1993–94 Orlando Magic season
Encyclopedia
The 1993-94 season was the Magic's fifth season in the NBA. Despite missing the playoffs in 1993 gave the Magic unexpected good fortune. Despite having the worst odds, the Magic won the NBA Draft Lottery
for the second consecutive season. The Magic drafted Chris Webber
with the first pick overall. They would eventually swap Webber to the Golden State Warriors for the to rights to guard Anfernee Hardaway. Hardaway was selected 3rd overall by the Warriors, but the Magic acquired 3 future first round picks so the Warriors could have the rights to Chris Webber.
With the addition of Anfernee Hardaway, the Magic acquired a guard who could get Shaquille O’Neal the ball more often. O'Neal continued to dominate the league in scoring as he averaged 29.3 points per game. The Magic had qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The club finished with a record of 50 wins and 32 losses, which was good enough for 2nd place in the Atlantic Division. In the playoffs, the Magic would struggle. The Magic lost their first 2 games at home by a total of 3 points as Shaq's weakness at the free throw line was exposed. In the end, the Magic were swept by the Indiana Pacers in 3 straight.
NBA Draft Lottery
The NBA Draft Lottery is an annual event held by the National Basketball Association in which the teams who had missed the playoffs in the previous season, or teams who hold the draft rights of another team that missed the playoffs in the previous season, participate in a lottery process to...
for the second consecutive season. The Magic drafted Chris Webber
Chris Webber
Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee...
with the first pick overall. They would eventually swap Webber to the Golden State Warriors for the to rights to guard Anfernee Hardaway. Hardaway was selected 3rd overall by the Warriors, but the Magic acquired 3 future first round picks so the Warriors could have the rights to Chris Webber.
With the addition of Anfernee Hardaway, the Magic acquired a guard who could get Shaquille O’Neal the ball more often. O'Neal continued to dominate the league in scoring as he averaged 29.3 points per game. The Magic had qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The club finished with a record of 50 wins and 32 losses, which was good enough for 2nd place in the Atlantic Division. In the playoffs, the Magic would struggle. The Magic lost their first 2 games at home by a total of 3 points as Shaq's weakness at the free throw line was exposed. In the end, the Magic were swept by the Indiana Pacers in 3 straight.
Offseason
- Chris Webber was selected by the Orlando MagicOrlando MagicThe Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
with the first pick of the 1993 NBA Draft1993 NBA DraftThe 1993 NBA Draft took place on June 30, 1993 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Anfernee Hardaway, Allan Houston, and Jamal Mashburn all looked like possible Hall of Famers until their careers were cut...
, becoming the first sophomore since Magic JohnsonMagic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
to be a #1 overall draft pick. The Magic immediately traded him to the Golden State WarriorsGolden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in exchange for Anfernee Hardaway and three future first round draft picks.
NBA Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Chris Webber Chris Webber Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee... |
F/C | Michigan Michigan Wolverines men's basketball The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the... |
|
| 1 | 26 | Geert Hammink Geert Hammink Geert Hendrik Hammink is a retired Dutch professional basketball player who was selected by the Orlando Magic in the 1st round of the 1993 NBA Draft. Hammink played for the Magic and had a small stint with the Golden State Warriors in 3 NBA seasons. In his NBA career, Hammink appeared in 8 games... |
C | LSU |
Regular season
- Penny Hardaway started out the season at the shooting guardShooting guardThe shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
position while he learned the point guardPoint guardPoint guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
position from veteran Scott SkilesScott SkilesScott Allen Skiles is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and former American professional basketball player. He also is the former head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. Skiles holds the NBA record for assists in one game, with 30...
. By mid-season he took over point guardPoint guardPoint guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
duties from Skiles. He immediately made an impact on the league, winning the MVPMost Valuable PlayerIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award at the inaugural Schick Rookie GameRookie ChallengeThe Rookie Challenge is an exhibition basketball game held by the National Basketball Association on the Friday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend....
. Hardaway helped the MagicOrlando MagicThe Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
to their first playoff berth and first fifty-win season. He averaged 16 points, 6.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds per game while his 190 steals ranked 6th in the league. He recorded his first career triple double on April 15 when he registered 14 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds against the Boston CelticsBoston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
. For his efforts he was named to the NBA All-Rookie first team and was the runner-up for Rookie of the YearNBA Rookie of the Year AwardThe National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
to the aforementioned Webber.
Player stats
Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average| Player | GP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Awards and honors
- Penny HardawayPenny HardawayAnfernee Deon "Penny" Hardaway is a former American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association , specializing as a small forward, shooting guard, and point guard. His most productive years came in his days as a member of the Orlando Magic as well as the early...
, MVP, Schick Rookie Game - Penny Hardaway, NBA All-Rookie First Team