The top 10 individual Orlando Magic season performances

The Orlando Magic have had several star players and stellar season. Here are the top-10 individual seasons in Magic history.

As we travel closer to the possibility of basketball through the dense corona-fog, we will play again soon.

No longer confined to our posts, we can break away from streaming old seasons of competitive Survivor on Hulu. Live sports are returning soon, so like Survivor, let us have a moment where we look back to the past Orlando Magic greats.

Have we forgotten about Rony Seikaly in 1997?  What about 2004 Steve Francis? Who is number one? It has got to be Shaquille O’Neal right? But then what about Tracy McGrady and Dwight Howard?

Do we risk the wrath of still-bitter fans among us and show Grant Hill in one of these slides? What does a little doll voiced by Chris Rock have to do with Orlando’s history?

Is it coming back to you also now?

Reflection can be especially important to learn for the future.

Knowing where you have been and what you are capable of can inspire future greatness.

Who helped get us here? Why are we now the ones to win it all and not them from our past?

Let us take a walk through the top-10 individual seasons from a Magic player who made it so far but have yet to bring home the gold.

Not so fast, there are rules:

No player will be repeated. This list is not strictly stat driven as we here at Orlando Magic Daily are in the community with you, loyal fan, and although some of the dates may make you feel long in the tooth perhaps you can think of your favorite from this list when the Magic are burying threes in route to a win this postseason. How sweet it will be.

10.  1994 Nick Anderson

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In 1994, the Orlando Magic hired Brian Hill to replace Matt Guokas, marking the first shift in the team’s history. They had Shaquille O’Neal roaming the paint, putting the team on the map for the first time. And Anfernee Hardaway was the prized rookie.

The team broke through for the first time. This season was important for that reason. The fledgling franchise made the NBA Playoffs for the first time. Nick Anderson rightly opted to take a back seat and enjoy the ride to the top.

The core players of the 1995 Finals run start to take shape this season.

Nick Anderson was just as key to all those teams as anyone else. And he stood out in 1995.

Anderson averaged 15.8 points per game, continuing a strong run of four seasons from the Magic’s first-ever draft pick. He was also solid defensively. Anderson was the perfect role player.

And sometimes, he was a whole lot more. There are a few games to point out.

February 25, 1994: The New Jersey Nets were good back then, but it would not be Kenny Anderson’s night. Nick Anderson led the Magic to victory with 28 points going 10 for 18 from the field with a few threes in there of course.  This win came during a seven-game winning streak for the Magic as the combo of Dennis Scott, Nick Anderson, Anfernee Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal did numbers on some of the league’s premier franchises.

April 9, 1994 and April 11, 1994: There are a pair of games that come in early April though that really vaulted Nick Anderson into this spot and why he deserves to be in the top 10.

It is one thing to have a monster game against the Boston Celtics back then (they were terrible, the tickets were almost free if you stopped into Blimpie), but Anderson was the man against the Miami Heat on the road and then two nights later trampling the New York Knicks in New York.

Miami being an obvious rival was huge because there was some debate at the time who the better team in Florida was.  Beating the Knicks in Madison Square Garden was not supposed to happen.

Anderson combined for 61 points during the two games.  If there was any doubt before, we now know him as the star he is.

Anderson put together his share of other notable seasons too. He still might be somewhat underappreciated for his play with the Magic. In 1993, he averaged 19.9 points per game in each of the 1992 and 1993 seasons.

He would follow his great 1994 season with a similar 15.8 points per game in 1995. But that year ended in tragedy at the free-throw line.

The 1994 season stood out as the last time everyone on the team had the innocence of a team fresh to the Playoffs.

9. 2009 Hedo Turkoglu

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Hedo Turkoglu is a fan favorite here in Orlando still to this day.

One of the more likable characters in Magic history, we would place him up there with Darrell Armstrong, Bo Outlaw, Jeff Turner and Rony Seikaly among others as just seemingly genuine people who were so easy to get behind and cheer.

Especially in Hedo Turkoglu’s case because he had that going for him plus, he was a leader and helped carry the Magic to a Finals appearance.

