Retrospective: The Top-10 Power Forwards in Orlando Magic History

10. Jeff Turner

Jeff Turner is a classic case of a guy who was right for his era.

In today’s NBA, he would be rendered too slow to cover many of the more dynamic power forwards, but in the early 1990s, Turner was able to hide himself defensively especially once Shaquille O’Neal joined the fold.

What Turner did possess was a sweet lefty rainbow jumper he hit with regularity, most especially from the baseline. 

Turner played 411 games in Orlando, spending the entire productive part of his career there after having played for New Jersey from 1984-1987. 

The Magic signed him as their first ever free agent, and he started a total of 161 games in Orlando with career averages of six points and 3.3 rebounds per game. A comparable win share to Turner’s is Jason Kapono, who is an apt comparison to what Turner was in his time.

Turner averaged just 9.9 minutes per game in the postseason during the team’s 1995 Finals run.  Turner’s best season came in 1992-93 when he shot 52.9 percent from the floor and averaged seven points and 3.4 rebounds per game. 

Turner was a consistent source of bench scoring and he was a player whose intelligence covered his less than stellar athletic abilities. Turner never was much of a finisher or threat around the basket, but he shot the ball well and sometimes that is enough to carve an entire career from.

Turner played 10 NBA seasons before retiring at age 33.  Turner is now co-color commentator with David Steele on FSN Magic.

Next: A career into thin air