5 worst starters of the Orlando Magic’s Shaquille O’Neal era

Shaquille O'Neal was an immediate force in the NBA that vaulted the Orlando Magic into contender status. (Photo credit should read TONY RANZE/AFP via Getty Images)
Shaquille O'Neal was an immediate force in the NBA that vaulted the Orlando Magic into contender status. (Photo credit should read TONY RANZE/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Larry Krystkowiak, Utah Jazz
Larry Kyrstkowiak was thrust quickly into the starting lineup in his lone year with the Orlando Magic. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

5 worst starters of Orlando Magic’s Shaquille O’Neal era

Larry Krystkowiak (1994)

11 starts, 5.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG

Larry Krystkowiak played only 34 games in his lone season with the Orlando Magic. The team signed him just before training camp to give them some forward depth.

He ended up starting the Magic’s first seven games in 1994, scoring in double figures in three of those games. That ended up being three of his six games that season scoring more than 10 points.

Then Krystkowiak was out of the lineup for much of the season after those seven games. He did not play from Nov. 17 to Feb. 27. Assumedly that was because of an injury — that might be lost to time at this point since the Orlando Sentinel foolishly took down their database of game recaps and stories.

Krystkowiak returned for that playoff push and started the final four games before starting all three games in the Orlando Magic’s playoff series with the Indiana Pacers after Jeff Turner got hurt.

Kystkowiak scored a total of 18 points in the series, with 12 of them coming in the final game. He made 7 of 18 shots total in the three-game playoff series, with half of those attempts and five of those makes taking place in Game 3.

To say the least, the Magic had a lack of depth at power forward. And even before Turner’s injury, it was the clear weak spot in the Magic’s lineup — sort of like how shooting guard feels like the weak spot in the Magic’s current lineup.

Krystkowiak was a journeyman by the time he reached Orlando, having spent six seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz.

He was very much a product of his time. A tough-minded defensive forward that provided seemingly little on the offensive end. Although, he had a negative defensive box plus-minus and a -3.2 box plus-minus in his yer with the Magic.

It is probably a problem that you know he played for the Magic but cannot remember much of what he did with the team.