By John Denton April 29, 2013
ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic’s run of six straight seasons in the playoffs is over, ending the Eastern Conference’s longest such streak. But not all is lost for a Magic franchise with a bright future.
The Magic have a history of success that says that the franchise will soon be back in the NBA’s postseason. In the past 20 years, the Magic have made the playoffs 14 times – the fifth most times of any NBA franchise. And since the 1992-93 season, Orlando has had a .500-or-better record 16 times – also the fourth-best mark in the NBA over that time frame.
There are plenty of positives to come out of the 2012-13 season as the Magic have established a core of promising young players and they have a base of veterans expected to return next season.
Orlando also has secured the best odds at getting the top overall pick in the June 27 NBA Draft. The draft order will be determined in the May 21 NBA lottery, a process in which the Magic have a 25 percent chance of winning. The Magic have won the NBA’s top overall pick three times, and the last time they were in this situation they won the top pick and used it to select Dwight Howard in 2004.
Looking back on the 2012-13 season, we here at orlandomagic.com are going to spend the next three weeks breaking down each of the players currently on the Magic roster. We’ll look at their stats, highs and lows from the season, a favorite moment and analyze their role for the future.
So without further ado, here is today’s Magic player capsule:
NAME: Glen ``Big Baby’’ Davis
JERSEY NUMBER: 11
HEIGHT, WEIGHT: 6-9, 289
POSITION: Power forward
NBA SEASONS: 6
AGE: 27
2012-13 SEASON STATS: 34 games, 15.1 ppg., 7.2 rpg., 2.1 apg., 44.8 percent FG, 71.8 percent FT.
2012-13 SEASON HIGHS: 29 points (Nov. 2 vs. Nuggets); 14 rebounds (Nov. 21 vs. Pistons); 6 assists (Jan. 20 vs. Mavericks); 4 steals (Dec. 12 vs. Hawks); 2 blocks (eight times – latest Jan. 14 vs. Wizards); 40 minutes (two times – Dec. 7 at Kings).
BEST MOMENT: A team captain for the first time in his career and promising he was ready for a breakout season, Davis wasted no time by scoring a career-best 29 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in Orlando’s season-opening defeat of the Denver Nuggets. He then came back two nights later and shook off a slow, foul-plagued start by scoring 18 of his 22 points in the second half of a 115-94 rout of the Phoenix Suns.
OF NOTE: Davis predicted early in the year that the Magic’s could be competitive and that he was on the verge of a breakout season, and both proved to be true as long as he was in the lineup. He had career highs in points, rebounds, assists and minutes – all while serving as the Magic’s co-captain along with Jameer Nelson. He led the team in scoring 10 times and in rebounding 11 times. He scored in double figures in 29 of his 34 games and hit the 20-point mark eight times. He also had 10 double-figure rebounding games.
FUTURE ROLE WITH THE MAGIC: Davis proved this past season that he could be a leader and keep his emotions relatively in check. There is no doubting that when he was in the lineup the Magic were a solid basketball team. Orlando was once 12-13 and riding a four-game losing streak before Davis separated his left shoulder following a hard foul by Emeka Okafor. From there, the team struggled, especially on defense without Davis’s presence on the low block. Davis did return early from the shoulder injury, but his season ended for good on Jan. 30 when he stepped on someone else’s foot and broke a bone in the outside of his own foot. Davis is close to returning to basketball duties after spending the past three months in a walking boot and swimming for rehabilitation. He wants to remain in Orlando and lead the way for the team’s rebuilding, but it’s uncertain if he fits into the Magic’s long-term plans. He is signed for two more seasons, but he could be moved this offseason to a contender looking for a rugged defender. But if he’s back and healthy, Davis has proven that he can be a difference-maker on both ends of the floor. He seems to have matured – both as a person and a leader. If he’s back in Orlando, healthy and in shape, he could make a strong push toward an all-star appearance for the first time in his career.
MORE STORIES: Maurice Harkless | Tobias Harris | Jameer Nelson | Nikola Vucevic
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