Dwight Howard and the Top 10 Orlando Magic Players of the Past Decade

It's time time to compile a list of Dwight Howard and the top 10 Orlando Magic Players of the past decade, from 2001-2011.

Though the Orlando Magic have never been able to conquer their dreams of an NBA Championship, they have had some great teams and—on the contrary—some absolutely terrible teams. Either way, the Orlando Magic have had some great players throw on the blue and white over the years. 

Nearly every "Top Players" list, when referring to the Magic, breaks down the best players in franchise history, but the organization has been around long enough now (1989) to allow us to break down top players from decades, not all of history.

10. J.J. Redick

This was a tough pick here. Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston received consideration because of their roles in the Magic's finals run, but there's one thing Orlando Magic fans love, it's heart and hustle. 

J.J. Redick has been the definition of a hard worker during his five-year NBA career with the Orlando Magic, and it's finally been paying dividends.

Redick averaged over 10 points per game last year, and is as hard a worker as the Orlando Magic have seen since the days of Darrell Armstrong. 

With J.J. most likely to be named a starter for the 2011-2012 season, a productive year could further solidify his name being on this list. 

9. Vince Carter

Though the Vince Carter experiment in Orlando was ultimately a failure, Vince Carter still one of the best players to put on a Magic uniform in the past 10 years. 

Carter averaged 15 points and 14 points, respectively, during his two years with the Orlando Magic, and he still had enough in his knees to get fans out of their seats with his dunking ability.

8. Pat Garrity

Pat Garrity had a couple really productive years for the Orlando Magic from 2001-2003. 

Garrity averaged double digit points in both of those seasons, while shooting over 42 percent from behind the arc in each of those seasons.

7. Mike Miller

Mike Miller was Tracy McGrady's wing man in Orlando for a couple of seasons, and they were a fun duo to watch play.

Drafted by the Magic in 2001, Mike Miller went on to win the NBA's Rookie of the Year award while appearing in all 82 games, which was a first for an NBA rookie.

Miller averaged over 15 points per game for the Magic in his second NBA season, and over 16 points per game during his third and final year with the Magic. 

6. Hedo Turkoglu

Hedo Turkoglu is now in his second call of duty with the Orlando Magic, but it was his first five years with the franchise that earn him a spot on this list.

Turkoglu joined the Magic in 2004 via a trade with the San Antonio Spurs. Turkoglu averaged 14 points per game in his first year with the Magic, but it was 2007 when Turkoglu had his breakout season for the Magic. With averages of over 19 points, five rebounds and five assists per game, Turkoglu helped lead Orlando to 52 regular season wins.

Turkoglu was another key player in the Orlando Magic's 2009 NBA Finals run, as he averaged 17 points and five assists per game.

5. Steve Francis

Though Steve "The Franchise" Francis only played a year-and-a-half with the Orlando Magic, he had one of best individual seasons in Orlando Magic history. 

During the 2004-2005 season, Francis averaged 21 points, seven assists and six rebounds per game, while electrifying fans every time he stepped on the court. 

Though his time with the Orlando Magic was short and ended on a bad note, Steve Francis was a statistical giant for the Magic.

4. Rashard Lewis

Rashard Lewis was a key component in the Orlando Magic reaching the 2009 NBA finals. 

Lewis averaged 18 points per game during the 2008-2009 season, and he came up with countless big-time three point shots while contributing to the Magic reaching the Finals, none bigger than his game-winning three-pointer in Game 1 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers.

Otis Smith over-paid when signing Lewis in 2007, but Rashard Lewis was vital to the success of the Magic with his ability to stretch the floor and clear things up for Dwight Howard to operate in the middle.

3. Jameer Nelson

Though he has been overlooked for his lack of size his entire career, Jameer Nelson has had some great years with the Orlando Magic—including an All-Star appearance in the 2008-2009 season.

Nelson has played his entire seven-year career with the Orlando Magic and is a fan favorite of many in the Orlando Magic community. 

Nelson and close friend Dwight Howard have great chemistry on the court, and Magic fans love nothing more then seeing a backdoor lob from Jameer to Dwight end in a highlight-reel dunk.

2. Tracy McGrady

What Tracy McGrady was able to accomplish during his four-year tenure with the Orlando Magic is truly under-appreciated. 

Mcgrady went from averaging just 15.4 points per game in his third NBA season with the Toronto Raptors to over 26 points per game during his first year with the Orlando Magic during the 2001 season. 

Tracy McGrady never averaged less then 25 points per game for the Magic, including over 32 points per game during the 2002-2003 season.

During the 2003-2004 season, despite the Magic losing 19 games straight after starting the season 1-0—McGrady still led the league in scoring with over 28 points per game. 

At the end of the day, despite not having a ultra-competitive team, Tracy McGrady led the Orlando Magic to the playoffs in three of his four seasons with the Magic. More importantly, win or lose, it was fun to watch the Magic play, thanks to T-Mac.

Tracy McGrady made the NBA All-Star team in each of his four seasons with the Orlando Magic. His offensive ability will be hard to ever be matched by an Orlando Magic player.

1. Dwight Howard

It was a toss-up for the number one spot here between Dwight Howard and Tracy McGrady. Superman gets the nod here because he was able to lead the Magic further in the playoffs and to more overall wins. 

Dwight Howard is a five-time NBA All-Star and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner, claiming the award the past three years.

Dwight Howard has made the Magic a relevant team ever since he was drafted No.1 overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2004 NBA Draft. When the Magic built their $480 million new arena this past season, the name might as well be "The Arena Superman Built". What Howard has meant to the city of Orlando on-and-off the court the past few season is unprecedented.  

Howard has averaged double-digit points and rebounds in every one of his seven NBA seasons, including a career high in points during the 2011 season, with over nearly 23 points per game, while notching 14.1 rebounds per contest. 

Superman averaged 27 points and over 15 rebounds during the 2011 playoffs, and although the Magic were sent packing in the first round, Howard showed just how lost the Magic would be without him.