Orlando Magic: The 10 Most Effective Lineup Combinations

On paper, the Orlando Magic appear to have a very deep and versatile team, though their recent woes would not reflect this appearance.

This December, they added to that depth and versatility by acquiring Hedo Turkoglu and Gilbert Arenas, who are both qualified to play a variety of positions.

Despite adding to their versatility, the Magic traded away some of their depth abroad, as they shipped their No. 2 big man, Marcin Gortat, to the Phoenix Suns, which has since left them lacking in terms of depth at the center position.

Though Gortat was never known for being a huge producer, his 6'11" frame did give the Magic an extra big body to put in the game while Dwight Howard recovered on the sideline. 

Regardless of the effects of the trade, Orlando still boasts a roster full of qualified ball handlers and perimeter shooters, while Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Brandon Bass have held down the interior. Though Bass was sidelined last Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies with an ankle sprain, I took the liberty of assembling these 10 possible roster combinations, assuming that he and the rest of Orlando's current rosters are healthy and able.

Their depth has given them a variety of potential lineup combinations, but here are the 10 that I think are their best. 

Starting 5

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 28: Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic dunks the ball for two of his game-high 40 points against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on January 28, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Magic 99-90. NOTE TO USER: U

PG Jameer Nelson

SG Jason Richardson

SF Hedo Turkoglu

PF Brandon Bass

C Dwight Howard

I believe, in terms of the starting five, Stan Van Gundy has the right bunch in there.

Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu provide Orlando with two savvy ball handlers capable of bringing the ball up the floor and getting the ball into the hands of Orlando's playmakers.

The collection of Nelson, Turkoglu and Jason Richardson give the Magic multiple threats from beyond the arch, as each of them shoot near 40 percent from three-point land. 

On the interior, Brandon Bass has really come to form and proven that he is capable of playing power forward, at least on the offensive end, and then, Dwight Howard, as usual, has really anchored the Magic by serving as a jack of all trades.

Howard is capable of not only racking up points and boards, but he can also put up some gaudy numbers on the defensive end as well by blocking nearly anyone who comes his way. 

Arenas, Richardson, Turkoglu, Bass, Howard

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 28: Gilbert Arenas #1 of the Orlando Magic moves against Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on January 28, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Magic 99-90. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledge

PG Gilbert Arenas

SG Jason Richardson

SF Hedo Turkoglu

PF Brandon Bass

C Dwight Howard

The only thing that has changed is the input of point guard, Gilbert Arenas.

Though he hasn't shown off much of his wizardry since his arrival in Orlando, the 17.3 points per game that he averaged in Washington this season proves that he is still capable of being a sensational playmaker.

In this combination, the Magic retain two of their perimeter threats in Turkoglu and Richardson, while Bass and Howard still provide scoring and rebounding potential on the interior. Throwing Arenas into the mix only adds another threat who is capable of penetrating defenses and distributing the ball to Orlando's key scorers.

His passing abilities, combined with the athleticism of Howard and Richardson, creates the potential for alley-oops anytime this group steps onto the floor. 

Nelson, Arenas, Richardson, Turkoglu, Howard

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 28: Loul Deng #9 of the Chicago Bulls puts up a shot against Hedo Turkoglu #15 of the Orlando Magic at the United Center on January 28, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Magic 99-90. NOTE TO USER: User expressly ackno

PG Jameer Nelson

SG Gilbert Arenas

SF Jason Richardson

PF Hedo Turkoglu

C Dwight Howard

The thought of Nelson, Arenas and Turkoglu on the floor is an exciting one, as it provides Orlando with three very qualified ball handlers, distributors and passers.

Almost more exciting is the big-play potential that these very qualified passers have when combined with the athleticism and dunking ability of Richardson and Howard.

Turkoglu's 6'10" frame give the Magic a taller option at power forward than the 6'8" Bass. In addition to Turkoglu's height, his athletic ability allows him to enter the game as a power forward competes with others who regularly play the position.

