Orlando Magic Shooting Month: Top 20 shooters in Orlando Magic history
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
2. Dennis Scott
By Jacob Warfle
Dennis Scott might have invented the term “3-and-D” and for that reason alone he belongs at the top of the Orlando Magic’s all-time shooter list.
Drafted fourth overall in 1990, Dennis Scott is one of the founding fathers of the Magic franchise. Until the team drafted Shaquille O’Neal a couple of years later, Dennis Scott and fellow wing Nick Anderson led the team in scoring.
Going back to the mid-90s, Scott held two prestigious NBA records that would stand until the early 2000s. In the 1996 season, he netted 267 three-pointers, at the time setting the record for most in a single season. In April of that same season, Scott hit 11 threes in a game, giving him the most in a single game until Kobe Bryant broke it with 12.
For the Magic, Dennis Scott is first all-time with 981 made three-pointers and fourth in three-point percentage (40.3-percent). To this day, he is still top 10 in points scored and games played for the franchise.
As we have discussed before, Scott belongs in the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame and is one of the most important players in franchise history. Alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway, Dennis Scott was a deadeye shooter throughout the entirety of the 90s. It is possible that without Scott, the Magic would not have had such a successful offense — the best in league history to that point in 1995 — and who knows where that leaves the 1995 Finals appearance. He was that important.
This combination of shooting accuracy and three-point quantity makes Scott arguably the best shooter in the Magic’s history. It is possible that if it were not for recency bias and the average age of the fanbase, Scott would be number one here.
Scott was one of the critical players in helping the 3-point shot gain legitimacy at all levels of the game. The game does not look the same without Scott.
In this instance, these simple ratings will prove my point.
On NBA 2K, Scott has a 94 rating on three-point shot, 91 on the mid-range shot, and 97 on shot IQ. His archetype is a sharpshooter and for those that really get into 2K, he has six gold badges dedicated to shooting.
Dennis Scott is the best shooter in Magic history because NBA 2K says so.