1992–93 Orlando Magic season
The 1992–93 NBA season was the Magic's fourth season in the National Basketball Association. This season held a lot of promise as LSU center Shaquille O'Neal was drafted first overall by the Magic in the 1992 NBA draft. Meanwhile, the Magic signed free agent Donald Royal during the off-season. There were predictions that O'Neal would become the next dominant center in the NBA. Shaq became an instant superstar with merchandising that rivaled only Michael Jordan.
| 1992–93 Orlando Magic season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Matt Guokas |
| Arena | Orlando Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 41–41 (.500) |
| Place | Division: 4th (Atlantic) Conference: 9th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WKCF Sunshine Network |
| Radio | WDBO |
The Magic started to show improvement winning eight of their first eleven games, but then lost six straight afterwards in December, as the team acquired Steve Kerr from the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Magic continued to play .500 basketball with a 24–23 record at the All-Star break. However, the team had various problems with injuries as Dennis Scott only played 54 games due to calf and Achilles injuries, and second-year center Brian Williams missed most of the season due to clinical depression, including a suicide attempt, only playing just 21 games. The Magic finished fourth in the Atlantic Division with a 41–41 record, and lost a tie-breaker for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference to the 8th-seeded Indiana Pacers.
O'Neal averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game, as he was named Rookie of the Year. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, was selected for the 1993 NBA All-Star Game, which was his first ever All-Star appearance, and also finished in seventh place in Most Valuable Player voting. In addition, Nick Anderson finished second on the team in scoring averaging 19.9 points, and contributed 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, while Scott averaged 15.9 points per game, Scott Skiles provided the team with 15.4 points and 9.7 assists per game, and Royal contributed 9.2 points per game off the bench.
Following the season, Kerr signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls, while Williams was traded to the Denver Nuggets, head coach Matt Guokas resigned after four seasons coaching the Magic, and Terry Catledge retired.