As a whole, this bunch probably possesses the greatest amount of speed and athleticism, allowing the Magic to stay with some of the quicker offenses in the NBA, as well as providing them with fast break potential.

Richardson, Turkoglu and Nelson again provide Orlando a solid collection of three-point shooters, while Howard provides a concrete interior presence on both ends of the floor.

Nelson, Arenas, Turkoglu, Anderson, Howard

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BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 06: Jameer Nelson #14 of the Orlando Magic heads for the basket past Glen Davis #11 of the Boston Celtics on February 6, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeated the Magic 91-80. NOTE TO USER: User expres

PG Jameer Nelson

SG Gilbert Arenas

SF Hedo Turkoglu

PF Ryan Anderson

C Dwight Howard

This combination gives Orlando the a solid mix of perimeter shooters, ball handlers, and playmakers. 

Nelson, Arenas, and Turkoglu all have the ability to drive and get to the basket as well as create opportunities for others on the floor around them. Nelson, Arenas, Turkoglu and Howard all posses the athleticism to get ahead on fast break opportunities, while their veteran leadership and know-how make them solid defenders too.

Furthermore, Turkoglu, Anderson and Howard all posses the height to impose themselves on opposing teams which allow them to shoot over their competition on offense and force their opponents to alter their shots on defense. 

Nelson, Turkoglu and Anderson give the Magic another group of competent long-range shooters, while Howard's size and athleticism make him a solid rebounder and scorer in the paint.

Nelson, Redick, Turkoglu, Bass, Howard

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ORLANDO, FL - OCTOBER 10: J.J. Redick #7 of the Orlando Magic attempts a shot during the game against the New Orleans Hornets at Amway Arena on October 10, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloadin

PG Jameer Nelson

SG J.J. Redick

SF Hedo Turkoglu

PF Brandon Bass

C Dwight Howard

Although J.J. Redick is not as explosive, lengthy or athletic as Jason Richardson, he provides Orlando with big-play potential in another way: by knocking down the three-ball, and by doing so consistently.

Redick is really finding his niche on this Magic team and is averaging more threes, more free throws and points per contest than ever before in his career. This season, Redick has been more active and consequently has provided some hefty contributions off of the Magic bench, including one performance in which he registered a career-high 29 points by shooting 6-of-9 from behind the arch in a loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Combined with the talents of Nelson and Turkoglu, Redick adds one more threat from the perimeter and is part of the reason that this Orlando Magic team can be so dangerous. 

Nelson, Richardson, Turkoglu, Anderson, Howard

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ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 24: Greg Monroe #10 of the Detroit Pistons attempts a shot over Ryan Anderson #33 of the Orlando Magic during the game at Amway Arena on January 24, 2011 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees tha

PG Jameer Nelson

SG Jason Richardson

SF Hedo Turkgolu

PF Ryan Anderson

C Dwight Howard

With Brandon Bass out with an ankle sprain, this is Orlando's current starting five. The addition of Ryan Anderson has truly served the Magic well especially this season.

The 6'10" Anderson, like Turkoglu, gives Orlando a taller option at the power forward position than Bass. However, unlike Bass, Anderson provides his club with another three-point shooter and does so at a high rate, as he knocks down about two threes per game.

Anderson has come up big numerous times this season by dialing in seven games in which he has buried four or more threes thus far. 

Though he may not be as quick or as athletic as Bass, Anderson provides the Magic with a tall, versatile option at the power forward position, and if he can dial in for a few big performances while Bass is out with his ankle injury, he may solidify his spot in Orlando's starting five. 

Nelson, Redick, Turkoglu, Anderson, Howard

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 28: Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic leaps to block a shot by Loul Deng #9 of the Chicago Bulls as Hedo Turkoglu #15 defends at the United Center on January 28, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Magic 99-90. NOT

PG Jameer Nelson

SG J.J. Redick

SF Hedo Turkoglu

PF Ryan Anderson

C Dwight Howard

Howard, Turkoglu and Anderson give the Magic a great deal of size in this lineup, as each of them measure at either 6'10" or greater, which can create matchup problems for many teams on both ends of the floor.

