Orlando Magic Shooting Month: 5 Magic 3-point shooters before their times

5 Orlando Magic shooters before their times

Dennis Scott

There is no discussion about the evolution of the 3-point shot without a discussion about Dennis Scott and how he completely changed the league with his vision of what 3-point shooting could be.

The story goes that he had to fight to let his college coach, Bobby Cremins, let him shoot 3-pointers in transition instead of going to the basket on the fast break. The idea of spotting up for threes in transition was completely foreign.

Scott may not have been the only revolutionary, but he was a big part of the league’s overall change. He was one of the first true 3-point specialists and someone who just made the 3-pointer much cooler.

Dennis Scott still leads the Magic with 981 3-pointers made (81 ahead of Nick Anderson, another player who changed his style to embrace 3-pointers before anyone else really started to). Scott still holds that lead despite the change in the league — the closest modern player is Evan Fournier at 895.

Scott finished fifth in the league in 3-pointers made his rookie year. He had injuries that limited his time in 1992 and 1992. But he returned to the top of the 3-point charts, finishing second in the league (behind Dan Majerle) in 1994, 15th in 1995 (when 3-point shooting began to increase) and first with 267 3-pointers in 1996.

Magic players dot the single-season 3-point lists throughout those early years with Scott Skiles taking and making his share of 3-pointers early on in the Magic’s time. Nick Anderson would join them as the Magic started to make their push to the title.

But Scott was as much a catalyst as anyone. Scott still ranks 83rd all-time in 3-point field goals made. Only 21 players from the 1990s  rank higher than him on the all-time 3-point list — led by Reggie Miller but featuring luminaries like Terry Porter, John Starks and Dale Ellis.

Scott was part of this revolution and this change in 3-point shooting. He was well ahead of his time and the Magic were better when they let Scott be Scott.