Shaquille O’Neal, JJ Redick and more: Ranking the top 5 draft picks in the history of the Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are one of the youngest NBA teams, having been founded in 1989. Thanks to their amazing scouting team, they've had a lot of great draft picks in their 32-year existence.
Unfortunately, the Magic have never won an NBA championship despite making the NBA Finals twice. Both times, they were led by the incredible centers they drafted.
In this article, we will list the five best draft picks in Orlando Magic history.
(Note: The list will not include players who were drafted by the Magic but were immediately traded.)
#1) Shaquille O'Neal - 1992 NBA Draft (1st overall pick)
Shaquille O'Neal played only four seasons for the Orlando Magic, yet he was one of the greatest players to ever play for the franchise. As soon as he entered the league, Shaq became a superstar and led the Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals.
O'Neal was named Rookie of the Year and became an All-Star in his first year in the league. Shaq even won the scoring title in his third year in the league, another testament to his abilities.
2) Dwight Howard - 2004 NBA Draft (1st overall pick)
The Magic have had a lot of amazing centers in their draft selections. Dwight Howard took a bit longer to take the leap, but once he became a superstar, he never looked back.
Howard was a beast on both ends of the floor and was named the best defensive player three times. He also led the Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals. Unfortunately, he couldn't win it all.
3) Dennis Scott - 1990 NBA Draft (4th overall pick)
Dennis Scott is another player from the 1995 NBA Finals roster. The swingman was great on both ends of the floor and he was a very crafty scorer capable of scoring from just about anywhere on the floor.
Scott is also one of the greatest 3-point shooters in Orlando Magic history. In seven years in Orlando, the 6-foot-8 star shot 40.3% from long range.
4) Nick Anderson - 1989 NBA Draft (11th overall pick)
Nick Anderson was drafted just one year before Dennis Scott and he was another great scorer. Anderson is the third and final player on the list to make the 1995 NBA Finals, although he would love to forget it.
While the 6-foot-6 swingman did a lot of good for the Orlando Magic during his 10-year tenure with the team, he will always be remembered for missing four free throws in a row during Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals.
5) J.J. Redick - 2006 NBA Draft (11th overall pick)
J.J. Redick played for six different NBA teams in his amazing NBA career, but the Orlando Magic was his first team. This is where he started his career and where he became a deadly shooter.
While the 6-foot-3 sharpshooter was not exactly a superstar, he was the perfect role player for the Magic. Together with Dwight Howard, Redick helped the team make the NBA Finals in 2009, even though his role wasn't really big in his early years with the team.