Retrospective: Where does Elfrid Payton rank in All-time Magic point guards?

7) Rafer Alston

Rafer Alston spent just half a season in Orlando, but he was vital. Very vital.

The Magic had lost Jameer Nelson due to a shoulder injury just before the All-Star Break (Nelson’s only selection to the event, and he was not able to participate), so the Magic had to throw a first round pick to the Houston Rockets for Alston to stay afloat and remain a title contender as Anthony Johnson and the recently acquired Tyronn Lue could not carry the load.

He served as a more than adequate replacement, and was responsible for guiding the Magic to the 2009 Finals.

However, Nelson recovered by the time the Magic got to the Lakers. Alston lost his starting role and the Magic lost the series (4-1).

Might Orlando have fared better had Alston remained in his starting role? That is one of the all-time great quandaries of Magic history, actually.

In 29 regular season games with Orlando, he average 12 points and 5.1 assists per game. In the postseason, he averaged 12.2 and 4.1, while playing 32 minutes per game.

The Magic could not have done any better for a stop-gap replacement, and, if not for Alston, that Finals appearance would not have happened.

Next: 6. Elfrid Payton