Orlando Magic’s Top 5 Trios
3. Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill, Tim Duncan (just kidding)…
Tracy McGrady, Darrell Armstrong, Mike Miller
In the summer of 2000, the Magic seemed ready to re-establish itself as a powerhouse in the league.
Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill and Tim Duncan, three young stars, appeared to be heading to Orlando to create a big three that would likely compete for championships for a long time. McGrady and Hill signed, while Duncan ultimately decided to return to San Antonio, where he won four more championships (and counting).
Grant Hill unfortunately could not stay healthy for his first few years in a Magic uniform, and that really hurt the team.
However, there was one big, bright spot.
Tracy McGrady was a dominant player for all four years with the team, averaging more than 25 points each season, ending with an average stat line of 32 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game in 2003 (the last time his teams made the Playoffs).
In his final playoffs season with the Magic, he logged 16.1 Win Shares, a number that would be tied for second in the NBA this season, and ahead of MVP Stephen Curry and LeBron James. In that final 2004 season (a 20-win disaster of a year), he posted 8.4 win shares despite all the losing.
McGrady was an absolutely incredible talent for the Magic, and was my favorite player when I first got into basketball in the 2001 season. He was an obvious choice for this trio, as he was one of the four best Magic players ever.
I chose Darrell Armstrong as another player in this trio. In his first season playing with McGrady, Armstrong averaged nearly 16 points per game and seven assists.
He attempted a lot of 3-pointers and hit them at a decent rate (35.5 percent), which was good for about 1.065 points per possession, better than the average for 25 of the 30 teams in the NBA in 2015.
He was very versatile, as he could score, spread the floor, create offense and defend. He was second on the team in win shares all three years he played with McGrady.
The third player I chose for this trio was Mike Miller.
Although only fourth, fifth, and fourth in Win Shares during his three seasons playing with McGrady, Miller was a very important piece for the team.
He won Rookie of the Year in 2001, and his scoring averages progressed in all three of these years until reaching 16.4 points per game in 2003. He improved his rebounding and averaged nearly six rebounds per game in his third season.
His most important skill was that he took a lot of 3-pointers and shot at a solid rate, which created spacing for McGrady to thrive.
Miller sparked excitement and hope in Magic fans, and my first NBA jersey was his. This trio had a lot of talent, and if Grant Hill had stayed healthy and grown into the player he was expected to be, the Magic may have competed for a title, especially in a weak Eastern Conference.
Next: The Dwight era