The Orlando Magic had a star-studded cast during the 2000s era of their franchise history. There was not a lot of playoff success — at least not until the end of the decade. But the Magic had two superstar players and used a few big Lottery picks to develop a team around them and return to the championship stage.
We saw this in the Dwight Howard rebuild in the middle of the decade when he was selected in 2004.
The teams at the beginning of the 2000s had potential, but injuries and perhaps Doc Rivers hurt their chances to be successful. The rebuild that started after the Tracy McGrady trade brought a new era for Orlando which was filled with excitement.
Still, it was a mixed bag for the decade. The Magic made the playoffs six of the 10 years of the early aughts but did not get out of the first round until the 2008 season, the first playoff series win for the Magic since the 1996 season.
The Orlando Magic had an eventful decade in the 2000s as they spanned the Tracy McGrady era to the Dwight Howard era. It ended with the team on the doorstep of a championship and perhaps the best teams in franchise history.
That is to say, the 2000s were a time of great transition. The Magic initially hoped to have the decade anchored by the free-agent acquisitions of Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill. It ended up getting anchored by their third No. 1 overall pick in Dwight Howard and ended with a trip to the NBA Finals.
Sorting these two eras is certainly difficult in what turned out to be an eventful and franchise-changing decade. To name an all-decade team, I focused on a combination of how well each player played while they were in pinstripes, but also how long they played for the Magic — there was a lot of turnover, especially early in the decade.
I base my decisions on accolades, team success, and tenure. This roster is easily one of the more talented of the 2000s decade and is a bright spot for Magic fans as it includes the last of the true Orlando teams that competed for a championship.
Orlando Magic All-2000s Team
Starting Point Guard: Jameer Nelson
6 seasons, 394 games, 299 starts, 12.8 PPG, 4.8 APG, 38.7% 3FG%
Jameer Nelson played six seasons during this decade and was pivotal to the Orlando Magic heading to the NBA Finals in 2009 (earning an All-Star bid that season before a shoulder injury cut his season short).
The 20th overall selection in the 2004 NBA Draft, Jameer Nelson started his career as a backup for Steve Francis. In his rookie season he averaged 20.4 minutes per game and averaged a mere 8.7 points per game. This was the lowest average in his Magic tenure.
Pretty soon though, he would demand playing time and forced the Magic to move on from the former All-Star point guard whom they acquired in the Tracy McGrady deal.
The next two seasons he began to see an increase in minutes as his productivity improved drastically. He averaged 13.8 points per game and proved his ability to be a playmaker averaging 4.6 assists per game. He started to gel with the young Dwight Howard as their improvement sparked Orlando’s success for the coming years.
In 2008, he cemented himself as the full-time starter and future at the point guard position for Orlando. His shot started to take form as he was knocking down 41.6 percent of his threes and forming chemistry with his teammates.
He was selected as an All-Star in the 2009 season averaging a career-high 16.7 points per game, but injuries limited him to 42 games that season. Nelson was becoming an offensive threat on one of the better offenses in the NBA.
All Magic fans probably still wonder how that season would have ended if Nelson was able to play in the finals at full strength against the Lakers. He only played in the NBA Finals after he recovered from his February shoulder injury and then shouldered much of the blame for coming back too quickly and disrupting the chemistry that propelled the Magic to the Finals.
The year after the Finals appearance, Nelson had an excellent season. He stayed relatively healthy, starting in 64 games for Orlando, but he really excelled in the playoffs.
Nelson started in all 14 games the Magic played that postseason, averaging 19.0 points per game. Orlando swept the first and second series of the playoffs in the 2010 season and lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Even though the Magic did not complete the ultimate goal of winning a championship, Nelson is in the conversation for the best point guard in Magic history and is one of eight players to receive an All-Star selection who have suited up for Orlando.
