Does the Magic's all-time starting five include Shaq?
The dog days of August are as good a time as any to reflect on where a franchise has been and where it might be going. And although the Orlando Magic are still one of the youngest teams in the league, their past has been bright.
Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer has been naming the all-time starting fives for each NBA team, and this week brings the Magic's turn. The biggest question is literally about the Orlando big man. And surprisingly or not, Dwyer excludes Shaquille O'Neal in favor of Dwight Howard on the Magic's all-time roster. For Dwyer, Shaq's four seasons with Orlando simply don't measure up to Howard's eight. Even though Shaq was an absolute force for the Magic, his best days in the NBA sadly came elsewhere.
At forward, Orlando has been defined by versatility. Dwyer selects Rashard Lewis and Tracy McGrady, which would give this theoretical Magic team 3-point shooting, playmaking, scoring and even a little bit of defense when the two are locked in (especially if Stan Van Gundy is the all-time Magic coach).
And for guards, Penny Hardaway naturally leads the offense, while Nick Anderson comes in at shooting guard.
Other than O'Neal, it's hard to find fault with any of these selections. Dennis Scott might be the most difficult exclusion other than Shaq.
How would the team fare? Howard would have his work cut out for him, as the perimeter defense wouldn't exactly be stout. But the Magic would run teams off the court on the other end of the floor. A winning score in a game with this squad could top 150 points easily.
(h/t Yahoo! Sports)
