Ball Don’t Lie names its All-Time Orlando Magic team
Yahoo!’s Ball Don’t Lie has named its All-Time Orlando Magic team. It has a few interesting decisions that break from tradition.
Earlier this summer, Shaquille O’Neal got into a row with Scottie Pippen over whether the all-time Lakers could defeat the all-time Bulls. Each took their own side obviously.
As a seeming afterthought, O’Neal named his all-time Magic team too with himself, Dwight Howard, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady and Anfernee Hardaway. It was a solid list, if not one you could quibble with Hill on there for his limited time on the court in a Magic uniform.
Seeing that it is the dead time of the NBA calendar (please start soon training camp!). Lists are coming out on everything to pass the time. And I mean everything.
The latest to come out is from Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo!’s Ball Don’t Lie. He has been going through every team throughout the league, naming a top starting lineup for each team. He reached the Magic on Friday and went in a much more interesting direction than Shaquille O’Neal.
His choices were Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Tracy McGrady, Nick Anderson and Anfernee Hardaway. No O’Neal at all. Watch your mentions, Kelly.
For most people, Magic history can be carved out into a “Big 4.” The Mount Rushmore of Magic greats is O’Neal, Hardaway, Howard and McGrady. It is hard to construct any type of all-time Magic team without those four players being heavily involved.
But if you are only allowed to take one center, that means making a choice between Howard and O’Neal. That could cause some debate among anyone. O’Neal put up monster offensive numbers and guided the Magic to their first Finals appearance. But he was only in Orlando for four years. Howard was a strong offensive player and dominated the defensive end in his eight years in Orlando.
There is a fair argument either way. I lean toward Howard being the best player in Magic history. But, again, that is open for debate.
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Otherwise, it is hard to argue against any of Dwyer’s decisions.
Anderson easily could have been put in O’Neal’s starting five instead of Grant Hill. Anderson was a solid role player and shooter for the Magic throughout his 10 year. He was the original draft pick of the team and holds a lot of sentimentality. While the rest of the NBA world remembers him for the free throws he missed, Magic fans largely forget that and remember all the clutch shots he made and moments he provided in 10 years.
Lewis is controversial only because of the circumstances of his contract. Dwyer explains though that it is irrelevant when you consider his success:
"Derided from the outset as an overpaid free agent, Lewis nevertheless acted as a needed force as a floor-spacing for several good-to-great Magic teams. Lewis averaged over 16 points and five rebounds in 257 games with Orlando, shooting 40 percent from behind the three-point arc while battling power forwards up front. His presence as a stretch four basically sealed Orlando’s 2009 Eastern Conference finals win."
I am not one to argue that. I will continue to argue the results made Lewis completely worth every penny the Magic spent on him. Stan Van Gundy agreed when he spoke about those Magic teams with Zach Lowe of Grantland during a Lowe Post Podcast.
The only quibble, I guess, is if you are OK bending the rules to make Howard a power forward to allow O’Neal onto the team.
Overall, this is a solid list and a solid team for the Magic’s all-time lineup.
Just missing the cut, according to Dwyer, were O’Neal, Dennis Scott, Darrell Armstrong, Jameer Nelson, Scott Skiles, Horace Grant and Hedo Turkoglu.
Again, a solid list. Everyone would probably put those guys just on the outside.
Earlier in the season, our Brett David Roberts ranked the top 10 players at each position for the Magic. His final list created an all-time lineup of: Anfernee Hardaway, Tracy McGrady, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and Shaquille O’Neal.
Again, the arguments it seems are about whether Anderson goes into that lineup (and whether McGrady is a shooting guard or small forward) and whether you prefer Howard or O’Neal.
One thing seems pretty clear, the Magic have had some very good players in their history. This exercise provides no definitive answer of who is the greatest. It is just a lot of fun to think about and debate.
Who is your all-time Magic starting lineup?