Orlando Magic All-2000s Team
Starting Shooting Guard: Tracy McGrady
4 seasons, 295 games, 294 starts, 28.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.5 SPG
Tracy McGrady is in the conversation for the best tenure an Orlando Magic player has ever had playing in Central Florida. McGrady is one of the best things that has happened to the Magic.
McGrady was uninterested in staying in Canada and returned to a team close to home. He quickly became the best free agent signing in Magic history.
He started in all 77 games he played in his first season in Orlando, playing a whopping 40.1 minutes per game. He averaged 26.8 points per game in his first role as the primary scorer for a roster. The NBA took notice of his level of play and he was selected to the All-Star game his first season in Orlando.
And he did not slow down from there. He went on to average 28.1 points per game in his four-year tenure, winning the scoring title twice. He also stayed relatively healthy, playing in an average of 74 games per season. In today’s NBA, missing eight games per year as an All-Star is a rare occurrence.
If you think McGrady had an excellent stat sheet during the regular season, his playoff numbers for Orlando are even more impressive.
McGrady made the playoffs in his first three seasons in Orlando. He averaged 32.3 points per game. He was 21 in his first playoff appearance for the Magic. He averaged 33.8 points per contest in a four-game loss to the second-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. He led the league in playoff scoring per game.
Unfortunately, the excitement around McGrady was hindered by the fact the Magic did not surround him with adequate talent. He played in three playoff series for Orlando and lost in the first round in all of them. The Magic signed Grant Hill alongside Tracy McGrady, but the duo played fewer than half a season together thanks to Hill’s persistent ankle injuries.
However, his individual performances are some of the best in Magic history. He is certainly on the Mount Rushmore of players who have suited up for the Orlando Magic.
McGrady is considered one of the best scorers in NBA history. He led the NBA in scoring in back-to-back seasons in 2003 and 2004. He was 23 and 24 years young and was already outscoring everyone.
McGrady would go on to be a four-time All-Star selection, two-time All-NBA First Team, two-time All-NBA Second Team, and two-time scoring champion as he averaged the most points per game in the NBA from 2002-04.
Even though his team accolades are lackluster for such a star, he will forever be cemented in NBA history as one of the best scorers to ever do it.
Orlando Magic All-2000s Team
Starting Small Forward: Grant Hill
6 seasons, 200 games, 195 starts, 16.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 50.0% FG%
This was the most difficult decision on the list, but we cannot ignore the productivity Grant Hill had when he was on the court.
Hill was a five-time All-Star before coming to the Orlando Magic, and he had only played in the NBA for six seasons. He was supposed to bring Orlando back into championship contention with him and Tracy McGrady joining forces in Florida.
Unfortunately, as everyone knows, Hill simply could not stay on the floor. In his first four seasons in Orlando, he played a combined 47 games. By the time he returned to the court, McGrady was in Houston.
The poor timing of McGrady’s ascension and Hill’s injury issues are a frustrating coincidence in Magic history.
Hill was still voted an All-Star in his first season while only playing in four games. This also represents just how good Hill was when he was in Detroit.
After Hill sat out the entire 2004 season, he was back and ready to contribute to the team. In 2005, Jameer Nelson’s and Dwight Howard’s rookie seasons, Hill played really well.
He was able to play and start in 67 games, averaging 19.7 points per game while grabbing 4.7 rebounds per game. Hill was selected to his second All-Star game as a part of the Magic that season. But this time it was noteworthy for how well he played.
That season is the reason why he is the starting small forward on this list. He played 20 more games that year than he did in total the four years prior. He looked the part and the reason the Magic gave him a seven-year, $92.8 million deal.
He went on to play 86 more games for Orlando after his All-Star season in 2005, and was the starting shooting guard for the 2007 Magic that made the playoffs. This was his one playoff berth for the Magic, and he played respectfully.
Hill averaged 15.0 points per game with 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. But the inexperienced Orlando Magic were facing HIll’s old team, the Detroit Pistons and got swept in four games.
Hill had a roller coaster of a career for the Magic, but he showed true resilience and an enduring spirit. He went on to win the Joe Dumars Trophy for the NBA Sportsmanship Award winner during the 2007 season.