The Magic finished with a 59-23 record with the 3rd seed in the East heading into the postseason. Magic fans will always remember his heroics in the Playoffs — not to mention his big shots elsewhere throughout his time.

The Magic sent three All-Stars to Phoenix in 2009. But Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis both said they were missing one. They believe Turkoglu deserved the All-Star nod that year too.

The numbers certainly back that up with Turkoglu averaging 16.8 points per game and shooting 35.6 percent from beyond the arc. He helped revolutionize the ball-handling position, taking over the playmaking duties late in games.

Teams could not handle a 6-foot-10 player running pick and rolls with Dwight Howard.

January 29, 2009: Hedo Turkoglu put together a double-double against LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers who were 35-9 at that point in the season. You could sense another level of play in Turkoglu in those big games as he handled pressure wonderfully with so much attention being drawn to Howard.  The Magic would go on to defeat the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals that year.

The Magic eventually fell short in the 2009 Finals though. Turkoglu had a key block in Game 2 that nearly set up his game-winning pass to Courtney Lee. That too fell short. Turkoglu averaged 18.0 points per game as one of the few players who acquitted himself well in the five-game series.

Turkoglu came close to making the All-Star Game too in 2008 when he averaged 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He shot 52.4-percent effective field goal percentage. The Magic really unlocked something unique in how the Magic used their bigs.

8.  1991 Scott Skiles

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The image of Scott Skiles most fans have is of the gritty and tough point guard who was not afraid to challenge Shaquille O’Neal to a fight when it called for. That is what defined Scott Skiles and endeared him to Magic fans in the early years.

But he was a whole lot more than that. In winning the 1991 Most Improved Player Award, Skiles established himself as one of the tentpoles of early magic history.

Skiles took over the starting role in 1991, averaging 17.2 points per game with an astounding 8.4 assists.

Almost averaging a double-double per game, Skiles was known for a couple of things. Namely, not missing any shots — and what shots he did miss were probably from him driving in for a layup wildly at 20 miles per hour which often made for a good highlight. His motor never stopped.

With a 5-22 start, the Magic were lost early in the year.

In that 22nd loss of the season, Skiles gave one of his finest performances in the loss to John Stockton and Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz. He had his season-high 34 points against them as Orlando fell 104-96. The Magic matched the Jazz for three quarters but faded in the fourth.

They played close to .500 ball the rest of the season after the bad start, but would ultimately go on to lose a total of 51 games.

But the 1991 season saw Skiles put together the game that is his claim to fame.

December 30, 1990:  Skiles set the NBA record for assists in this season at 30 against the Denver Nuggets. Really this alone gets my vote for a place in the top 10. Appreciate this great assist montage put together here from that night. You have gotta love how the announcers and fans gradually catch on to what is happening, oh it is real:

Legend has it also Skiles could be found shooting hoops at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs during these years. He was very approachable and was known not to miss on the playground. Ever. Three after three.

Skiles never quite reached the heights he did individually in the 1991 season again. He averaged 15.4 points and 9.1 assists per game in the 1993 season. Pretty soon, the Magic would find a superstar to take over at point guard.

7.  2000 Darrell Armstrong

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Darrell Armstrong led the Orlando Magic during the landmark 2000 season with 16.2 points per game and 6.1 assists per game. He was also 91-percent from the free-throw line where he was often because Armstrong was tireless in all four quarters. He would make the opposing teams pay late in the game.

He was a central part of the Heart and  Hustle here in Orlando which became a mantra for fans that you were going to see a battle each night Darrell Armstrong and fellow teammate Bo Outlaw were on the floor.

No lead was safe for teams and the duo was often breaking hearts late in the game at their opponents’ expense.

The Magic hit a streak of bad luck and lost 14 out of 15 games in a stretch this year, but still managed to finish at .500 (41-41). This would be the deciding factor of missing the playoffs as they could have been special if just a couple of games during that losing streak went their way.

Still, that season was a memorable one and made Armstrong an all-timer who belong solely to Magic fans.

A game that stands out this season is from March 20, 2000. Armstrong led the Magic with 20 points, seven steals and six assists with an 88-86 overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls.

