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Orlando Magic Top 30: The Most Under-Appreciated Player in Orlando Magic History

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Everyone remembers the Orlando Magic's superstars like Dwight Howard. What about players we don't talk about much like Jason Richardson? (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Everyone remembers the Orlando Magic's superstars like Dwight Howard. What about players we don't talk about much like Jason Richardson? (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) /
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Bo Outlaw, Orlando Magic, Grant Hill, Detroit Pistons
For a few years, Bo Outlaw was one of the best defenders in the NBA that nobody talked about. (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Bo Outlaw (1998-2002, 2007-08)

Like Nick Anderson, bringing Bo Outlaw back to be a community ambassador was a no-brainer. He is beloved by the team for his hustle and his personality. He has an infectious smile and he brightens up every room.

He played that way too.

An undersized 6-foot-8 power forward with no jump shot whatsoever, he earned a place in the NBA on pure determination, grit and floor burns. He and Darrell Armstrong tag-teamed to headline the most beloved team in Magic history.

That is the part everyone remembers. The main story with Outlaw is about that pure hustle that no one could encapsulate in numbers. And that is a big part of his game.

https://twitter.com/KupDeville816/status/1164720726022197248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Outlaw averaged only 6.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in six seasons with the Magic. That is hardly anything that seems worth remembering or including in a franchise’s best all-time players.

But there is more to Outlaw’s game that numbers are only just starting to represent.

According to Basketball-Reference, Outlaw led the league three times in defensive box plus-minus. Twice he did that with the Magic.

With all the rebounds and steals he accumulated throughout his career, he made an impact on the box score. And to be the top of the list in the league as a defender in any kind of metric is astounding. Especially for someone who was not an offensive player at all.

In an era that valued defense over everything else, Outlaw stood out statistically at least.

That was not the case in the narratives of the time. Outlaw was considered a grinder and a nice player. But hardly a best defensive player. He did not make the all-defensive team or anything.

Maybe he should have. Maybe even then he was under-appreciated for all that he did. Certainly today he should get recognition for being more than simply a hustle player.