He paved the way for young players like Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard to take the reins of the franchise on their way to excellent careers for the Magic.
While some felt Hill should have returned to “pay back” the Magic for sitting out on that max contract, the reality was both he and the team wanted to move on and clear the way for the next era of Magic basketball.
Orlando Magic All-2000s Team
Starting Power Forward: Rashard Lewis
3 seasons, 232 games played, 232 starts, 16.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 40.1% 3FG%
If Tracy McGrady is the best free agent signing in Orlando Magic history, then Rashard Lewis is the second. Lewis came over from the Seattle Supersonics after averaging 19.7 points per game the four seasons prior.
He proceeded to revolutionize the power forward position and push the Magic toward the 3-point revolution the league is continuing to experience today.
Rashard Lewis joined Orlando right after Grant Hill’s departure and was a veteran presence to pair with the young core of Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu and Dwight Howard.
He played three seasons during the 2000s decade and missed 14 games during that stretch. Ten of those games were based on a suspension from the NBA for a banned substance dating back to the 2009 Playoffs. He truly only missed four games in that span.
Lewis averaged 16.7 points per game. He was respectful as a secondary option to Dwight Howard and made the offense work.
As a stretch power forward he was able to spread the defense and give Howard options to score down low, or Howard could pass out of a double team to an open shooter.
This system is one of the first rosters constructed to shoot a lot of threes and can be credited to the major shift that has occurred in the NBA since.
Lewis was a one-time All-Star for Orlando in 2009, the same season the team made its finals run. He played in every playoff game while with the Magic, and his first two seasons averaged 19.3 points per game in the playoffs.
Lewis was undersized and out of position as a power forward, but coach Stan Van Gundy knew this was the best way to use Dwight Howard’s skills. Lewis accepted the challenge and embraced the role.
He was the missing piece of the puzzle to Howard’s Magic and gave them chances to win a championship. Many people forget how reliable he was and the impact he made.
Orlando Magic All-2000s Team
Starting Center: Dwight Howard
6 seasons, 489 games played, 488 starts, 17.5 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 2.1 BPG
Dwight Howard is in the conversation to be the best Orlando Magic player in history. He played in six seasons during the 2000s and was an All-Star in four of them.
In six seasons, he played in all but three games. The durability of a player at his caliber of play is remarkable. It is an almost unbelievable statistic considering the Magic injury woes of late.
Howard was 19 years old when he arrived in Orlando and hit the ground running. He played and started in every game in the 2005 season and was the youngest player in NBA history to average a double-double at the time.
He took the next step during the 2007 season where coach Brian Hill decided Dwight Howard should move from power forward to center. Howard blossomed protecting the paint and averaged 17.6 points per game, 12.3 rebounds per game and 1.9 blocks per game for his first All-Star selection.
Howard got a taste of the NBA Playoffs that season when the Detroit Pistons swept the Orlando Magic. The following season he was ready to take the NBA by storm. He was selected to be a starter in the All-Star game.
The Magic would go on to make the playoffs and Howard won his first series for the Orlando Magic against the Toronto Raptors. He led the league in rebounds and blocks during those 10 playoff games in 2008.
He consistently was one of the best rebounders in the NBA, averaging more than 10 rebounds per contest in his entire Magic tenure. He led the NBA in rebounds per game in three seasons and blocks per game in two seasons during the 2000s.
The Magic could not have asked for Howard to develop any better and set the team up for years of contention. At the young age of 23, he took Orlando to the NBA Finals. If social media was more of a presence during this era I cannot fathom the hype that Howard would have generated.
Howard became a dominant player during this stretch in the NBA and averaged 19.3 points per game in the last four seasons of the decade. He was an All-NBA third-team selection in 2007 and Defensive first-team selection in 2009 and 2010. He was a three-time first-team All-NBA selection from 2008-10. Most importantly, he was a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year selection in 2009 and 2010.
He played in 51 playoff games from 2006-10 and is the leader in points, rebounds, blocks, free throws, minutes played and games played. Howard is the only player in Magic history to score more than 1,000 points in the playoffs.
These were the glory years of “Superman’s” career and there was a buzz in the city of Orlando. The team was destined for success and eventual championships for years to come.
This was all resting on the shoulders of the Magic’s superstar that unfortunately came crashing down but he will be cemented as one of the best centers to ever play the game of basketball.
Orlando Magic All-2000s Team
Bench Rotation Guards
Point Guard: Steve Francis
2 seasons, 124 games, 123 starts, 19.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.3 SPG
Steve Francis was the key piece that returned to the Orlando Magic in the Tracy McGrady trade and he played well in the two years he was in Orlando.
In his first season, Francis played and started in 78 games and averaged 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. These were all statistics that surpassed Francis’ season statistics the year prior. But he was not awarded an All-Star selection with the Magic even though it seemed well deserved.
Francis led Orlando in points, assists, and minutes per game that season. He and Grant Hill formed a perimeter scoring threat, but ultimately missed the playoffs.
The 2005 season for Francis is the 12th highest scoring average in team history. Only Tracy McGrady, Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee Hardaway and Nikola Vucevic have averaged more points per game in a season.
His 7.0 assists per game is also seventh in franchise history for highest assists average behind Scott Skiles, Jameer Nelson and Anfernee Hardaway. This illustrates how great of a year Francis had.
The following season, Francis saw his play decline as he averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. He was forced to carry the scoring load with Hill only suiting up for 21 games that season.
Steve Francis was not happy being in Orlando for a losing team and wanted to be traded — especially after the team split him and his friend Cuttino Mobley up in January 2005. One day before the deadline he was dealt to the New York Knicks. His career quickly took a turn due to injuries.
If this 2000s roster was constructed based on single-season performances, Steve would be in the conversation to be the starting point guard.
Shooting Guard: Vince Carter
1 season, 75 games, 74 starts, 16.6 PPG, 3.1 APG, 3.9 RPG, 36.7% 3FG%
Vince Carter was acquired during the offseason immediately after the Orlando Magic lost in the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers. He was already 33 when he arrived in Orlando but was coming off of a season where he averaged 20.8 points per game.
Orlando was hoping Carter would provide another offensive level for the team as a secondary scorer behind Dwight.
Carter did just that. He averaged 16.6 points per game, which was second on the team. He stayed relatively healthy and even scored a career-high 48 points. He helped the Magic dominate during the regular season and earn the second seed in the 2010 playoffs.
It had been three seasons since Carter had reached the playoffs, but he played well for the Magic. He averaged 15.5 points per game through 14 games.
The Magic advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals to only fall short to the Boston Celtics, who would lose to the Lakers in seven games. Carter’s missed free throws in Game 2 stung and Carter was never really the same in a Magic uniform.
This was the farthest Carter ever got in his career and it seemed like Carter would be a part of the Orlando core for the coming seasons after their season was ended short.
Carter was traded the following season and only had one year with his hometown team. But he had a great season which helped Orlando reach the conference finals for the fourth time in franchise history.
Orlando Magic All-2000s Team
Bench Rotation Frontcourt
Small Forward: Hedo Turkoglu
5 seasons, 377 games played, 302 starts, 15.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.6 APG, 38.5% 3FG%
Hedo Turkoglu has a strong resume to argue he should be the starting small forward for this roster. But the All-Star selection gives Grant Hill the advantage.
Turkoglu also played five seasons during this era of Magic basketball. He came to Orlando after some successful seasons playing for playoff teams like the Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs.
His initial year on the Magic, Turkoglu mostly played a reserve role but he increased his scoring average significantly from the season prior. He played a similar amount of minutes as he did the year before but scored 4.8 more points per outing.
He was the third leading scorer in his first season behind Grant Hill and Steve Francis. It was a combination of Hill’s sports hernia injury and Turkoglu breaking his arm that likely cost the Magic a playoff spot in 2005.
The following season, coach Brian Hill gave Hedo Turkoglu more responsibility with the team.
Turkoglu went on to start 59 games the next season and averaged 14.9 points, 2.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. He was the second leading scorer behind Dwight Howard that season and seemed to be the playmaker and outside shooter the Magic needed to pair with their ascending big man.
His best season was the 2008 year. He started and played in all 82 games. He averaged 19.5 points with 5.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. Orlando won 52 games that year to clinch the third seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
He went on to win the NBA’s Most Improved Player that season and saw an increase of 6.2 points per game from the previous season. Magic fans still question why he wasn’t selected as an All Star.
During the playoffs, Turkoglu excelled in 10 games, averaging 17.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. The Magic advanced to the second round for the first time since the 1996 season.
This was a major feat for a young team that had rebuilt around Dwight Howard, and Turkoglu really was the “Turk-O-Glue” to the roster.
The Finals run in 20’09 was his last season during the 2000s for Orlando, as the team clinched the third seed again for the postseason. Turkoglu scored 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game through 24 games to the championship.
Turkoglu gave the offense another weapon who could not only score but facilitate the pick-and-roll with Howard. Turkoglu could get past bigger defenders on drives, shoot over smaller defenders with fadeaways and pullups or throw tight-window passes and lobs to Howard.
Turkoglu only missed 33 games in five seasons and made a living scoring the basketball for Orlando. During this era he never averaged less than 13.3 points during the regular season and is riddled throughout Magic career stat leaders.
Power Forward: Pat Garrity
8 seasons, 431 games, 97 starts, 7.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG
2000-03: 10.0 PPG, 41.9% 3FG%
Pat Garrity was a staple of the 2000s for the Orlando Magic, playing eight out of the 10 available seasons in the decade. He mostly was a backup player during the last five years he played in Orlando, but he was productive in his first three seasons.
In his second year in Orlando, he played a reserve role during the season as a scorer off the bench. Garrity averaged the fifth-most points per game in the 2001 season even though he was eighth in minutes per game.
The Magic made the playoffs during that season and he scored 12.0 points per game and shot a blistering 50 percent from three through those four games. Not only was averaging this percentage an impressive feat, but he was doing so on 5.0 attempts per game.
Garrity was one of the more dangerous shooters in the league and that proved to be a challenge at his size as one of the few stretch-4s in the league.
Garrity started to increase his level of play during the 2002 season, where he played in 81 games and started in 53. He scored 11.1 points with 4.2 rebounds per game. Those are both career highs.
He was one of the first stretch-4s who primarily was used as a three-point shooter. He shot better than 50 percent of his total field goals from behind the arc from 2001-03.
Garrity’s numbers might not pop off the box score, but he was a key offensive weapon and found a home with the Magic.
There are five players who have played nine or more seasons for the Orlando Magic. Those are Nick Anderson, Jameer Nelson, Nikola Vucevic, Darrell Armstrong, and Pat Garrity.
Center: Tony Battie
4 seasons, 306 games, 183 starts, 5.9 PPG, 5 RPG
Tony Battie started the most games for the Orlando Magic during the 2000s behind Dwight Howard, so it makes sense that he would be his backup on the list.
He always played within himself and focused his attention on playing defense and guarding the pick-and-roll. Battie also based his career on setting screens and finishing at the rim.
In his first season with the Magic, he played in 81 games and mostly played the backup center position behind Kelvin Cato. He averaged 4.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game that season.
The next year, after Cato’s departure, Battie was the starting center alongside Howard and played in all 82 games. He averaged the most points per game since his rookie season, averaging 7.9 points.
Battie and Howard formed a formidable duo in the paint protecting the rim and rebounding the basketball. But as Dwight Howard gained muscle mass, coach Brian Hill determined Tony Battie need to switch to the power forward position.
Battie started 66 games the following season at power forward for the Magic and was a key piece to their first playoff berth since Tracy McGrady’s exit.
He was unable to suit up during the 2008 season due to a shoulder injury. But that shoulder injury ultimately forced the Magic to play Rashard Lewis at power forward and “accidentally” powered the team’s championship ascendance.
Battie played one final season for the Magic as a backup power forward during the 2009 Finals run, ultimately ceding the center role to Marcin Gortat. Battie played in 77 games in 2009 and 21 games in the playoffs as Orlando made their postseason run.
Battie was a pivotal role model for Howard during this era in Magic basketball and played some of his best basketball of his career in Orlando.
Orlando Magic All-2000s Team
Third String
Darrell Armstrong
3 seasons, 12.6 PPG, 177 starts, 5.5 APG, 1.76 SPG
The definition of the Heart and Hustle era, Darrell Armstrong signed with the Orlando Magic in 1995 at 26 years old after playing three seasons overseas.
Most of his career in Orlando happened before the 2000s, but he still played three full seasons for the Magic from 2000-03. He also stayed relatively healthy during those seasons, only missing five games from the age of 32 to 34 years old.
His longevity during this era is noteworthy based on the way he played. Diving after loose balls, playing active defense and driving through traffic takes a toll on your body. Armstrong did so willingly. That is what defined him as a player.
During the 2001 season, Armstrong averaged 15.9 points per game and was the second in minutes per game and first in assists, averaging 7.0 per contest.
Armstrong played in 15 playoff games during the 2000s and averaged 12.7 points per game. The first two playoff series he averaged more than 40 minutes per game. You could argue the Magic’s decision to let Armstrong walk in free agency after the 2003 Playoff loss tore the Magic’s heart out and led to the team’s bottoming out the following year.
Armstrong always put his team first and will go down as one of the hardest workers the Magic have had both on and off the court.
Mike Miller
3 seasons, 194 games, 154 starts, 14.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, 38% 3FG%
Mike Miller, the 5th overall selection in the 2000 Draft, had an excellent start to his career in Orlando. The Magic started him in 62 games, but he played in all 82 that season. He averaged 11.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 40.7 percent from three per contest to win the Rookie of the Year.
He started in the playoffs that season, averaging 12.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in the series sweep. The team was excited for the development of their new young star.
The following season, he improved his play, and averaged 15.2 points per game. Grant Hill only played in 14 games that season, so Mike Miller embraced the secondary scoring role behind Tracy McGrady.
The Magic made the postseason again that year. But unfortunately for Miller, he struggled. Veterans Stacey Augmon and Jamal Mashburn limited Mike Miller to 4.8 points per game while shooting 33.3% from the field and 12.5% from three.
In Miller’s final season in Orlando, he averaged 16.4 points and 5.8 rebounds, which were both career highs. He started in 39 games before the Magic ultimately decided to trade him to the Memphis Grizzlies.
He had an illustrious career as an NBA journeyman and played 14 more seasons after leaving Orlando. But he was still an oversized shooter for the Magic who proved he could contribute at such a young age.
Drew Gooden
2 seasons, 98 games, 35 starts, 12.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG
The Orlando Magic acquired Drew Gooden was acquired at the trade deadline in 2003 during his rookie season (in the Mike Miller trade). He finished the season playing in 19 games, starting in 18 and averaging 13.6 points per game. Drew Gooden was a former fourth overall pick who seemed to be a solid pairing with Tracy McGrady.
During the playoffs that year, Gooden started in all seven games against the Detroit PIstons and averaged 14.0 points and 12.7 rebounds. A true double-double machine, Gooden was active on the offensive glass, grabbing four per game that series.
He went on to play 79 games the following season, averaging 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds. But he primarily came off the bench as Juwan Howard was the starting power forward and the two big men proved to be a bad match in that disaster of a season.
Gooden only played two seasons but proved to be a capable scoring big that could be used in pick-and-roll situations next to McGrady.