2008 Outlook

The Orlando Magic took a chance in the 2007 offseason signing small forward Rashard Lewis. The gamble paid off as the front line of forwards Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu and center Dwight Howard took the Magic to the top of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference. Howard officially arrived as a superstar in the 2007-08 season, averaging over 20 pints, nearly 15 rebounds, and blocking over two shots a game. The Magic hope to upgrade at the guard position in the offseason through the draft or free agency.

Team History

The Orlando Magic entered the NBA as an expansion team in the 1989-90 season. The Magic started out with a team full of role players or players at the end of their career. Those teams were marked by outstanding play from sharp shooting small forward Dennis Scott and an NBA record 30-assist game from Scott Skiles. The team struggled to produce successful seasons but had little trouble selling out the arena.

Then, in 1992, the Magic drafted center Shaquille O’Neal from LSU. The combination of O’Neal and outstanding outside shooters Scott and guard Nick Anderson drastically improved the team, though it did just miss the playoffs. The team was rewarded with a first draft pick in the 1993 lottery and traded their pick, Chris Webber, for Golden State’s, Penny Hardaway. Point Guard Penny Hardaway and O’Neal combined to win 50 games for the Magic in the franchise’s fifth season of existence.

The team made it to the finals after adding Horace Grant for the 1994-95 season, but fell short to the Houston Rockets. The powerful young team met with the Chicago Bulls the next season, but would be swept by the 72-10 Bulls. The 1995-96 season would be the last for O’Neal with the Magic. O’Neal left the Magic for the Los Angeles Lakers via free agency. The Orlando Magic struggled, but replaced O’Neal with center Ron Seikaly. The Magic remained competitive until the end of the 20th century, consistently making the playoffs.

The 21st century brought the team small forward Grant Hill and shooting guard Tracy McGrady through free agency in 2000. The new Magic also added Mike Miller, an excellent shooter, in the draft. The team would be hounded by injuries to Grant Hill and would make the playoffs but consistently exit in the first round. This brought about the retooling of the Magic after 2004. The Magic are just now getting back on track and are enjoying a young team that is performing extremely well. Check out that Orlando Magic team with tickets from TheSeats.com.