The Top 25 Orlando Magic Players of All Time: #1

[ML6 520]

Vote: Dwight

Nominate: Armstrong

 

Dwight has done more for the franchise than any other player in its history. In just a 5 year span he transformed the worst team in the league into one performing on the NBA's biggest stage. His work in the community deserves recognition, too.

 

No player is more recognizable from the "Heart and Hustle" days than Darrell Armstrong. He gave everything he had every night and embodied what the Orlando Magic was all about during his time here.

[Arielle 138]

Dwight Howard for BEST overall.

 

Darrell Armstrong for the one not on the list. SO many entertaining games because of him. Plus remember all the charges he took? Loved him in Magic blue.

[Skywise316 211]

Vote: Dwight Howard.

 

Shaq had more help than Dwight, ie Penny in his prime was better than anyone Dwight's ever played with. I think Dwight's defense is what separates him from Shaq, or T-Mac for that matter. Dwight re-signed, Shaq didn't. Dwight's play and potential got the Amway Center built, without question. The mid-90's teams may have laid the groundwork, but D12 finished the job. Only player ever to lead the league in FG%, rebounds, and blocks. Only player ever to lead the league in blocks and boards for two seasons, let alone two in a row. Two time DPOY. Top 5 MVP candidate. All-NBA 1st team a few times over. Gold medalist. 1x NBA Finals. Oh yeah, and the nicest guy in sports.

 

Nominate: Darrell Armstrong.

 

Most energy in Magic player history, without question. If you could combine all the Magic teams from the last 20 years, Darrell Armstrong is the heart and soul of the franchise... and the coffee pot, as well.

 

From Hoopedia: Armstrong won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award and the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 1999, thus becoming the first player in NBA history to win both awards simultaneously ..... During his nine years in Orlando, the Magic never posted a losing record, making the post-season seven times.

[Audi 60]

Dwight Howard for sure. Shaq was incredibly entertaining to watch as a young kid, but looking back on it he probably had about 3 moves in his offensive repertoire and they all involved 300+lbs pushing as close to the rim as possible. Dwight has become an entirely different beast with the expansion of his O game and is just an all around better player.

 

Close tie between he and Horace Grant (who I loved as a kid too - I still remember a 'Don't take the goggles for GRANT-ed' shirt I wore thin back in the day), but I gotta go with Darrell Armstrong for the nom. The guy never once had even a thought about giving up. He played his heart out every night, and even at a young age I saw that. I also remember when I was blessed with the chance to sit courtside one game, he went out of his way to give me a high five.

 

I mean, check out this vid at 44 seconds - in my opinion this is quite possibly the greatest hustle play in NBA history:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQSq31ZfzCg

[Emory889 353]

For as much as we love to hate Shaq, as we rightfully should, it's hard for me to ignore his career accomplishments. He's easily a top 5 HOF center and a real argument could be made for him being the best center ever. Now, get back with me in 13 years and I may have Dwight listed ahead of him, but for right now, it has to be Shaq.

 

Everybody is nominating Horace Grant and Darryl Armstrong and I like both of those choices, particurlarly Grant. However, to be different, I will take Scott Skiles. I would argue that he played just as hard as Armstrong did and was easily our teams best player during the early years until Nick Anderson started to develop. Shaq has gone on record several times to say that Skiles was the best point guard he ever played with. And finally, Skiles holds a certain assist record that will likely never be broken.

[COLOMBIANO 118]

For as much as we love to hate Shaq, as we rightfully should, it's hard for me to ignore his career accomplishments. He's easily a top 5 HOF center and a real argument could be made for him being the best center ever. Now, get back with me in 13 years and I may have Dwight listed ahead of him, but for right now, it has to be Shaq.

 

Everybody is nominating Horace Grant and Darryl Armstrong and I like both of those choices, particurlarly Grant. However, to be different, I will take Scott Skiles. I would argue that he played just as hard as Armstrong did and was easily our teams best player during the early years until Nick Anderson started to develop. Shaq has gone on record several times to say that Skiles was the best point guard he ever played with. And finally, Skiles holds a certain assist record that will likely never be broken.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we are talking about their careers as magic players. If not, please include Patrick Ewing as one top magic player as well as D. Wilkins.

