Orlando Magic Top 25: The Nos. 18-23 teams in Orlando Magic history

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Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 6: Elfrid Payton #4 of the Orlando Magic drives to the basket during a game against the Washington Wizards on December 6, 2016 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Orlando Magic have had a strong, but sometimes murky history through 28 years of basketball. The Orlando Magic Daily staff is here to rank all 28 teams.

Orlando Magic history has been a surprisingly rich one. Albeit a short one.

The team has picked up hall of fame players in Shaquille O’Neal and Tracy McGrady — and, why not? Patrick Ewing too. It has had some memorable fan favorite players in Darrell Armstrong and Dennis Scott. And it has made its share of embarrassing moves too.

In the 28 years of the Magic’s existence, they have reached the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows.

The 1995 Orlando Magic were the feature of an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary and are remembered as one of the great teams (that did not win a title). The team is memorialized in NBA2K video games.

The 2009 Orlando Magic reached the NBA Finals like their 1995 brethren and helped change the league. Actually in a very similar way to the 1995 team.

Both relied on a big man — Dwight Howard for the 2009 Magic — and spread the floor with shooting around them. The 2009 Magic became the first team to win and reach the Finals with a true stretch-4. Teams have been copying that ever since it seems.

Orlando throughout its history has never been able to sustain greatness. Yes, the Magic have reached the Playoffs in 14 of their 28 seasons. But they have only won playoffs series in consecutive years three times. The Magic’s three-year run of playoff series victories from 2008-10 marks the longest period of sustained success in Magic history.

After losing Shaquille O’Neal in free agency — again a story worthy of a documentary — the Magic drifted about in mediocrity for a while. The team still had Anfernee Hardaway, an all-NBA player from the Shaquille O’Neal teams. But he began suffering an injury.

The Heart and Hustle team surprisingly ruined plans to tank before the team signed Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill. McGrady established his Hall of Fame bona fides in Orlando but Grant Hill remained injured.

More from All-Time Lists

Lottery luck defined Magic history — it helped the team land Shaquille O’Neal and then Chris Webber (traded for Anfernee Hardaway). It helped the team climb back out again in drafting Dwight Howard.

It is only the last five years, since losing Howard, the Magic have lacked an All Star and a clear superstar direction for the team.

This means Magic history is rich with storylines and memorable teams to recount and rank.

As we did around this time last year with the top 25 players in team history, the Orlando Magic Daily staff got together to rank the best teams in Magic history. While the headline says top 25, we are indeed ranking all 28 teams in Magic history.

Orlando Magic Daily contributors Philip Rossman-Reich, Zach Palmer, Vincent McMillan, Ricky Scricca, Muhammed Jumani, Ruben Badillo and Jonathan Treadway each submitted their rankings to the top teams poll. You will hear from them too throughout this series.

This is Part Two of the series. Be sure to check out who we ranked Nos. 24-28 in Part One.