Who has next for the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame?

Dennis Scott

But my pick for induction in the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame next year has to be someone from that original era. The team has to do a better job recognizing some of the key players from that original group and the players from the Shaquille O’Neal era before the floodgates open for more modern-era players.

The next big guy that needs to get inducted is Dwight Howard, and he is still playing. It is hard to put any of the other 2009-era guys into the hall without Howard going in first. Even if all their inductions are inevitable.

That leaves the Magic looking to honor their early history — or honor guys out of convenience like Jeff Turner and Bo Outlaw, whom I both feel should be in any way.

And so next year, I think the Magic need to give Dennis Scott the call for the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame.

The Magic’s second-ever first-round pick was truly a revolutionary. At a time nobody used the 3-point line or viewed it as a gimmick, Dennis Scott was the guy who turned it into a weapon.

Scott scored 14.8 points per game and shot 40.3 percent from beyond the arc in his seven seasons with the Magic. That 3-point field goal percentage is fourth all-time. Despite the prevalence of 3-point shooting in the league today, Dennis Scott still leads the Magic all-time with 981 3-pointers (Evan Fournier is the active leader with 801).

Granted two of those seasons, the NBA moved the 3-point line in by a foot. But that only allowed Scott to feast even more.

The Magic have an important role in the history of the NBA as a 3-point revolutionary — twice. Orlando proved the strategy could win in 2009. The team proved the strategy could work as a viable option in 1995. The 3-pointer was not a gimmick and Scott was a big part of that.

Several NBA luminaries believe that Scott’s penchant for shooting 3-pointers — especially in transition — changed a lot of minds around the league. And he did almost all of it with the Magic.

Of the players on the Shaq-era teams and the expansion-era teams, Scott is the next name that clearly needs to be in the Hall of Fame and honored in some way. He was extremely popular in his time in Orlando and he is still a ubiquitous presence in NBA media.

Next year, it is time for 3-D to get the call to the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame.