The Orlando Magic’s top picks outside the top five
By S.W. Guest
5 – Zaza Pachulia
Zaza Pachulia was taken 42nd overall in 2003 by the Magic after playing several seasons for Turkish team Ülkerspor.
His time in pinstripes was unremarkable, as he made just 59 appearances in Orlando, averaging 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds before winding up in Milwaukee in a trade with the Charlotte Bobcats after the 2004 Expansion Draft.
Pachulia had a solid season there before signing with the Atlanta Hawks as a free agent. He made 78 starts during his first year with the club, contributing a solid 11.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. The following season he put up similar numbers, including a career-high 12.2 points, before Atlanta drafted Al Horford 3rd overall in 2007.
Afterwards, Pachulia found himself playing off the bench, although he did so to great effect, helping the team make consecutive playoff appearances over the next four years.
Unfortunately, Pachulia will be remembered more for the altercations he has had with various opponents down the years than for anything else (his “GAAAME SEEEVEEN” outburst notwithstanding). He has had memorable spats with Kevin Garnett, David West, Nikola Mirotic, Chandler Parsons and, of course, Jason Richardson when the Magic and Hawks met in the 2011 playoffs.
Something of an unknown quantity coming in, the big Georgian has proven hard work and perseverance go a long way in the NBA. Far from being the most skilled player in the league, Pachulia will be remembered as an irritant – the kind of player fans dislike if he plays for any team other than their.
That said, he has carved out a considerably better career for himself than the majority of Orlando’s other draft picks – first and second rounders alike.
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