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Orlando Magic Shooting Month: 5 Most Improved Magic shooters

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Nikola Vucevic has established himself as a solid player. But notice will only come with flash, and more importantly winning. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Nikola Vucevic has established himself as a solid player. But notice will only come with flash, and more importantly winning. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando Magic
Hedo Turkoglu helped redefine the NBA with the 2009 Orlando Magic and will one day enter the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

5 most improved Orlando Magic shooters

Hedo Turkoglu

Hedo Turkoglu was something that a lot of the league could not figure out through the early part of his career.

The Sacramento Kings used him off the bench as essentially a stretch-4 as they fought for their piece of the championship. Turkoglu averaged 7.5 points per game and made 35.8-percent of his 1.5 3-point attempts per game in three seasons in Sacramento.

The Sacramento Kings traded him to the San Antonio Spurs after three seasons, where he seemed a bit lost for that lone year — he averaged 9.2 points per game. He showed hints of what he could do — he made 41.9-percent from beyond the arc.

His first few years in Orlando before the Finals run were still Turkoglu trying to figure things out. But Turkoglu was unique as a 6-foot-10 forward who could work and shoot from the outside. He was starting to find his comfort.

Before the big 3-pointers in the 2009 Playoffs and his near-All-Star season in 2008, he was figuring things out.

In three seasons before Stan Van Gundy’s arrival, Turkoglu scored 14.1 points per game and shot 39.1-percent from beyond the arc on 3.7 attempts per game.

The thing about Turkoglu’s time in Orlando was that he got the shot volume to showcase what he could do. He was not just the bit player. The Magic figured out how to unleash him.

It went into overdrive with Van Gundy’s arrival and his decision to put the ball in Turkoglu’s hands more. In 2008 and 2009, Turkoglu averaged 18.2 points per game and shot 37.9-percent from beyond the arc on 5.0 3-point attempts per game.

This was Turkoglu without any restrictions and complete trust. He could be the playmaker and passer he always had the skill to be. And he had the freedom to take 3-pointers at volume. That was the point of what the Magic did. And Turkoglu was the perfect pick-and-roll partner for Dwight Howard.

Turkoglu hit plenty of big 3-pointers along the way. That was all because of the confidence the Magic embued in him.