The Orlando Magic's Season To Remember

Before the start of the NBA season, many questions regarding the Orlando Magic’s overall game play remained up in the air.

Could Jameer Nelson finally become an elite point guard in the league?

Would Hedo Turkoglu really perform as well as he did last season when he won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award?

Would Mickael Pietrus be a good fit as the starting shooting guard in the Magic’s system?

Will Dwight Howard have to carry the team on his shoulders once again?

Was signing Rashard Lewis to a six-year, $118 million contract really worth all the money?

These types of questions circulated around the entire NBA, questioning the Magic’s integrity and wondering whether they really had it in them to make it past the second round of the playoffs.

ESPN NBA analyst John Hollinger stated in his Orlando Magic '08-'09 NBA Season Preview that the team had more negative indicators than positive ones.

Nelson ended his third season with 10.9 PPG, a career-high 5.6 APG, 3.5 RPG, with nearly one steal, and shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 82.8 percent from the free-throw line. Nelson started in 62 of the 69 games he's played as a result of poor performances.

Questions arose throughout every game if Nelson was ever going to become an elite point guard in the NBA. Analysts bashed the six-footer, questioning his ability to take control and become a leading role player for the Magic.

Coming into the '08-'09 season, the NBA reported in their season preview of the Orlando Magic that Nelson needed to work on his shooting percentage and his decision making before he could ever be considered one of the better point guards in the league.

They also stated that fans should not be surprised if Van Gundy places veteran Anthony Johnson into the starting role if Nelson’s struggles continued.

Nelson entered the season taking all the negativity that he heard around the league as positive enforcers. He's averaging a career-high 16.7 PPG, 5.4 APG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.2 SPG. Nelson’s shooting has skyrocketed to 50.3 percent from the field and 88.7 percent from the charity stripe.

He's reduced his turnover average to fewer than two per game, winning the NBA Player of the Week and Player of the Month awards.

Nelson was selected as an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve for the first time in his career and was finally getting noticed as one of the best point guards in his conference.

Nelson helped the Magic beat the San Antonio Spurs twice during this season, dropping 24 points in the first contest in Orlando and 22 in the second at San Antonio.  The Magic also pulled off two wins against the high and mighty Los Angeles Lakers due to the immense help of Nelson, scoring 27 in the first and 28 in the second.

Nearly midway through the season, the Orlando Magic looked like the team to beat. But shortly after that, Nelson’s season came to an abrupt stop due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder, forcing him to undergo surgery.

Turkoglu is now in his eighth season in the NBA, with career averages of just 12.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.7 APG. After last year’s dynamic performance that earned Turk the Most Improved Player Award, news spun around the league questioning whether or not he would be able to post those types of numbers again.

Through 62 games this season, Turk is averaging 17 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.7 APG. He has provided the Magic with a vast amount of scoring, dropping 20 or more points 26 times, including three 30-plus point performances.

Turk ranked fourth in the league in fourth quarter points last season behind a few of the most elite players in the game today: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Kobe Bryant.

This season, when the Magic are down in the fourth quarter, every Orlando fan knows what time it is—TURK TIME!

With all the hype about acquiring Pietrus before the beginning of the season, the real surprise turned out to be rookie shooting guard Courtney Lee. Lee was placed into the starting lineup, immediately being assigned to guard players like Bryant, Wade, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady, Manu Ginobili—the list goes on.

Lee has proven to be a big steal for the Magic, as he has now started in 23 of the 58 games he has played this season. He is shooting 42.1 percent from the beyond the three-point line and has put up exceptionally well performances this season, including five games with three or more three-pointers made.

With the numerous injuries that Pietrus has suffered this season, Lee has already turned into the most consistent shooting guard on the Magic’s roster.

Dwight Howard is the next Superman of this era (sorry Shaq). He is putting up career-high numbers, averaging 21 PPG, 14 RPG (best in league), and 2.9 BPG (best in league), with 49 double-doubles on the year (another league best).

Howard is the most dominate center in the NBA today and continues to improve each and every game. While he is the centerpiece of the Magic, the weapons surrounding him are what have made the team what they are today. Howard missed two games this season (for the first time in his four-year career) while on the road, and the Magic were victorious in both.

The Magic need Howard to remain healthy throughout the rest of the season and deep into the playoffs. He has the responsibility of carrying the team on his shoulders and will be the deciding factor in Orlando’s success.

The last question regards Lewis and the signing of his hefty six-year, $118 million contract. Most people would say that he is not worth that much money—but I beg to differ.

Shard has the most three-pointers in the entire league (180) and is showing signs of outstanding intensity this season. He is putting up better averages in virtually every category compared to last season and looks much more comfortable on the Magic roster this year.

Lewis is learning to attack the basket instead of settling for jumpers and is slowly turning into an all-around type player. He has three double-doubles on the season and has dished out four or more assists 22 times this season. In the eyes of a Magic fan, Lewis’s contract was well worth the signing, as he is in the midst of his prime.

The questions that were left up in the air have finally been dissolved throughout the season. The Magic players have improved tremendously and have broken history due to their fantastic effort.

Currently standing at 46-17, third in the Eastern Conference, only 2.5 games behind Boston, and with the best road record in the league at 22-10, the Magic will continue to shock more fans, expert analysts, and other NBA teams and players before the season comes to an end.

Do not rule out the Magic during the playoffs.  This will go down as a season to remember—especially with all the hype going to the Cavaliers and Celtics.