Bring back 1 for Magic player in their prime.

[davey_wavy]

You get to pick 1, who would you bring back that would slide into the current roster and make us the best possible? Player is in their prime obviously

Penny
???????- no idea who you put at the 2
Franz
Paolo
WCJ

[MasterGMer]

TMac

[Viper1500]

In their prime? Shaq is the obvious answer.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

[pepe1991]

Shaq. Simply most dominating player to ever played for Magic.
Fits don't matter when you have player nobody in a league can guard

[jonbob17]

Tmac was made for the modern nba, but I don’t think 95% of today’s 5s would have any chance at all against Shaq.

[drsd]

Shaq. Simply most dominating player to ever played for Magic.
Fits don't matter when you have player nobody in a league can guard

By PER Mr. O'Neal is the 5th best-ever NBA player. It is illogical to select any other player.




EDIT:

Shaq is about on-par with Jokić for career PER. It is a fascination thought process: who would one rather have - O'Neal or Jokić? I am still going with Shaq here.

[JBSouthpaw]

Shaq. Simply most dominating player to ever played for Magic.
Fits don't matter when you have player nobody in a league can guard

Shaq is the best player to play for the Magic ever.

HOWEVER,
if I'm adding to the current roster I'm taking TMac.

TMac makes this TEAM better by replacing our biggest weakness.

Shaq never got a championship by himself, needed Kobe and Wade.

The difference from Cole/Suggs to TMac is greater than the difference from WCJ to Shaq.

I'd put Tracey's 2002-03 season up against Shaq's best season for this team.

[zaymon]

I am adding Penny Hardaway. Tracy was too inefficient and overhyped. His teams were mediocre becouse he didnt play the right way. We start 6'7 rich mans Lamelo Ball and we win championship

[The Effect]

For people saying Shaq, the modern nba would turn him into a 3pt shooter, he wouldn't fit. Sure he would dominate the key but would get exposed on defense (imagine Shaq trying to guard someone like kat or embiid ON THE PERIMETER)

For me the answer would come down to penny (my all time favorite nba player), tmac (best all around scorer in magic history) or grant Hill. I think hill would kill in this modern nba and would be another lebron

I'm a homer so I say penny, but I think hill would be the best choice

[pepe1991]

For people saying Shaq, the modern nba would turn him into a 3pt shooter, he wouldn't fit. Sure he would dominate the key but would get exposed on defense (imagine Shaq trying to guard someone like kat or embiid ON THE PERIMETER)

For me the answer would come down to penny (my all time favorite nba player), tmac (best all around scorer in magic history) or grant Hill. I think hill would kill in this modern nba and would be another lebron

I'm a homer so I say penny, but I think hill would be the best choice

Dude. Zion Williamson is ultra compressed version of Shaq and averaged 27 ppg as 20 years old. Guy is fata** 6'6 PF without any range nor any ability to guard perimeter. And still nobody can guard him . Still is viewed as one of most valuable young players.
Shaq would not be chasing down players on perimeter ( neither does Gobert ,considered best defender in nba) . But in same time, nobody would be able to guard him.

League is played on perimeter mainly because current best players are perimeter oriented. But we are starting to see another shift toward bigs. Three favorites to win MVP this year are Embiid, Giannis and Jokic. Hardly any of them is viewed as "elite shooter". Jokic shot 33,7% for 3 last year, 28% in playoffs. Giannis shot 29% for 3 for a season, 22% in playoffs.

One guys like Curry, Klay, Durant retire as some of best shooter game has ever seen, league really won't have that much uber-elite player that happend to be uber elite shooters.
Just look at 2019, 2020, 2021 ,2022 & projection of 2023 draft.
Zion ( zero jumpshot), Edwards ( biggest knock on his game was jumpshot), Cade ( okey shooter, but not plus one), Banchero ( average college shooter) & Victor. 7'2 monster center.

This doesn't mean shooting has no value, it does, but shooting become this popular mostly because current best nba players happend to be historically elite shooters so game transitioned in that fashion. Also more shooting helped guys like Jokic, Embiid, Lebron, Giannis to dominate, because it opened up floor for them, despite them not being good shooters on their own.

[drsd]

Dude. Zion Williamson is ultra compressed version of Shaq and averaged 27 ppg as 20 years old.

And-1

Every time Shaq touched the ball he was fouled, and that was with 90s/00s rule. WIth today's "defense", Shaq would rough up teams. He would go 40/20 on many nights.

I reject the idea that Kobe and Dwayne got Shaq his rings. For me it is the other way around!


..

[jezzerinho]

For wins it would have to be Shaq.

For entertainment I'd love to see Penny.

[NavalAviator94]

Shaq. Simply most dominating player to ever played for Magic.
Fits don't matter when you have player nobody in a league can guard

Shaq is the best player to play for the Magic ever.

HOWEVER,
if I'm adding to the current roster I'm taking TMac.

TMac makes this TEAM better by replacing our biggest weakness.

