Orlando Magic

Two Finals appearances. The Shaq years, the Dwight years, and a young core building again.

The story

Two Finals, two superstars, and a fresh young core

Founded in 1989, the Magic rose fast behind Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, reaching the 1995 Finals before Shaq left for Los Angeles and the bottom fell out.

Dwight Howard, a dominant defensive center, dragged a role-player cast to the 2009 Finals, then he too forced his way out and the franchise reset again.

Now Paolo Banchero and a long, switchable defensive core have made Orlando a rising team built the patient way, through the draft.

In between the two Finals runs, Tracy McGrady won back-to-back scoring titles and kept the Magic worth watching even when the team around him was thin.

For the fans

You have watched two superstars leave and learned to fall for the build instead. Magic fans are cautious optimists with long memories.

For the punters

A young, elite defensive team that struggles to score. Unders are the natural lean, and they are tougher at home than the record suggests.

See the Magic odds board →Rivalries: Heat · Hawks

Power rank

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Record

24-30

Conference

East

Division