Orlando Magic All-Time starting five: Orlando’s greatest players team up

The Orlando Magic are one of the younger NBA franchises. Nevertheless, some big names have already played in Orlando, and others are building the basis for stardom right now. 

As a result, several questions come up when trying to create an all-time starting five for the Magic. Should it just be the five biggest names? Should it be based on fit? Should it be established stars, or do some of the younger players have a shot to make it already? 

Orlando Magic all-time starting five

Point Guard: Penny Hardaway

Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway is an Orlando Magic legend. Orlando gave up first-overall pick Chris Webber to get Hardaway in the 1993 NBA Draft to pair him with Shaquille O'Neal. The two found success together quickly, securing the franchise's first playoff appearance and run to the NBA Finals. If Hardaway hadn't gotten hurt and O'Neal hadn't left, the Magic might very well have a championship now. During his six seasons with the Magic, Hardaway averaged 19 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. 

Shooting Guard: Nick Anderson

Nick Anderson was the Magic's first draft pick as a new franchise and one of the team's few bright spots in the early years. Unfortunately, Anderson's legacy will forever be marred by his missed free throws in the NBA Finals, but he did so much more than just that. He spent ten seasons with the Magic, playing different roles over the years. Over those ten seasons, he averaged 15.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals. While Anderson somewhat struggled after the 1994-95 season, he was an integral part of the Magic's first great team and deserves a spot on this list. Plus, he knows how to play his role next to stars.

Small Forward: Tracy McGrady

Tracy McGrady first came to Orlando in 2000 in a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Raptors. Once there, he immediately earned his first All-Star appearance and ascended through the NBA ranks. McGrady has his best scoring seasons in Orlando, averaging 32.1 points in the 2002-03 season and 28 points in the 2003-04 season. Both times, he led the league in scoring. While McGrady never had much playoff success in Orlando, he is a great scorer and talented player.

Power Forward: Dwight Howard

It is tough to choose only one to make the all-time starting five when your franchise had two incredibly dominant centers throughout the years. Fortunately, Dwight Howard played some power forward early on in his career, allowing us to sneak him into this spot. Sooner or later Paolo Banchero will probably make his case to take over the power forward spot, forcing us to choose between Howard and Shaquille O'Neal, but not quite yet.

Howard played eight seasons with the Magic and was one of the most dominant defensive players in the league during that time, and led his team on several deep playoff runs. He averaged 18.4 points, 13 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1 steal, and 2.2 blocks per game in a Magic uniform. 

Center: Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most dominant big men to ever play in the NBA. He was also the first player to put the Orlando Magic on the map, as he started his ascent to superstardom there. O'Neal put together some of his best scoring seasons in Orlando, averaging 29.3 points in 1993-94 and 1994-95. The spacing between him and Howard would be atrocious, especially in today's NBA, but they are two of the greatest players to play for the Magic, and both deserve to be on this list.