This game represented perfectly how Armstrong is remembered. Winning over fans as he out hustled giants and beat them in their home arena.

Armstrong finished with 169 steals good for second league-wide at the turn of the century.

6. 2019 Nikola Vucevic

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Averaging a double-double per game during the course of an entire season should get you on some type of list. So here we are.

The 2019 season was all about Nikola Vucevic establishing himself as a reliable dominant force in the NBA carrying the Orlando Magic to their first playoff berth in six years.

His 12.0 rebounds per game and 20.8 points per game put him in the All-Star Game for the first time.

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Nowhere was Nikola Vucevic at his best than in the early season victories over the Los Angeles Lakers. The team swept the Lakers before LeBron James’ injury derailed their season.

Vucevic scored 36 points and 13 rebounds in the November win at the Amway Center and then followed it up with 31 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in the win at Los Angeles a week later.

That consistency was key to the Magic’s ultimately making the Playoffs. Orlando could count on him every single night and he delivered.

It was Vooch stepping up in games like the one on March 25, 2019, in the middle of the team’s streak to the playoffs. That let us know this team was for real and the record 36-38 may not reflect their true position in the East.

The Philadelphia 76ers had won six of their last seven games and carried a record of 47-26 into the contest. Orlando would dominate though to a 119-98 victory, Vucevic scoring another double-double with 28 points and 11 rebounds.

Vucevic still has his detractors. And there are still questions about his future with the franchise, despite signing a new four-year, $100-million contract. But he always has that 2019 season.

5.  2009 Jameer Nelson

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This was a wild year for Jameer Nelson.

He only played in 42 regular-season games due to a shoulder injury in February. But he still put in one of the special seasons in Magic history.

He scored 16.7 points per game and shot 45.3 percent from 3-point range which puts him into elite territory. The feat has only been done a handful of times in the NBA. It helped Nelson earn his lone All-Star bid in his career and turned the Magic into a contender once again.

He was a closer of games for the Magic and the level of play early on from Nelson was paramount to Orlando’s position in the playoffs.

Nelson had several key performances. None were probably better than his run in January.

He made all five of his 3-pointers in scoring 23 points and dishing out 11 assists in the Orlando Magic’s record-setting performance against the Sacramento Kings.

His masterpiece came the next outing in Los Angeles. Nelson scored 28 points and eight assists in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Nelson hit several big shots in the fourth quarter to deliver the win over the team’s future Finals opponent.

That game as much as any other proved Orlando could compete for a title.

The Magic were 32-10 with him in the lineup. And he might have been the difference in winning that Finals series if he had stayed healthy. The Magic’s winning percentage with him in the lineup was over .700.  Again, this was 2009 so Orlando was a powerhouse that year, but nevertheless he made them better.

Nelson would return in the finals that season from injury but played minimal time and was not the same.

4.  2003 Tracy McGrady

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Tracy McGrady is possibly the greatest scorer in Orlando Magic history. In four seasons, he finished second in team history in scoring (even ahead of Shaquille O’Neal). He is now fourth all-time in scoring. And McGrady is first in points per game, averaging 28.1 points per game for his Magic career.

The 2003 season was special. He led the league in scoring at 32.1 points per game and was arguably the MVP that season. Only Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O’Neal have won the scoring title in a Magic uniform. And only McGrady has done it twice — O’Neal famously came up short on the final day of the 1994 season.

The 2003 season featured some of the very best games of McGrady’s career.

On Christmas Day, McGrady scored 46 points with 18 free throws on 14-for-26 shooting to defeat the Detroit Pistons. It is one of the best individual performances on national TV in Magic history. McGrady always rose to the big stage.

In February, McGrady scores 52 points in three quarters at home in a show of dominance against the Chicago Bulls.

Orlando finished 42-40 this year, enough to claim the eighth seed only to exit in a hard-fought seven-game series in the first round. McGrady had four fantastic seasons in Orlando

3. 2009 Dwight Howard

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The third installment in this list from the 2009 season, Dwight Howard was the centerpiece player who defined that era. Also, the top dog of this season, Dwight Howard led the league with 13.8 rebounds per game alongside a league-leading 2.9 blocks per game.

