in Orlando.

On top of winning the Most Improved Player award in 2000-01 thanks to an 11.4 points-per-game scoring jump, McGrady earned All-Star nods and All-NBA selections in every season of his four-year Magic career. The Hall of Famer led the league in scoring on back-to-back occasions and owns the highest career scoring average in Magic history at 28.1 points.

If there's one blemish on McGrady's run in Orlando, it's that his teams never made it past the first round of the playoffs.

Forward

Nikola Vucevic

Tom Pennington / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Vucevic deserves his spot in this group despite his contributions coming during the Magic's most prolonged run of mediocrity. The Serbian has been a consistent double-double threat with strong averages of 17 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, one block, and 0.9 steals during his eight seasons. Unfortunately, there hasn't been enough talent around him to keep the team above .500 on a regular basis.

The 29-year-old was named an All-Star in 2018-19 and ended that season averaging a career-high 20.8 points, 12 rebounds, and 3.8 assists.

Center

Dwight Howard

A defensive force with sensational athletic gifts, Howard reigned supreme as the NBA's most dominant center for more than half a decade during his peak in Orlando. His elite scoring ability around the rim made him the focal point of a floor-spacing powerhouse that proved to be ahead of its time.

Howard guided the Magic to six consecutive playoff berths, including a Finals appearance in 2009. He won three straight Defensive Player of the Year awards and was selected to six All-NBA teams, five All-Defensive teams, and six All-Star squads during his eight seasons with the organization.

Thanks to averages of 18.4 points, 13 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and one steal in 621 games, Howard ended his time in Orlando ranked first in career points (11,435), rebounds (8,072), blocks (1,344), and free throws (3,366). His 87.5 career win shares are also a franchise record.

Just Missed

Shaquille O'Neal

Nathaniel S. Butler / National Basketball Association / Getty

O'Neal's peak may have been higher than Howard's, but his shorter run with Orlando keeps him out of this starting five.

Shaq only played one season with the Magic from 1995 onward, though his incredible production that year deserves recognition. A 23-year-old O'Neal dominated with averages of 26.6 points, 11 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 blocks in 54 games, earning All-NBA third-team honors.

Hedo Turkoglu

Chris Graythen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Turkoglu averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists with Orlando, though statistics don't tell the full story of his significant impact during the team's run as contenders in the mid-to-late 2000s. With an ability to initiate the offense and stretch the floor, Turkoglu was a key complementary scoring option behind Howard during the Magic's most successful period of the past 25 seasons.

Jameer Nelson

Nelson was another important player for those late-2000s Magic squads. He served as the team's starting point guard and finished his decade-long tenure atop the franchise leaderboard in assists (3,501).

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox