When the NBA Draft rolls around every year, there is an essential question that comes up for every prospect: Can they shoot?
Of all the skills that have become vital to success in the NBA, shooting has become the skill in demand around the league.
On a certain level, it makes sense. It is the point of the game after all to get the ball in the basket. Shooting is the essential skill for any player at any level to find success. Good shooters even in a pick-up game essentially keep one defender from providing help and are a constant threat for any defense to be aware of.
That has gone into overdrive throughout the NBA. The sort of gimmicky line introduced to the NBA for the 1980 season has become the biggest indicator of a team’s success. Shooting is the most important skill for any player and any team to develop.
The Orlando Magic played a big role in developing the three-point shot as a weapon throughout its history.
Shooting has never been more important in the NBA landscape. The Orlando Magic have been at the center of this 3-point revolution on several fronts. To conclude our shooting month, we name our top shooters in Magic history.
Dennis Scott entered the league as one of the first 3-point specialists in all of basketball, making the pull-up three in transition a real weapon while at Georgia Tech and then surrounding Shaquille O’Neal when he arrived in Orlando.
The 1995 Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets were two of the first pioneers in three-point shooting to show that teams in the NBA could win with the 3-pointer as a primary weapon.
They did it again in 2009 when they raced to the Finals behind a four-out offense that featured shooters surrounding another center in Dwight Howard. Players like Rashard Lewis revolutionized the league.
Now the league has built upon what the 2009 Magic did and made them look fairly quaint.
Shooting is only going to continue to evolve from there as the league continues to expand and evolve.
With the Orlando Magic entering a new phase and era in their development, we are ready to look back at the team’s history once again this summer. To celebrate the evolution of 3-point shooting and the Magic’s role in it, we are naming our top-20 shooters in Magic history.
To do this, we asked the staff at Orlando Magic Daily to submit their ranking of the top-10 (and sometimes more) shooters in team history. We combined that with a fan poll and vote we conducted in early August. We combined those lists to make a final ranking of our top shooters.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
T19. Jason Richardson
By Zach Oliver
As a kid growing up watching basketball in the 2000s, whenever you heard Jason Richardson’s name, you always thought of his high-flying antics in dunk contests and in games. I never truly thought of him as a real dead-eye shooter, especially from beyond the arc.
However as his career wore on, he became one of the league’s better marksmen from three. But he always flew under the radar with it.
Through his prime seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats, Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic, Richardson shot worse than his career 37-percent mark just once. That was his final season with the Magic when he shot 36.8-percent from three.
From coming off of screens to catch-and-shoots, Richardson was able to keep defenses honest with his shooting and fit in well with the Magic who were retooling after their loss in the 2009 NBA Finals, and subsequent Eastern Conference Finals loss the following season.
Whenever I think of Richardson in a Magic uniform, two games stick out: His nine made three-pointers in Milwaukee on Feb. 11, 2012, a game where it seemed like the former high flier was throwing pebbles into the ocean.
The other was a game in March 2011 against the in-state rival Miami Heat.
The Magic got down big early against LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and company. But behind the shooting of Richardson – he led the Magic with 24 on the night including six three-pointers – and Gilbert Arenas, the Magic slowly cut away at the lead and rallied to win by three.
Those games alone showed the impact Richardson could make as a shooter.
He was not a Ray Allen or a J.J. Redick, someone who could run for miles and off hundreds and hundreds of screens each game. But when he got hot, he was red hot.
Across his 109 games in a Magic uniform, Richardson made four or more threes in 20 games and gave Magic fans some of their better moments across the tumultuous two final years of the Dwight Howard era.
I ranked him 15th in my top-15 Magic shooters of all time, edging out the likes of Nikola Vucevic, Vince Carter and Courtney Lee.
While the Magic did not get the electrifying dunks Richardson showed off early in his career, they got some hot three-point shooting games, which to me is just as fun.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
T19. Nikola Vucevic
By Stefan Alvarez
VOOOOOOOOCH!
When Nikola Vucevic was traded to the Orlando Magic during the summer of 2012, he was considered a raw prospect. The Montenegrin big man played a sole season in Philadelphia where he averaged just five points per game. That season, he only attempted eight three-point shots in 51 games played.
Vucevic hit the ground running in sunny Central Florida, immediately boosting his scoring total up to 13 points per game. But the three-point shot was not a focal part of his game. During the first five years of his career, Vucevic only attempted 26 total threes – including the 2014 season, in which he did not attempt a single shot from deep.
The next season, Vucevic upped that total to 75 attempts. The following, 204 attempts. And the total has risen ever since.
A career 35-percent shooter from deep, Vucevic has shown the ability to stretch the floor in ways he had not during the early years of his career. It is a part of his game – an important one – that was not there before. He always had it. He just was not able to showcase his talent.
The addition of a 3-point shot lifted Vucevic into an All-Star and helped the Magic snap a seven-year playoff drought.
While Vucevic may not be talked in the likes of J.J. Redick or Dennis Scott when it comes to all-time Magic shooters, he should be in the conversation, especially at the big man position.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
T17. Vince Carter
By Philip Rossman-Reich
The Orlando Magic’s acquisition of Vince Carter in the summer of 2009 is still steeped in controversy. Fans will still argue whether it was the right move to break up the team’s 2009 Finals team. The 2010 Magic still reached the Eastern Conference Finals, but that was no longer enough.
And fair or not, that deal and Carter specifically seemed to shoulder the blame for coming up short. He was the new guy and the star that was supposed to help the team get over the hump. That just did not happen.
Carter did a lot of good in his short time in Orlando. But he was happy to fit in with Orlando rather than be the driving force the team needed.
The reality is that Carter’s time in Orlando was the end of his run as a starring player. He would spend the next few years trying to find his footing in the NBA again. It would end up being something he began to perfect and refine in Orlando as he moved to the next phase of his career.
As amazing as Carter’s dunking and finishing ability was, his shot-making remained a big part of his game. And he was such a smooth shooter. Carter found his 3-point shooting second life by playing a secondary role with the Magic.
In his season and a half in Orlando, he shot 36.3-percent from beyond the arc. He was a great 3-point shooting weapon as his shot was simply smooth. There was not a shot he could not take or make, often driving in and taking more difficult shots.
Carter would evolve his career to become a 3-point specialist. And his shooting talent was always evident throughout his time in Orlando. Even as he struggled to find his fit and his role with the Magic.
Unfortunately, his time in Orlando was always characterized by the shots he did not make. Whether that was the free throws he missed in Game 2 of the Magic’s Eastern Conference Finals series against the Boston Celtics or his 23.5-percent 3-point shooting throughout the 2010 Playoffs.
Carter’s shooting talent was always evident. His performance in a Magic uniform was not.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
T17. Jodie Meeks
By Philip Rossman-Reich
Since Dwight Howard’s departure (and then the trade of J.J. Redick a year later), the Orlando Magic have lacked an ace shooter. It was always the biggest thing the young roster needed. They had no way to space the floor and no way to spread defenses out.
Without that, many of Orlando’s young players struggled to find their footing.
In the summer of 2016, Orlando looked to resolve that, acquiring sharpshooter Jodie Meeks from the Detroit Pistons. He seemed like the perfect player to help surround the Magic’s suddenly big lineup with Nikola Vucevic, Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo all fighting for space in the Magic’s front court.
Meeks would have provided that space. And when he played, he certainly did that. Meeks shot 40.9-percent from beyond the arc, shooting almost exclusively from beyond the arc. He had a big burst game in early January of that 2017 season, making six 3-pointers in a win over the New York Knicks.
His 40.9-percent shooting from beyond the arc is still one of the top marks in Magic history (second in Magic history, in fact).
The problem was the leg injury that limited him to three games in the 2016 season with the Detroit Pistons followed him to Orlando. He played in only 36 games in a Magic uniform, missing large chunks of the beginning of the season and most of February and March.
By the time he was playing, the Magic were already out of the playoff chase and shifting their focus to rebuilding — and clearing the decks for Rob Hennigan’s ultimate departure.
Meeks was a good acquisition. He was the exact player that Magic team needed. And he was a great shooter when he could play. But he was unable to overcome his injury. He played sparingly in two more seasons as a gifted shooter slowly faded out of the league.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
16. Darrell Armstrong
By Patrick Previty
Darrell Armstrong clocks in at No. 16 on our greatest shooters list. But with the way his career unfolded, he could also be one of the best-undrafted players in franchise history.
Armstrong began his career in the United States Basketball League (USBL) in 1991, moved to the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) in 1992, and then the Global Basketball Association in 1993.
His next couple of seasons were with teams overseas and then he got the call to play for the Orlando Magic late in the 1995 season.
In his first couple of years with the Magic, Armstrong did not play much, only logging playing time in 16 games. But he did compete in the 1996 Slam Dunk Contest — an infamously bad performance.
The next season, Armstrong saw an increase in playing time as he played in 67 games averaging 15.1 minutes per contest.
Known mainly as a shooter and shooting 33.0-percent from three point range his first four years in the league, he had not quite made his mark yet.
But in the lockout-shortened 1999 season proved to be his shining moment. He became the first player in NBA history to win both Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player in the same season.
He increased his scoring by 4.6 per game to 13.8 points per game, shot 36.5-percent from three, led the team in assists with 6.7 per game and averaged a career-high in steals with 2.2 per game.
Because of Armstrong’s stellar play, he was able to lead the Magic to the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
Even with all those awards, Armstrong’s best season actually came the following year.
In 2000, he was inserted into the starting lineup full-time and averaged a career-high in points per game at 16.2 while shooting 34.0-percent from three.
He kept the title of starting point guard for the next two seasons and was on the Magic until 2003.
Once he left Orlando, Armstrong bounced around the league a bit and ended up retiring after the 2008 season.
For his career, Armstrong shot 33.4-percent from beyond the arc. But for the Magic, he shot 34.6-percent.
And during his entire career with the Magic, the team never posted a losing record and made the playoffs seven times.
He is one of the best shooters in franchise history and made 923 three-point shots during his career and his career journey is just as memorable.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
15. Courtney Lee
By Caleb Hager
Courtney Lee is one of the most interesting names on this list.
He only played one year for the Orlando Magic during the 2009 season. This happened to be his rookie year and he started 42 games that year for the team as they went to the NBA Finals.
But Lee is a player who bounced around to a lot of different teams in the NBA, playing for eight different franchises. He always found his place on contending teams as a desirable shooter. He made 82 total three-pointers during his career in Orlando and shot 40.4-percent that season.
Courtney Lee was part of a package that included Rafer Alston and Tony Battie to bring in Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson from the New Jersey Nets following the Magic’s 2009 Finals run.
While Orlando never reached the same success they had of getting to the Finals with Lee, I do believe that trade was for the better of the team. Lee went on to have a very good NBA career averaging 38.8-percent from deep during his 12 years in the league.
Some of you may remember that masked rookie starting 16 of 21 games during the team’s Finals run in 2009 — only missing games because Dwight Howard inadvertently elbowed him and broke his orbital bone in Game 5 of the team’s first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
His three-point shooting dropped a little during the playoffs, but he still shot lights out from the free-throw line going 23 for 26.
Many may point to the missed layup at the end of Game 2 of the NBA Finals in Los Angeles. To his credit, that was a hard shot to make on the biggest stage in basketball for a 23-year-old rookie. He played very well during the postseason, averaging 8.0 points per game and helping this team make their first Finals appearance since 1995.
Lee would probably be a lot higher on this list if he were to have played in Orlando for more than one season.
His tenor with this team cemented his spot on this list with some of the franchise leaders in shooting. I wish we could have gotten to see some more out of the 2008 first-round pick from Western Kentucky.
Regardless when I think of all-time great Orlando Magic shooters Courtney Lee needs to be in the discussion.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
14. Mickael Pietrus
By Patrick Previty
Mickael Pietrus only played a bit more than two seasons for the Orlando Magic, but he made his presence felt by being a sharpshooting specialist from beyond the arc.
During his time with the Magic, he was a part of the 2009 team that went to the NBA Finals. That squad was filled with players on this list such as Rashard Lewis, J.J. Reddick, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson and Courtney Lee.
But Pietrus was the one who stood out during their playoff run.
In the 38 playoff games, he averaged 9.7 points per game and shot 35.3-percent from three. In the 2009 Playoffs, he averaged 10.5 points per game and shot 38.5-percent from beyond the arc.
Both numbers were higher than his regular season stats and helped Orlando reach the team’s best finish in franchise history.
Ironically, his defense overshadowed his shooting numbers. He was asked to defend LeBron James and Kobe Bryant during the playoffs and held his own. He was the definition of a 3-and-D player.
During the 2010 season, Pietrus received an increase in playing time and delivered.
He made 116 three-pointers on the season, which was a career-high, and he shot 43.2-percent from the field which was the highest in his time with the Magic. In the Playoffs that year, he shot 45.9-percent from beyond the arc in the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the 2011 season, Pietrus was traded to the Phoenix Suns ending his career with the Orlando Magic. He eventually retired from the NBA in 2013.
Pietrus was just a player who stepped up in the big moments. The joke when he was playing with the team is that he often only showed up in games that mattered. But he did indeed show up for the big matchups. The Magic would not have made their deep playoff runs without him.
He drew on his experience playing for the “We Believe” Golden State Warriors to help uplift the team.
For his career, he shot 35.5-percent from three-point range and made 679 three-pointers.
When he joined Orlando, the team was looking to put shooters around Dwight Howard. Most of the shooters during that era are on this list.
And Pietrus, despite not being on the Magic for a long time, proved his worth on numerous occasions.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
13. Cuttino Mobley
By Zach Oliver
While his time was short-lived in Orlando, Cuttino Mobley was a dead-eye shooter in his 23 games with the Orlando Magic. Acquired with Steve Francis in the blockbuster trade that sent Tracy McGrady to the Houston Rockets, Cuttino Mobley was Francis’ right-hand man and every defense’s worst nightmare.
In his short, yet overall impactful, stint with the Magic, Mobley shot an absurd 46.4-percent from beyond the arc on 5.5 attempts per game. Equate those numbers out to today’s game and Mobley could very well be in the conversation for one of, if not the best shooters, in the league.
A career 37.8-percent shooter from deep, Mobley saw his career in the league cut short due to a heart condition, but he has come back with a vengeance keeping defenses honest in the BIG 3 league.
He ranks 151st all-time in three-point percentage in NBA/ABA history and could have had a bigger impact on the Magic had he not been shipped to the Sacramento Kings for Doug Christie, a move that sent his running mate Steve Francis into a downward spiral that inevitably led to his time with the Orlando Magic also coming to a close.
Had Mobley stuck with the Magic for a longer period of time, I think his shooting prowess could have helped them a lot.
We saw how the team transitioned into a three-point juggernaut with Dwight Howard once they added Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu to the mix, and having someone like Mobley early on I think could have helped with that transition in playing styles.
Overall, I think Mobley was maybe a little ahead of his time. He would have likely flourished in the new pace and space style teams are playing these days. I cannot help but think about the kind of impact a shooter with the gravity of Mobley could do to help a young Magic team devoid of shooting these days.
I ranked Mobley as the 10th best shooter in Magic history. While the sample size is definitely smaller than I would like to see, shooting 46.4-percent across any stretch of games is worthy of being on a list of the best shooters the franchise has ever seen.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
12. Evan Fournier
By Jean Racine
In seven seasons, Evan Fournier played his way into the Orlando Magic history books with 895 three-pointers, which is third all-time. He is worthy to be considered one of the better shooters in Magic history.
When Evan Fournier came to Orlando, he was a bundle of potential. He played two seasons with the Denver Nuggets in which he averaged 7.4 points and 38 percent shooting from three in 16.9 minutes per game– not bad for the 20th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
The Magic acquired Fournier from the Nuggets along with the draft rights to Devyn Marble in exchange for Arron Afflalo. Orlando was a rebuilding team at the time and seemed like the perfect opportunity for Fournier to blossom and he did.
Fournier immediately took his game to new heights on the Magic.
In his first season, he averaged 12.0 points per game, 37 percent shooting from three in 28.6 minutes per game. Fournier was a bright spot on a Magic team, which had few shooting threats.
It seemed like the Magic chose Evan Fournier over Victor Oladipo to continue playing alongside a poor shooter in Elfrid Payton. Fournier proved Orlando right in that he upped his scoring average to a career-high 18.5 points per game in 2020, but he never made an All-Star team like Oladipo eventually did with the Indiana Pacers.
For the Magic, Fournier’s job was to create and score on the perimeter. He did his job well and was a reliant shooter for Orlando.
The numbers do not lie, Fournier is one of the best three-point shooters in Magic history. I listed him as high as seven on the all-time shooter list because he was much more than a shooter, although, he attempted 5.5 threes per game in Orlando.
All together, shooting was Fournier’s best skill on the Magic. His legacy is especially heightened because he was the best shooter on the team in each of his seven seasons in Orlando.
He did not have the greatest mechanics, but the results speak for itself. Fournier was not the most athletic, but he scored with his shooting and craftiness around the rim. He has a rightful place in the top-10 best shooter list.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
11. Jameer Nelson
By Katelyn Davis
Jameer Nelson is ranked No. 11 on our list with some impressive accuracy with his shots.
Being one of Orlando Magic’s top 10 three-point shooters in Orlando Magic history. Nelson had an all-time three-point percentage of 36.8-percent, field goal percentage of 43.6-percent and free throw percentage of 81.0-percent.
Nelson showed how impressive his game was, and quickly was selected as point guard, moving Steve Francis to shooting guard. After Francis was traded in Nelson’s first season, he began to show his shine even more, averaging 14.6 points per game with a 48.3-percent field goal percentage.
Nelson has a really accurate shot. In his 2009 season, he was shooting 45.3 percent from the three-point line on only 4.3 attempts. But overall, he was shooting 50-percent. In that same season, Nelson averaged 16.7 points per game and was named an All-Star. But he ended up tearing his labrum and sat out the end of the season, making a failed comeback to return for the NBA Finals but he was nowhere near as effective.
If Nelson was never injured, he would he arguably be higher up on this list and the Magic might have their first title.
But Nelson still provided a big impact and gave the Magic a strong shooter and leader throughout their title contention run and the early parts of the team’s post-Dwight Howard rebuild.
The next season during the playoffs, Nelson averaged 19.0 points per game after a rough regular season. He also tore his meniscus, again an injury that held him back from being that much better.
Nelson is a forgotten innovator when it comes to remembering the best shooters in NBA history. Although he may not have as fancy of a game or as high of a scoring average compared to some other players, he had an accurate shot and a huge impact on his teams before facing injury.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
10. Terrence Ross
By Omar Cabrera
Terrence Ross is a player who has created gravity as a shooter but may never have been the “best” shooter on the floor. Ross has never shot 40 percent from beyond the arc in his career, but he has proven himself to be one of the greatest shooters in Orlando Magic history.
Before looking at the reasonings for why Ross is one of the greatest shooters, it is important to note the reason Ross’s percentages are up and down is likely to the inconsistent roster around him from talent to players being in and out of the lineup but we’ve seen was Ross can do.
For his career in Orlando, Ross has shot 34.8 percent from three.
But when it comes to Ross, the reason he is on this list goes beyond his shooting numbers. Ross has created a gravity for himself that has allowed his teammates to get better shot opportunities and Orlando’s offense more space in general.
His ability truly shined in the 2019 season shooting 38.3 percent from three. The Magic do not make the playoffs without Ross. His shooting ability has single-handedly kept Orlando in games and has been the catalyst for comebacks numerous times. A game against the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019 is the perfect example of what Ross has meant for the Magic.
The Magic found themselves losing 92-75 in a crucial game in an attempt to make the playoffs. Terrence Ross would score 31 points on 8 for 12 shooting from three that would end up in a 123 – 119 win for the Magic. Throughout that season Ross would make big shot after big shot.
Terrence Ross has become a fan favorite over the years starting with that season and ended up earning the nickname the human torch. That season created his gravity for his teammates which created a way to make the playoffs once again the following year although he did not shoot the ball as well.
Ross may never be the best shooter in terms of percentage but the impact he will leave on the franchise in terms of his shooting is the reason he deserves to be on this list.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
9. Mike Miller
By Jacob Warfle
Mike Miller makes this list on the basis of career achievement, not specifically his time with the Orlando Magic. Put simply, Miller is one of the best shooters in the history of the league.
He ranks 28th all-time in NBA history in three-point percentage (40.7), and slots in about 10 spots higher if you remove active players. Despite playing most of his 17 seasons before the league’s “three-point boom,” Miller currently ranks 33rd all-time with 1,590. This number would be way higher if he had just come into the league a decade later.
Much of this generation of fans may remember Miller’s one-shoe three-pointer in the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat or the viral clip of him giving his University of Memphis players buckets. But there was a time when his talent was undeniable.
In college, Miller knocked down 226 three-pointers in just two seasons and led his Florida Gators all the way to the National Championship game in 2000. The Magic selected him fifth overall in the following draft and he had immediate success, winning Rookie of the Year.
In the 2.5 seasons spent in Orlando, Miller hit 351 three-pointers on 38.0-percent shooting. He was a key player for the franchise before being dealt in 2003. The numbers here will not appear on any Magic leaderboards, but I could make the argument Miller is a better pure shooter than most of the players listed above him here.
He may not mean as much to the Orlando Magic franchise as guys like Rashard Lewis or Nick Anderson, but Mike Miller can knock down threes at just as high of a clip.
On his smooth shooting stroke alone, Miller made a largely successful NBA career for himself. And as we have seen over the years, shooting does not go away with age. Miller can still knock them down.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
8. Tracy McGrady
By Katelyn Davis
Tracy McGrady is arguably one of the best shooters and players in the Orlando Magic history. Since the beginning of McGrady’s career, he easily made himself present. He outshined his cousin, Vince Carter, and is easily one of the league’s most productive fourth quarter players.
When he left the Toronto Raptors to go back to Florida to play for the Orlando Magic, he carried the team. McGrady averaged almost 27 points per game and, despite having constant losses in the playoffs due to having a lot of rookie players, he still was carrying the team with his crafty scoring.
Later, in his 2003 season, he averaged 32.1 points per game. In the same year, he was one of the top five players that made it. But he was not just shooting threes.
Tracy McGrady had a similar game in his 2003 to what we see in Stephen Curry today as far as shooting the ball. He could shoot the three, but his mid-range shot was also unstoppable. But McGrady could drive to the hoop very well.
McGrady was an all-around scorer who just kept defenses off balance while carrying the entire offensive load. That is how he made seven All-Star and seven All-NBA teams.
In 2004, McGrady scored his career-high 62 points in a game, and again was averaging 28 points per game. And once he left Orlando to go to Houston after being the worst team in the NBA, he scored 13 points in 33 seconds.
At this point, Tracy McGrady was compared to Kobe Bryant as the best wing player in the league. And it was a legitimate debate. The only thing missing from McGrady’s resume was the playoff success, something far out of his control.
Their stats still compare favorably, if not for McGrady’s career tailing off with a litany of injuries and then a sojourn to find a title late in the season.
With his stats as a young NBA player who started at the age of 18, moving from warm Florida to freezing Toranto, McGrady had an impressive first few seasons, before getting injured. If he had not gotten so many injuries and missed so many games and seasons, he could have crafted his game even more and made all of his movements more fluid.
But again, with all the seasons he did play with an incredible scoring average, and comparing stats so close to some of the best to ever play, he made his was up on the list of best shooters of all time for the Orlando Magic.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
7. Ryan Anderson
By Jean Racine
No one expected Ryan Anderson to be as good as he eventually was in an Orlando Magic uniform.
The potential was there being that Anderson was the 21st overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets. But the 6-foot-9 power forward put it all together in Orlando.
Anderson made his way to Orlando via a blockbuster trade with the Nets. The Magic acquired Anderson along with Vince Carter in exchange for Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie.
Anderson made an immediate impact in Orlando. He got jolted into the starting lineup to replace Rashard Lewis, who was suspended 10 games for testing positive for a banned substance. Anderson filled in well for Lewis with his shooting and made a great early impression on the Magic faithful.
In his first season in Orlando, Anderson averaged 7.7 points and shot 37 percent from three on 3.3 attempts a game. Those numbers would jump to 16.1 points and 39 percent from three on 5.5 attempts per game in his last season with the Magic, which earned him the Most Improved Player of the Year Award. Orlando got its money’s worth in the Anderson trade.
I listed Anderson as high as fourth all-time on the Magic best shooter list because he was efficient and his shooting touch was evident. He was not the flashiest player, but he was reliable and he was the prototypical stretch-4. Anderson was a dangerous asset, who space spaced the floor well alongside Dwight Howard.
Furthermore, in his three seasons with the Magic, Anderson shot 38 percent from three.
To point out his mechanics, Anderson had good form and a quick release. He did not get the most lift on his jumpers, but it worked. Anderson made an impact as an offensive rebounder and had a good low post game, but he is remembered for his shooting.
In all, the one other player that comes to mind when I think of Ryan Anderson is Pat Garrity because of their playing style and stature. Both were great shooters, but Anderson’s numbers are even better than Garrity’s.
Anderson’s shooting percentage and impact should place him in the top-5 all-time in Magic shooting history.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
6. Hedo Turkoglu
By Coby Leibowitz
At the sixth spot, Hedo Turkoglu was another one of those players who was a big part of those late 2000s playoff runs.
He played eight seasons on the Magic and was a terrific three-point shooter through all his years.
In his eight years in Orlando, he shot 37.9-percent from three and made 794 three-pointers which is fifth in Magic history. That means he made a little more than 99 threes per season and he averaged about 1.6 threes per game.
He was another Magic player who was unstoppable from the corner as analytics began to spread throughout the league and prove the effectiveness of this shot.
