2000–01 Orlando Magic season

Off-season

The Magic received the fifth overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Mike Miller from the University of Florida; the team also selected point guard Keyon Dooling from the University of Missouri with the tenth overall pick, and selected shooting guard Courtney Alexander out of Fresno State University with the 13th overall pick.^[2][3][4] However, the Magic soon traded Dooling to the Los Angeles Clippers, and traded Alexander to the Dallas Mavericks on draft day.^[5][2][6]

During the off-season, the Magic acquired Tracy McGrady from the Toronto Raptors,^[7][8][9] and acquired All-Star forward Grant Hill from the Detroit Pistons.^[10][8][9] The Magic had nearly signed then-free agent All-Star forward Tim Duncan, offering him a six-year contract worth $67.5 million; Duncan led the San Antonio Spurs to their first championship title the year before. However, Duncan would re-sign with the Spurs.^[11][12][13] Additionally, the Magic also signed free agents Troy Hudson, Dee Brown and Don Reid, and acquired Andrew DeClercq from the Cleveland Cavaliers.^[14][15][16]

For the season, the Magic redesigned their primary logo.^[17] The team also slightly redesigned their home and road uniforms, adding their new alternate logo on the right leg of their shorts. The team's new primary logo would remain in use until 2010.

Regular season

However, despite the addition of McGrady, Hill and Miller, Hill re-injured his left ankle from the previous season after only playing just four games, and was out for the remainder of the regular season, as the Magic struggled losing 11 of their first 16 games in November.^[18][19][20] Meanwhile, Brown only appeared in just seven games due to a left quadricep tendon injury.^[21] Despite losing both Hill and Brown, the Magic posted a nine-game winning streak between January and February, held a 25–23 record at the All-Star break,^[22] and returned to the NBA playoffs after a one-year absence, finishing in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 43–39 record, and earning the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference.^[23]

McGrady averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, and was named the NBA Most Improved Player of the Year,^[24][25][26] and was also named to the All-NBA Second Team. In addition, Hill averaged 13.8 points, and 6.3 rebounds and assists per game each during his short four-game stint, while Darrell Armstrong provided the team with 15.9 points, 7.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game, along with 143 three-point field goals, Miller contributed 11.9 points per game, led the Magic with 148 three-point field goals, and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, and was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team,^[27][28][29] and Bo Outlaw averaged 7.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. Off the bench, Pat Garrity contributed 8.3 points per game, while John Amaechi provided with 7.9 points per game, and Michael Doleac averaged 6.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.^[30]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., McGrady and Hill were both selected for the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team, although Hill did not participate due to his ankle injury; it was McGrady's first ever All-Star appearance.^[31][32][33] In addition, McGrady also participated in the NBA 2Ball Competition, along with Nykesha Sales of the WNBA's Orlando Miracle,^[34][35] while Miller was selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Rookies team,^[36][37] and Garrity participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout.^[34][38] McGrady also finished in sixth place in Most Valuable Player voting.^[39][40]

The Magic finished 23rd in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 605,031 at the TD Waterhouse Centre during the regular season.^[30][41]

NBA playoffs

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 2001 NBA playoffs, the Magic faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Central Division champion Milwaukee Bucks, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Ray Allen, All-Star forward Glenn Robinson, and Sam Cassell. The Magic lost the first two games to the Bucks on the road at the Bradley Center, but managed to win Game 3 at home in overtime, 121–116 at the TD Waterhouse Centre, in which McGrady posted a double-double of 42 points and 10 assists.^[42] However, the Magic lost Game 4 to the Bucks at home, 112–104, thus losing the series in four games.^[43][44][45]

Aftermath

Following the season, Amaechi signed as a free agent with the Utah Jazz,^[46][47] and Doleac was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on draft day.^[48][49]

Roster notes

• Small forward Grant Hill played 4 games (his last game being on December 12, 2000), but missed the rest of the season and the playoffs due to having season-ending surgery on his left ankle, which involved removing a metal plate and five screws from the inside portion of Hill's ankle, and replacing the plate with a bone graft from his pelvis, then inserting new screws.^[20]

Season standings

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

Regular season

Playoffs