Orlando Magic’s Top 5 Trios
1. Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Nick Anderson
The mid 1990’s was a great era of Magic basketball, despite how short it was.
With the selection of Shaquille O’Neal in 1992, the Magic were ready to make their mark on the league. They finished 41-41 in O’Neal’s rookie season, a 20-win improvement from the previous year.
Then, they were awarded the first overall pick again in 1993 and used it to acquire Penny Hardaway. The Magic immediately had one of the most interesting duos in the league.
They finished 50-32 in Hardaway’s rookie season, and although they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Indiana Pacers, it was clear the Magic were about to be a force to be reckoned with.
In 1995, the Magic went 57-25 and went all the way to the Finals before losing to the Houston Rockets. That was arguably the most memorable season in Magic history, despite the very disappointing ending.
The next season, the Magic went 60-22 before losing in the Eastern Conference Finals to the 72-10 Chicago Bulls, a team that still holds the record for most wins in an NBA season.
The Magic were clearly a perennial contender, and considering the youth, it seemed inevitable they would eventually win at least one championship. Unfortunately, O’Neal departed in the summer of 1996, putting an end to the powerhouse.
Shaq and Penny were a clear star duo, and there were a few players that could have been added to make the best trio in Magic history. Horace Grant and Dennis Scott were important pieces of the Finals team.
I ultimately chose Nick Anderson, both because of his on-court performance and his significance to the franchise.
Anderson was the first Orlando Magic draft pick. In three years playing with both Shaq and Penny, Anderson averaged between 14 and 16 points per game, and provided an extra shooter and playmaker to pair well with Penny.
In their first two years as a trio, Anderson had the second highest effective field goal percentage on the team, a stat that calculates a modified field goal percentage that considers the value of threes and twos.
He finished second, fourth and fourth in win shares in the three seasons together.
Anderson had a huge effect on offense, defense, and intangibles, and that is why I put him as a part of the top trio in franchise history, along with two of the four best players in franchise history.