1997–98 Orlando Magic season

The 1997–98 Orlando Magic season was the ninth season for the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association.^[1] During the off-season, the Magic hired Chuck Daly as their new head coach; Daly led the Detroit Pistons to two consecutive NBA championships between 1989 and 1990.^[2][3][4] The team also acquired former All-Star guard Mark Price from the Golden State Warriors,^[5][6][7] acquired Derek Harper and Ed O'Bannon from the Dallas Mavericks,^[8][9][10] and signed free agent Bo Outlaw.^[11][12][13] However, O'Bannon was released to free agency shortly before the regular season began.^[14]

Under Daly and with the addition of Price, Harper and Outlaw, the Magic got off to a solid 16–7 start to the regular season, which included a six-game winning streak in November. However, the team struggled losing nine of their next ten games, as Penny Hardaway only played just 19 games due to a left knee injury.^[15][16][17] The team posted a seven-game losing streak in January, as Darrell Armstrong was out for the remainder of the season after 48 games, due to a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.^[18][19] The Magic signed free agent Vernon Maxwell in January, but released him to free agency after eleven games, as he later on signed with the Charlotte Hornets.^[20][21] The Magic fell below .500 in winning percentage, and held a 23–25 record at the All-Star break.^[22]

At mid-season, the team traded Rony Seikaly to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Greg Foster and Chris Morris;^[23][24][25] however, the trade was voided due to Seikaly failing to report to the Jazz within the 48-hour deadline, because of a foot injury.^[26][27][28] Instead, he was then traded along with second-year forward Brian Evans to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for David Benoit, Kevin Edwards and Yinka Dare; Dare never played for the Magic and was soon released to free agency.^[29][30][31] Before the trade, Seikaly averaged 15.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in 47 games.^[32] After the trade, the Magic signed free agent and former Slam Dunk champion Spud Webb to a 10-day contract, as he appeared in four games for the team before being waived.^[33][34] The Magic played above .500 for the remainder of the season, and finished in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with a 41–41 record;^[35] the team failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 1992–93 season.^[1]

Hardaway averaged 16.4 points, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, but struggled shooting .377 in field-goal percentage. In Hardaway's absence, Nick Anderson stepped up averaging 15.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in 58 games, while Derek Strong played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 12.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game also in 58 games, and Horace Grant provided the team with 12.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. In addition, Outlaw had a stellar season averaging 9.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.2 blocks per game, and shooting .554 in field-goal percentage, while Price contributed 9.5 points and 4.7 assists per game, Armstrong provided with 9.2 points and 4.9 assists per game, and Harper contributed 8.6 points and 3.5 assists per game. Meanwhile, Danny Schayes became the team's starting center after Seikaly was traded, averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, Benoit contributed 5.8 points per game in 24 games after the trade, and Wilkins contributed 5.3 points per game, but struggled as he shot just .325 in field-goal percentage.^[32]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, Hardaway was selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his fourth and final All-Star appearance.^[36][37][38] Hardaway was voted by the fans as the starting point guard for the Eastern Conference despite his knee injury, which drew controversy.^[39][40] Anderson finished tied in fourth place in Most Improved Player voting, while Outlaw finished tied in eighth place;^[41][42] Outlaw also finished tied in fifth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while Grant finished tied in eleventh place, and Daly finished tied in ninth place in Coach of the Year voting.^[42]

The Magic finished 18th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 667,322 at the Orlando Arena during the regular season.^[32][43] Following the season, Price retired after twelve seasons in the NBA,^[44] while Harper signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers,^[45][46] and Benoit and Edwards were both released to free agency.^[47]