Superman also proved his offense the year before was no fluke as he finished with 20.6 points per game. That carried the team deeper into the Playoffs than it had ever been.

Howard won his first of three Defensive Player of the Year Awards. He had truly arrived to superstardom. It is easy to forget just how good Howard was and how dominant he was. The 2009 season is the hallmark of what will likely be a Hall of Fame career.

The 2009 season was arguably the greatest season in Magic history. But it was also a rocky one.

With Jameer Nelson getting injured, even more pressure was placed on Howard’s plate.

And he stepped up. Howard scored his career-high in points versus the Charlotte Bobcats in February, scoring 45, with19 boards and eight blocks. He almost had himself a triple-double the hard way.

Howard got that triple-double against the Oklahoma City Thunder in November. In one of the best individual performances in franchise history, Howard scored 30 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and recorded 10 blocks.

This stat line is absolutely dominating on both ends of the floor not seen in Orlando since Shaq Diesel.

2. 1996 Anfernee Hardaway

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Fresh off the NBA Finals run in 1995, Anfernee Hardaway put together his third consecutive All-Star season. But the 1996 season would require more from Hardaway than any year before it.

Not only was he playing with the pressure of having to deliver the championship that the team fell short of the year before, but also the pressure of playing without Shaquille O’Neal.

O’Neal fractured his hand in a preseason game and missed the first 20-plus games of the season. Hardaway had to take the reigns to deliver the Magic into Playoff position. All with the Chicago Bulls setting a record pace.

Hardaway finished the season averaging 21.7 points per game and 7.1 assists per game. But in the 22 games O’Neal missed, Hardaway averaged 26.4 points per game and 6.8 assists per game while shooting 50.3-percent from the floor.

Commanding the city of Orlando on game nights he was a pure leader and point for the Magic. Orlando would finish with a 60-22 record claiming the number-2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Hardaway proved he could be the leading scorer on the team. That may have led to some of the raised tension between the two budding young stars. Especially as the pressure to win and match the previous year’s success grew.

Hardaway proved to be a scoring tour de force. His season-high came just four games into the season with 42 points and 13-for-21 shooting against the New Jersey Nets.

Although they would get swept by Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals this season, shooting better than 50 percent from the floor and appearing in every single game, while at the same time challenging the GOAT in popularity makes this an easy selection for us here at Orlando Magic Daily.

Penny from heaven is immortalized in Central Florida.

1. 1995 Shaquille O’Neal

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Leading the league in scoring this season and second in MVP voting, Shaquille O’Neal would carry the Orlando Magic all the way to the NBA Finals.

He spoiled Magic fans for years to come by literally backing over the competition effortlessly.

Orlando fans knew he was the best player in the league and any argument against that would be uncivilized. Even with how young and unrefined his game could be. O’Neal quickly grew up and even at his early stage, he changed the game completely.

Defenders routinely flailed-foul as they were layed onto the court under the basket but officials would stand pat knowing it is not a crime to be larger than life.

The original Superman still holds the greatest single season of all time in Orlando Magic history.

Orlando finished with a 57-25 record claiming the number one seed in the east. Hack-a-Shaq was in full swing and it more often than not did not matter if he missed the and 1 because he was likely to put up 25 points taking uncalled fouls anyway.

He scored 29.3 points per game and grabbed 11.4 rebounds per game. During the Playoffs, he averaged 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. He was still young and learning how to deal with Playoff defenses geared to stop him.

Still, he put in some stellar playoff performances worth noting.

He scored 35 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a critical two-point win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. That win set the Magic up to reach the NBA Finals.

A heavyweight showdown of the top centers in the game finally extinguished Orlando’s hopes of a title as they were swept in the Finals by the Houston Rockets. O’Neal acquitted himself well, averaging 28.0 points and 12.5 rebounds per game in his first Finals appearance.

So close, but not the player or team to bring home the prize for the Magic.

Orlando’s championship belongs to the future class, who is up to the challenge? The tribe has spoken, thanks for reading.