Furthermore, Nelson, Redick, Turkoglu and Anderson have the potential to make it seem as if threes are raining from the sky for their opposition. 

This lineup also has a great deal of chemistry and experience (both in the playoffs and within the Orlando Magic system), considering that Nelson, Redick, Turkoglu and Howard all were pieces of Orlando's 2009 team—which made a run to the NBA Finals—which is one of the reasons I like this combination so much. 

Arenas, Richardson, Turkoglu, Anderson, Howard

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BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 06: Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic heads for the basket as Kevin Garnett #5 and Glen Davis #11 of the Boston Celtics defend on February 6, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeated the Magic 91-80.

PG Gilbert Arenas

SG  Jason Richardson

SF Hedo Turkoglu

PF Ryan Anderson

C Dwight Howard

In terms of height, this is about the tallest the Magic can hope to get at every position.

Gilbert Arenas gives the Magic a substantially taller option at the point guard position due to the six-inch advantage that he has over Jameer Nelson.

Aside from their height, which gives this group a lot of rebounding potential, this group is fairly well-rounded.

Arenas and Turkoglu are both above-average ball handlers and passers, which give them the ability to become playmakers at any time. Both are able to penetrate, which provides them with the ability to either get to the rim for easy buckets or create options for others like Dwight Howard or Orlando's perimeter shooters. 

Richardson, Turkoglu and Anderson give the Magic a fair number of threats from beyond the arch, while their size allows them to shoot and score over their opponents with more ease than some of Orlando's other roster combinations.

Furthermore, the tandem of Arenas, Richardson, Turkoglu and Howard provides the Magic big-play potential anytime this bunch steps on to the floor.  

Arenas, Redick, Richardson, Turkoglu, Howard

Forgive the fact that this lob is coming from Jameer Nelson and not Gilbert Arenas, the point of this video is just to show that Jason Richardson is capable of performing a little magic of his own.

PG Gilbert Arenas

SG J.J. Redick

SF Jason Richardson

PF Hedo Turkoglu

C Dwight Howard

This lineup gives Orlando the big-play potential of Arenas, Richardson, Turkoglu and Howard and marries that with the three-point shooting ability of the club's most efficient three-point shooter, J.J. Redick. 

Howard, Richardson, Arenas and Turkoglu are all veterans who know what to do with the ball at any given moment. Also, Howard and Turkoglu are familiar with one another and their playing styles/abilities, while also giving Orlando a good deal of size on the interior.

Turkoglu has the potential to drive or step back for a jump shot, which makes him difficult for many power forwards defend.

Jason Richardson is a handy shooter and also has the potential to provide a big play every now and again that can really bring this offense to life while Redick's shooting abilities allow him to spot up and bury shots from a distance with relative ease.

Nelson, Redick, Richardson, Anderson, Howard

Dwight Howard throwing it down, as usual.

PG Jameer Nelson

SG J.J. Redick

SF Jason Richardson

PF  Ryan Anderson

C Dwight Howard

The size of Howard and Anderson give the Magic some solid rebounding potential, but also a robust pair of defenders.

Nelson has proven to be quite the passer and can deliver some sweet alley-oop passes to players like Dwight Howard and Jason Richardson, as shown in the video above and in the one on the previous slide.

Furthermore, this lineup features Orlando's four best three-point shooters in Redick, Nelson, Anderson and Richardson, which can allow them to either come back from large deficits or put teams away with relative ease.

It's hard to talk about the best lineup combinations for the Magic and exclude Howard, because at the center position, the Magic do not posses much else. With the exclusion of shooting threes, Howard truly does it all for his team, making him definitely deserving of his nickname: Superman.