Top 5 international players in Orlando Magic history
January 30, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu (15) is defended by New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton (2) during the third quarter of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA and is becoming increasingly international, with an influx of foreign players. Let’s see who are the best foreign Magic players of all time.
The NBA is becoming increasingly international, with an influx of players from all over the world. The Orlando Magic have certainly embraced this trend. They currently have six foreign-born players on the roster.
The NBA was once a league reluctant to draft and sign foreign players. But with the emergence of quality foreign players such as Dirk Nowitzki, Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc, Vlade Divac and other 1990s players, franchises began to trust newcomers from overseas.
The NBA announced that, in the 2017 season, the league will feature 113 international players from 41 countries.
This a new record and a sure indicator of tendencies. International scouting is definitely on the rise and teams are tracking the best foreign leagues in search for talent to give them an edge over other teams.
This means that each team has almost four foreign players on average. The Magic are not the exception.
On the contrary, the Magic are one the leaders in the whole league with six international players.
There are two Croatians (Damjan Rudez and Mario Hezonja), Serge Ibaka from Republic of the Congo (but playing for Spain), Nikola Vucevic from Montenegro (born in Switzerland) and Bismack Biyombo from Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Magic had a number of foreign players throughout the history of the franchise. Only few of those made a lasting impression. But their presence were integral to Magic history.
Let’s see which foreign players have contributed the most for the Magic in franchise history.
5. Marcin Gortat, Poland
| Season | Tm | Lg | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 seasons | ORL | NBA | 175 | 5 | 13.3 | 1.6 | 2.9 | .545 | .547 | .546 | .645 | 4.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 3.7 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Marcin Gortat played four seasons in a Magic uniform, mostly as a backup for Dwight Howard. Nonetheless, he was an efficient backup center and was considered to be one of the best backup bigs in the league.
He was an important piece of the Magic team that went to the Finals in 2009. Even though there may be some other players who are better stat wise, the “Polish Hammer” cannot be ignored.
He was unfortunate to be playing behind the best center in the league. But Gortat still had some nice moments with the Magic — particularly his performance in the Magic’s series-clinching win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2009 Playoffs with Dwight Howard suspended.
After leaving the Magic, he fulfilled his potential in Phoenix and Washington and is now averaging 10.3 points and 7.9 rebounds for career.
4. Mickael Pietrus, France
| Season | Tm | Lg | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 seasons | ORL | NBA | 148 | 49 | 23.2 | 3.1 | 7.3 | .420 | .373 | .483 | .527 | .667 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 8.7 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Mickael Pietrus was an efficient shooting guard/small forward who played from 2008 to 2010 for the Magic. He was an important piece of the famous Finals team. He was signed as a free agent in 2008, and expected to be a 3-and-D shooting guard.
At first look, Pietrus was not an impactful player. But, he was an effective backup, and his per 36 numbers reveal a solid 13.5 points along with 4.6 rebounds on 37.9 percent 3-point shooting.
His PER during the Orlando years was a bit underwhelming 11.4, and could be one of the reasons he was traded to Phoenix Suns in 2010 with Marcin Gortat. But Pietrus always showed up for big games and was integral to the Magic’s Finals run.
Pietrus had a nice 3-point shot and was a generally good locker room presence. He was a reliable shooter, especially in the playoffs, where he shot 41.4 percent for the Magic.
Apr 8, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) drives to the basket against the Miami Heat during the second half at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated the Miami Heat 112-109. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
3. Evan Fournier, France
| Season | Tm | Lg | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 seasons | ORL | NBA | 137 | 103 | 4227 | 682 | 1504 | .453 | .392 | .496 | .534 | .795 | 378 | 333 | 136 | 4 | 1911 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Evan Fournier joined the Magic in 2014 in a trade for Arron Afflalo. He is slowly evolving into the first offensive option of this Magic team. The 2016 season was his best so far in Orlando, averaging 15.4 points on 40.0 percent 3-point shooting.
Fournier had some serious competition for the starting shooting guard spot in Victor Oladipo. The Magic decided Fournier is the team’s player of the future rather than Victor Oladipo and handed him the five-year, $85-million deal this offseason. The fact Oladipo was Magic’s second overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft makes you realize the Magic bet a lot of chips on Fournier.
He can still go up in this list. And he will most likely do so as his game develops. He is not the best player in any particular aspect of the game, rather an all-around presence.
His Magic legacy will depend on the team’s success in the forthcoming years. If surrounded with the right fit of players, he can be a very dangerous option, perhaps even an All Star.
2. Nikola Vucevic, Montenegro
| Season | Tm | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 seasons | ORL | 274 | 269 | 32.7 | 7.2 | 14.1 | .515 | .517 | .516 | .742 | 10.7 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 16.2 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Nikola Vucevic is the epitome of the post-Dwight Howard era, and is one the reasons the Magic “won” the trade. Before coming to the Magic, Vucevic was mostly an unknown rookie in the league.
But his smooth jumper and uncharacteristically good shooting mechanic for a center made him the Magic’s leader in the rebuild. He signed an extension in 2014, which has him tied through 2019.
Recently, more concerns are arising regarding his defensive ability and especially rim protection. In today’s NBA, the center’s primary role is to be a rim protector, and Vucevic does not fit the prototype.
In this regard, he will always be seen as the Dwight Howard antipode. His Magic legacy depends on his ability to either hide his defensive weaknesses or develop into a real defensive presence.
1. Hedo Turkoglu, Turkey
| Season | Tm | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 seasons | ORL | 497 | 412 | 32.7 | 5.1 | 11.7 | .432 | .379 | .462 | .500 | .805 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 14.5 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Hedo Turkoglu is, without doubt, the best foreign player in the Magic history.
Along with Dwight Howard, he was a key player for the 2009 Finals team. Moreover, he was a recognizable player throughout the league, a small forward with size and playmaking skills who could shoot and be a de facto playmaker for a contending team.
His Magic legacy is not diminished by the fact he left Magic in 2009 as the front office did not think he deserved a big contract. The Magic realized the mistake and traded for Turkoglu back in late 2010.
Turkoglu also won the 2008 Most Improved Player and ranks very high on almost all Magic all time lists.
Turkoglu was also a clutch player in his prime, draining threes in both regular season and playoffs.
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