[Emory889 353]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we are talking about their careers as magic players. If not, please include Patrick Ewing as one top magic player as well as D. Wilkins.

 

If we are talking solely about Magic careers then its a closer conversation. However, it's an insult to Shaq to compare his career as a Magic player with Ewing and Dominique who were both clearly halfway retired when they joined the Magic.

[Captain Hi-Top 791]

For as much as we love to hate Shaq, as we rightfully should, it's hard for me to ignore his career accomplishments. He's easily a top 5 HOF center and a real argument could be made for him being the best center ever.

 

Two things.

 

1.) it's EASY for me to ignore Shaq and his career accomplishments.

 

B.) If we are talking about the player and their careers on the Magic squad, then I would have to point out that most (if not all) of Shaq's accomplishments came after he left our team. So, in my eyes, they don't enter into the conversation to begin with.

[Emory889 353]

Two things.

 

1.) it's EASY for me to ignore Shaq and his career accomplishments.

 

B.) If we are talking about the player and their careers on the Magic squad, then I would have to point out that most (if not all) of Shaq's accomplishments came after he left our team. So, in my eyes, they don't enter into the conversation to begin with.

 

I just think that in order to decide who the greatest Magic player is we need to consider the player's career with the Magic and his overall career accomplishments. I think that is fairly reasonable since every "great" player in the conversation has ultimately left the Magic with the exception of Dwight and there is no guarantee that he will stay either (knock on wood approximately 1 million times). Rookie of the year, a couple of first team all-NBAs, 2nd in the league in the scoring, and a finals appearance are not accomplishments to be taken lightly.

[COLOMBIANO 118]

If we are talking solely about Magic careers then its a closer conversation. However, it's an insult to Shaq to compare his career as a Magic player with Ewing and Dominique who were both clearly halfway retired when they joined the Magic.

 

I wasn't comparing Shaq to Ewing or Wilkins.

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

Vote: Dwight Howard

Nominate: Horace Grant

 

It would, in my opinion, be impossible to overestimate the impact Shaq had on the Magic. And while I will likely end up writing a veritable dissertation on the matter in a week or so, I'm giving Dwight the nod here.

 

First, while a player like Shaq did show clear improvements in his game, the changes undertaken by Dwight Howard, an 18 year old, thin power forward with little offense, little defense, and a middling at best back to the basket game into the league's best center, a position he'd never previously played, in 4 years is simply breathtaking.

 

A player who, from the time he entered high school to his third season in the pros, 7 years, went from playing guard, to forward, to center, and ultimately finished on the All-NBA third team at the position in his first full year playing it. He transformed himself from a defensive liability at power forward into a 2-time DPOY, has made 4 all-NBA defensive teams(3 firsts), and is currently second all time for the team's best career Drtg(behind Marcin Gortat) and has posted all of the team's top 3 Drtg seasons.

 

Meanwhile, he's turned himself into a legitimate 21ppg post scorer on a loaded offensive team while gobbling up rebounds like a demon and defending the paint as well as any player in the league.

 

He is the team's all-time leader in offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, blocks, and free throws, is 2nd in points, 4th in steals, and has over 35% more win shares than the next highest total of any Magic player in team history.

 

He brought us back to prominence. He gave us hope when there was none. He gave us the nicest arena in the NBA, and he did it while smiling. He's Dwight Howard, and he's the greatest Orlando Magic player in team history.

[Captain Hi-Top 791]

I just think that in order to decide who the greatest Magic player is we need to consider the player's career with the Magic and his overall career accomplishments. I think that is fairly reasonable since every "great" player in the conversation has ultimately left the Magic with the exception of Dwight and there is no guarantee that he will stay either (knock on wood approximately 1 million times). Rookie of the year, a couple of first team all-NBAs, 2nd in the league in the scoring, and a finals appearance are not accomplishments to be taken lightly.

 

Well, we disagree on the frame of the conversation for sure, because I wouldn't take anything outside of time on the Magic into account. As far as Shaq's magic accomplishments, Dwight has already surpassed those, but I wouldn't even start to say he comes close in overall career accomplishments to Shaq.