Shaq never got a championship by himself, needed Kobe and Wade.

The difference from Cole/Suggs to TMac is greater than the difference from WCJ to Shaq.

I'd put Tracey's 2002-03 season up against Shaq's best season for this team.

McGrady certainly was a great player. He was beautiful to watch but my big concern with McGrady was his lack of leadership. We needed him to step up and that wasn't who he was built to be. The Magic certainly weren't helping as they tried to put a team around him but it wasn't for a lack of trying. We almost had one of the great teams with McGrady, G Hill AND Duncan.

I went back and looked for an article about that time. Something that touched on McGrady's lack of leadership. Boy have the rails gone off since then. Good read with a link into another article from Bill Simmons on McGrady's career. https://orlandomagicdaily.com/2013/09/03/tracy-mcgrady-legacy-090213/

[JBSouthpaw]

For people saying Shaq, the modern nba would turn him into a 3pt shooter, he wouldn't fit. Sure he would dominate the key but would get exposed on defense (imagine Shaq trying to guard someone like kat or embiid ON THE PERIMETER)

For me the answer would come down to penny (my all time favorite nba player), tmac (best all around scorer in magic history) or grant Hill. I think hill would kill in this modern nba and would be another lebron

I'm a homer so I say penny, but I think hill would be the best choice

Dude. Zion Williamson is ultra compressed version of Shaq and averaged 27 ppg as 20 years old. Guy is fata** 6'6 PF without any range nor any ability to guard perimeter. And still nobody can guard him . Still is viewed as one of most valuable young players.
Shaq would not be chasing down players on perimeter ( neither does Gobert ,considered best defender in nba) . But in same time, nobody would be able to guard him.

League is played on perimeter mainly because current best players are perimeter oriented. But we are starting to see another shift toward bigs. Three favorites to win MVP this year are Embiid, Giannis and Jokic. Hardly any of them is viewed as "elite shooter". Jokic shot 33,7% for 3 last year, 28% in playoffs. Giannis shot 29% for 3 for a season, 22% in playoffs.

One guys like Curry, Klay, Durant retire as some of best shooter game has ever seen, league really won't have that much uber-elite player that happend to be uber elite shooters.
Just look at 2019, 2020, 2021 ,2022 & projection of 2023 draft.
Zion ( zero jumpshot), Edwards ( biggest knock on his game was jumpshot), Cade ( okey shooter, but not plus one), Banchero ( average college shooter) & Victor. 7'2 monster center.

This doesn't mean shooting has no value, it does, but shooting become this popular mostly because current best nba players happend to be historically elite shooters so game transitioned in that fashion. Also more shooting helped guys like Jokic, Embiid, Lebron, Giannis to dominate, because it opened up floor for them, despite them not being good shooters on their own.

Zion puts the ball on the floor and gets to the rim. Shaq posted up.
Today's defense against our team would be a zone. Let our "shooters" shoot, deny Shaq. If he get's it foul him.

[The Effect]

For people saying Shaq, the modern nba would turn him into a 3pt shooter, he wouldn't fit. Sure he would dominate the key but would get exposed on defense (imagine Shaq trying to guard someone like kat or embiid ON THE PERIMETER)

For me the answer would come down to penny (my all time favorite nba player), tmac (best all around scorer in magic history) or grant Hill. I think hill would kill in this modern nba and would be another lebron

I'm a homer so I say penny, but I think hill would be the best choice

Dude. Zion Williamson is ultra compressed version of Shaq and averaged 27 ppg as 20 years old. Guy is fata** 6'6 PF without any range nor any ability to guard perimeter. And still nobody can guard him . Still is viewed as one of most valuable young players.
Shaq would not be chasing down players on perimeter ( neither does Gobert ,considered best defender in nba) . But in same time, nobody would be able to guard him.

League is played on perimeter mainly because current best players are perimeter oriented. But we are starting to see another shift toward bigs. Three favorites to win MVP this year are Embiid, Giannis and Jokic. Hardly any of them is viewed as "elite shooter". Jokic shot 33,7% for 3 last year, 28% in playoffs. Giannis shot 29% for 3 for a season, 22% in playoffs.

One guys like Curry, Klay, Durant retire as some of best shooter game has ever seen, league really won't have that much uber-elite player that happend to be uber elite shooters.
Just look at 2019, 2020, 2021 ,2022 & projection of 2023 draft.
Zion ( zero jumpshot), Edwards ( biggest knock on his game was jumpshot), Cade ( okey shooter, but not plus one), Banchero ( average college shooter) & Victor. 7'2 monster center.

This doesn't mean shooting has no value, it does, but shooting become this popular mostly because current best nba players happend to be historically elite shooters so game transitioned in that fashion. Also more shooting helped guys like Jokic, Embiid, Lebron, Giannis to dominate, because it opened up floor for them, despite them not being good shooters on their own.

