Retrospective: The Top-10 Power Forwards in Orlando Magic History
Ryan Anderson came to Orlando with Vince Carter in the trade that sent Courtney Lee, Tony Battie and Rafer Alston to New Jersey.
Anderson turned out to be the best player in that trade, despite being thought of mostly as a “throw in” since the Magic were primarily interested in getting Carter’s services.
Anderson had a decent rookie year in New Jersey, but would eventually evolve into a top stretch-4 in the NBA, and Anderson has Stan Van Gundy to thank mostly for increasing his value to the point the Magic felt best to part ways with him.
Anderson commanded $8.7 million per season, and while that later was annoyingly awarded to Channing Frye, Anderson played a major role for the New Orleans Pelicans as a surprise playoff team in the tough West.
Anderson averaged over 16 points per game in back-to-back seasons in Orlando while knocking down about 39 percent of his threes and hitting 2.7 per game. He started all 61 games in which he played in the 2012 season and averaged 32 minutes per night.
Anderson had replaced Rashard Lewis in the starting lineup ever so seamlessly, but the seams were gradually becoming unravelled as the Dwightmare overtook the franchise.
Anderson essentially became a victim of Howard’s departure, but New Orleans has been the beneficiary of his emergence. In 2014, Anderson averaged 19.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and hit 40.9 percent from 3-point range. It just stings that he could be doing this for the Magic right now.
This last season was difficult for Anderson given the death of his fiancee and continuing battles with his own injury (last season, he had a very terrifying back injury), but he still appeared in 61 contests and averaged 13.7 points per game, while nearly shooting a career low (39.9 percent).
Even so, Anderson should be able to rebound from this and he shot the ball well in the postseason. Anderson knocked down 41.7 percent from 3-point range in the four-game sweep of the Pelicans while playing 23.8 minutes per game.
Omer Asik has slid alongside Anthony Davis and rendered Anderson a reserve, but he has the potential to be a top sixth man if he embraces the role.
At age 26, he is now entering his prime, and he is signed through 2016, at which point the Magic could seek to bring him back as a free agent that summer.
That is highly speculative, but Anderson thrived with Orlando and Channing Frye was unable to pick up where he left off, nor has any other Magic power forward, for that matter.
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