Retrospective: Ranking the Orlando Magic’s Top “Big 3s”

3) Penny Hardaway / Darrell Armstrong / Nick Anderson (1997-99)

Penny Hardaway stayed in Orlando after O’Neal departed, and the Orlando Magic continued to tick, even without the hope of contention (more on this later).

Darrell Armstrong became the only player in NBA history to win the Sixth Man of the Year award and the Most Improved in the same season during the lockout-shortened 1999 season, and while his numbers hardly mirror that of an all-time great, they were very good. And his hustle put the accents on his game.

Nick Anderson was in the twilight of his career but still an effective scorer. This trio never got out of the first round of the playoffs, but the Magic have only done that five times in its franchise history, anyway.

In the lockout-shortened 1999 season, Orlando finished 33-17, tying for the best record in the Eastern Conference (tied with two others, leaving them with the third seed and that date with the young Allen Iverson). Chuck Daly absolutely maximized the talent of that roster, milking some productivity out of an ancient Horace Grant while also drumming up production from another hustle monster in Bo Outlaw.

This was not the most talented Orlando team, but it was one of the hardest working.

It actually had pretty good depth with a young Matt Harpring coming off the bench and other competent role players like Michael Doleac, Derek Strong and Isaac Austin.

Hardaway was the heart and soul of this team throughout this era, and his heroics in the first round series against the Miami Heat in 1997 were illustrative of the Hall of Fame talent he possessed.

It was kind of Hardaway’s swan song as a great player, as he went on to Phoenix to become a complementary player on a more talented roster. Some will even contend that Hardaway’s over-extension in Orlando is what led to his injuries and early decline. It is an argument that can be very easily made, but the Magic will again hold on to the memories of an all-time great talent whose abilities translated to only a brief shining prime in Orlando.

Hardaway made the All-Star team in Phoenix while playing with Jason Kidd in a ridiculously talented backcourt, but Magic fans are thankful Hardaway gave everything he had to a team that just was not quite talented enough to break-through. Its premier talent was gone, and we will address that matter in full shortly.

Next: The LBJ slayers