He shot 41-percent from the corner with the Magic. He has 47 games with four or more threes, 17 with five or more threes and two games where he made seven threes. In games where he made at least four threes, he shot a jaw-dropping 74.5-percent.
He had two seasons for the Magic where he shot at least 40-percent from three and in one of those seasons he made 166 threes which was his career high for a season and is tied for 13th for single season threes in Magic history.
He also had another career high with the Magic in 2008 when he made two threes per game.
He was clutch too, of his eight game-winners with the Magic, five of them were three-pointers including one of them being in the playoffs. Turkoglu’s clutch performances are the stuff of legends for Magic fans.
He made four playoff appearances with the Magic including the Finals run in 2009. He was another big shooter in the playoffs for the Magic.
He made 55 threes in the playoffs for Orlando, seven of them coming in the Finals where he shot 43.8-percent. He also had several big shots including the game-winning three in Game 4 of the first round series against the Philadelphia 76ers and a clutch three to give Orlando a (brief) lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Not to mention the block he had in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Kobe Bryant that sent the game to overtime (if Pau Gasol had not goaltended Courtney Lee’s layup attempt).
Turkoglu is eighth in most threes in a single playoffs in Magic history when he made 55 in 2009. He is also seventh in total three-pointers made in the playoffs in Orlando’s history.
He is another big man who could shoot the rock. He was a 6-foot-10 forward who could shoot at an extremely high rate before it was normal for big men to be able to shoot as he could.
Turkoglu could shoot the ball from anywhere at any time, whether it was the playoffs, regular season, fourth quarter or first. He was a high-volume three-point shooter who was always there in the big moments.
He helped the Magic go on numerous playoff runs and should be remembered as one of the greatest shooters the Orlando Magic franchise has ever seen.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
5. Pat Garrity
By Stefan Alvarez
When you hear the name Pat Garrity, what do you think of?
Wait . . . How many people actually remember Pat Garrity? Well, let me remind you.
The three-point marksman played seven of his eight NBA seasons for the Orlando Magic and is one of the franchise’s premier shooters behind the arc. Garrity ranks among the top 10 all-time for the franchise in 3-point field goals made and 3-point field goal percentage.
Garrity managed to shoot better than 40 percent from deep in each of his first three seasons in Orlando.
The Notre Dame alum performed at a career-best during the 2002 season. In his 80 games played that season, Garrity averaged 11.1 points per game on 42 percent shooting from deep. He also represented Orlando in the Three-Point Shooting Contest.
I think it is safe to say Garrity played in an era well before his time. Spot shooting big men were not viewed as the commodity that they are today. But Garrity made his mark in Orlando and should be regarded as one of the Magic top shooters.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
4. Nick Anderson
By Omar Cabrera
Nick Anderson, the first draft pick the Orlando Magic ever made, also finds himself on the top shooter’s list.
For a time in the NBA that three-point shooting was not focused on, the Magic had good shooters on their roster, which included Anderson, who was also a scorer was also a capable shooter.
Anderson in his time with Orlando, was able to shoot better than 35 percent from three six times, which includes one season where he shot better than 40 percent.
Throughout the 1990s, the average percentage for three-point shooting was 34.7 percent, and Anderson hit that mark seven times during that time.
Anderson at the time was taking as many as 6.4 threes a game, while the league average throughout the 1990s was only 11.4 per game. Anderson continued to prove himself as a player who was willing to shoot threes but also capable of making threes.
To go along with his three-point percentages, Anderson also had his iconic moments throughout his career and one as a shooter. In 1998, Nick Anderson hit a game-winning three that made Magic fans around the world rejoice.
The Orlando Magic found themselves down by one point against Shaquille O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Magic derailed with injuries that year turned to Anderson. He made the three, and proceeded to mock the Lakers by mimicking the Shaq dance running to the other end of the floor to win the game 96-94.
Anderson in his career, made himself a scorer and a shooter. The Magic were able to play their style of offense because they had shooters like Nick Anderson and, of course, others such as Dennis Scott.
Throughout his career, he proved to be able to shoot the ball effectively, which also helped his scoring ability. At the same time, Anderson has had iconic moments in Magic history in different aspects of his game. But because of the hole that O’Neal left in Orlando, his game-winner means all that more.
Anderson has a special spot in Magic fans’ hearts and, also finds himself on this list.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
3. J.J. Redick
By Caleb Hager
I mean come on, J.J. Redick is one of the best shooters to ever touch a basketball and was number one on my personal list. He is 16th all-time in three-pointers made and has one of the purest jumpers in basketball history.