Id say its more about analytics causing teams to start shooting more threes, and players adapted and started shooting, including big men like embiid and jokic. Hell youve even seen Dwight start trying to shoot threes, why? because thats where the league is right now...again due to analytics

Look at someone like Ben Simmons, 10 years ago he would be an MVP candidate every year, a 6'10 PG with crazy passing ability, athleticism and ability to average a triple double every night... but now days hes an afterthought, why? Because he cant shoot

Would Shaq be a good player in todays NBA, absolutely, but he wouldnt be the dominate force he was when it was a big mans league

[The Effect]

Shaq. Simply most dominating player to ever played for Magic.
Fits don't matter when you have player nobody in a league can guard

Shaq is the best player to play for the Magic ever.

HOWEVER,
if I'm adding to the current roster I'm taking TMac.

TMac makes this TEAM better by replacing our biggest weakness.

Shaq never got a championship by himself, needed Kobe and Wade.

The difference from Cole/Suggs to TMac is greater than the difference from WCJ to Shaq.

I'd put Tracey's 2002-03 season up against Shaq's best season for this team.

McGrady certainly was a great player. He was beautiful to watch but my big concern with McGrady was his lack of leadership. We needed him to step up and that wasn't who he was built to be. The Magic certainly weren't helping as they tried to put a team around him but it wasn't for a lack of trying. We almost had one of the great teams with McGrady, G Hill AND Duncan.

I went back and looked for an article about that time. Something that touched on McGrady's lack of leadership. Boy have the rails gone off since then. Good read with a link into another article from Bill Simmons on McGrady's career. https://orlandomagicdaily.com/2013/09/03/tracy-mcgrady-legacy-090213/

Leadership and killer instinct. Some guys, like TMac and say hardin as a modern example, are elite scorers but they lack that ability to just kill the other team the way say a Kobe would. Kobe didnt want to outscore you, he wanted to destroy you!

I love TMac, he made this team so much fun to watch, but i dont think he puts this team over the top the way a fully healthy Penny or Grant Hill would

Also if TMac didnt force his way, we could of had a great team with Tmac and a prime dwight (and if grant would of stayed and gotten healthy)

[YosemiteSam]

People forget how mobile young Shaq was - they remember later Shaq who was more lumbering

[fendilim]

I’d say Shaq cause he was really dominant. But with WCJ there, gotta be Grant Hill, IMO.

Not even Tmac.


Grant was supposedly the second coming of Jordan. What could have been. Could have been better than TMac IF Grant Hill was healthy in his prime years, IMO.

[p0peye]

I hear what you guys saying about Shaq and you are right, he was and would be dominating force. Personally, if I had the chance to bring prime Penny back on the floor in pinstripe blue, there's no way in hell I am letting that slide. He was my favorite player of that duo. I am not saying it is better or wiser choice, I just personally enjoy Penny's game so much.

Also, discussing Shaq, Penny or TMac's fit with current roster... smh.

[pepe1991]

Shaq arived in 2000 weighting 325 pounds, standing at 7'2, having ability to turn both shoulders.
That year he averaged:
30 ppg
14 rpg
3 bpg
but also 3,8 apg.

His eFG was almost 10% above league's average. His true shooting percentage was also near 10% above league's average.

He led league in: points per game, points scored total. second in rebounds per game, was top 15 in whole league in TS%, lead league in PER, led league in win share, led league in fouls drawn ( well, for obvious reasons lol), led league in value over replacment data, led league in BOX plus minus, was 3rd in blocks per game, led league in offensive , was 6th in defensive rating.

That year in playoffs he averaged 31 ppg,15 rpg.

In nba finals he averaged 38 ppg, 16 rpg .
That year he won MVP, finals MVP and set one of most dominating finals performances in nba history.

That was prime Shaq.


Tracy Mcgrady won 13 playoff games in his entire career as starter. 19 playoff wins total (6 as bench warmer on Spurs & Atlanta).
Shaq won 18 games for Orlando before rookie contract expired.129 total.

Shaq's peak is one of most dominating performances nba has ever seen.
He is one of only 10 players in entire nba history that won championship, finals mvp and regualr season MVP in single season. Others are Kareem, Bird, Lebron, Duncan , Moses Malone, Hakeem, Reed and MJ & Magic.


This really isn't debate. Grant Hill's peak is 25 ppg on 42-40 roster and first round sweep. (ofc he got hurt and only played 2 )
What's really Tracy's peak? Houston won 55 games with him struggling. And, much like Hill, as usual, couldn't last for playoffs. His entire prime was boiled down to 2 playoff series where him and Ming were healthy, and in both cases they lost in first rounds. To Utah Jazz and Dallas.
Tracy was one of most gifted players ever , but a lot of times teams he was on, had no actual gain from it. Look at his 2002-03 season with us.
He had 21 game where he took at least 28 shots. In 19 out of 21 games he shot below 50% FG. Matter of fact in 4 out of 21 he didn't even shot 40% FG overall. And Magic were 11-10 in games where he shot over 28 or more shots.
For comparison sake, Magic were 13-8 in games where he shot below 21 shot.