The Duke standout played six and a half seasons for the Orlando Magic and is someone who could not be left open on the perimeter. He may not have been able to showcase his full shooting potential with the team, but he never shot worse than 37.4-percent from deep in Orlando. He is 18th all-time in three-point percentage and the only reason he is not number one on this list is because a large chunk of his shooting success came after his time with the team.
He was an integral part of Orlando’s 2009 NBA Finals run, stepping in for an injured Courtney Lee in the team’s second-round series against the Boston Celtics. He led the team in 3-point percentage in the playoffs and finals as a 24-year-old.
After that run, his place in the Magic’s rotation and within the league was set.
Another indicator of how good a shooter’s career can be is based off their free throw shooting. Redick posted the third highest career free throw percentage in Orlando Magic history.
Redick only missed one free throw in the entire 2009 playoff run coming in clutch on multiple occasions. He showed flashes of being an all-time great shooter by dropping 15 points on five threes in a closeout game six in Philadelphia during round one.
Despite never starting more than 22 games during a season in a Magic uniform, Redick still ranks 10th overall in three-pointers made for the team.
Redick would have thrived in today’s three-point dominant league and proved that toward the prime of his career. He was never the best defender or even all-around player, but he gave me some of the best basketball memories from my childhood.
As soon as he touched the ball around the arc, I knew it was going in. This legend and master of the game was ahead of his time, he is one of the best commentators on the sport that there is today. He has a great understanding of the game and a jump shot that should be framed and hung up for players to learn from.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUZe8VgS_0Q
Reddick’s ability to move without the ball and come off of screens to get open shots was astounding, it was his bread and butter. Some of the best shooters ever like Klay Thompson seem to have modeled their game after him. Moving without the ball and finding the open spot for the kick really helps spread out a team more than some may notice.
Redick is obviously one of the best shooters in Orlando Magic history and deserves a spot atop this distinguished list.
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.
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
1. Rashard Lewis
By Coby Leibowitz
Rashard Lewis coming in number one is only right if you watched the Orlando Magic’s Playoff runs from 2008-10.
At the time, in order for the Magic to succeed, he needed to hit a lot of threes at a high rate. And he did just that.
In fact, he is sixth in 3-pointers made for the Magic and sixth in three-point percentage. He truly transformed the way the Magic played, taking them from a team that made a confusing signing into a championship contender that influenced how the rest of the league would develop and play.
He shot 39.3 percent, made 658 threes and made 2.6 threes per game in a little more than three seasons.
Lewis’ favorite spot was the corner. He shot 42.9-percent from the corner in his time with the Magic, as he seemed automatic from the corners.
As analytics proliferated throughout the league, Rashard Lewis was the picture of this efficiency and seemingly the ideal player for the nascent numbers age — even as he did plenty of things that did not show up in a box score like provide some gravity and great entry passing to the post to Dwight Howard.
His outstanding shooting translated in the win column too.
In his three full seasons in Orlando, the Magic never won fewer than 52 games, and he led the team in three-pointers made per game, total three-pointers made and was top 5 in three-point percentage every year.
His best season was his first season with the Magic. He made 2.8 threes per game, shot 40.9-percent from three and he made 226 threes which is second in a single season in Magic history.
The following season in 2009, where he was an all-star and made 2.8 threes per game, he shot 39.7-percent and made 220 threes which is third in a single season in Magic history.
That year he led the league in three pointers made and three-pointers attempted. Lewis became the Magic’s super 3-point specialist and teams often paid for leaving him open as they tried to deal with the Magic’s other shooting threats.
During his career, Lewis had 68 games with four or more three-pointers and 24 games with five or more including one game where he made seven.
His three full seasons with the Magic gave them three of their top five records in franchise history In his three full years, they also made it to at least the Eastern Conference Semifinals including one NBA Finals appearance.
The playoffs did not stop him from his high-volume shooting, he was always ready in the big moment.
In his nine playoff series with the Magic, he shot 36.9-percent from three including three series where he shot better than 46 percent and made 101 threes which is the most total threes in the playoffs in Magic history.
Lewis’ three-point shooting was crucial for the Magic to make big playoff runs and he has the stats to back it up.
He did it all as a 6-foot-10 power forward in a time where big men hitting threes, especially that efficiently, was very rare. I think he is right where he deserves to be in the number one spot.