1996 Orlando Magic vs. 2006 Miami Heat

[eliteballer]

1996 Orlando Magic

60-22

Shaquille O'Neal: 26.6 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.1 BPG

Penny Hardaway: 21.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 7.1 APG, 2.0 SPG, 51 FG% All-NBA First-Team

Key Roleplayers: Horace Grant, Dennis Scott, Nick Anderson.

Coach: Brian Hill

2006 Miami Heat:

52-30

Shaquille O'Neal: 20 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.8 BPG

Dwayne Wade: 27.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2.0 SPG, 49.5 FG% NBA Finals MVP

Key Roleplayers: Jason Williams, Antoine Walker, Alonzo Mourning

Coach: Pat Riley

Who would win in a 7 game series? IMO, the Magic. They lost to arguably the greatest team in league history, Shaq was near or at his prime, and they went 60-22 with him only playing 54 games. Also, Penny was quite capable of having playoff explosions like Wade. Dropping 31 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, 2.4 SPG, 1.4 BPG on one of the best defensive teams in league history(the Heat) in 97.

[Richie2k6]

Key Roleplayers: Jason Williams, Udonis Haslem, Alonzo Mourning
Fixed. I think Orlando would win. Shaquille would just be too dominate, even for himself.

[LBJ 4 MVP]

Magic would win... 4 game sweep.

[johndeeregreen]

Do you mean "dominant"?

[Penny4MVP2k]

Talk about a mirror match...

(Penny + Shaq) - 10 = Magic in 5

[Lebron23]

1996 Orlando Magic would probably destroy the 2006 NBA Champions the Miami Heat. Prime Shaq is just too dominant to stop even an Old Shaq and the rest of the heat will have huge problem controlling the board and scoring inside the lane.

[tikay00]

you guys are forgetting, shaq on the magic was still a little raw, shaq on the heat knows all the little things that come with wisdom, so where young shaq would dominate athletically, older more knowledgable shaq can still hold his own, with positioning, anticipating where young shaq would spin, etc. Dwyane vs. penny aint even close, well i guess it is, but the flash that was in the finals beasting on the mavs, would destroy penny. They both have equal skills, but wade is much much more athletic and explosive. Even old mourning would eat up any reserve center the magic had too.

[Mean Joe Bean]

Prime Penny = Prime Wade

Prime Shaq > Shaq now

Magic easily.

[tikay00]

mean joe, you are so wrong on the penny vs. wade. Put it this way, kobe would destroy penny in every capacity in any of penny's primes. People are debating whether kobe or wade is better. Wade would murder penny one on one, and team ball, yes penny was like magic and all that, but can he stop wade at least 5 times in a game, never ever ever. Wade is toooo quick for penny ever.

[Loki]

Magic in 6 max imo.

[WADE MONEY]

mean joe, you are so wrong on the penny vs. wade. Put it this way, kobe would destroy penny in every capacity in any of penny's primes. People are debating whether kobe or wade is better. Wade would murder penny one on one, and team ball, yes penny was like magic and all that, but can he stop wade at least 5 times in a game, never ever ever. Wade is toooo quick for penny ever.

you're acting like Penny was a defensive matador or something. Didn't jordan say something like Prime Penny covered him as well as anyone has ever done?

[VCMVP1551]

Orlando would win in 5. Shaq wasn't in his prime yet but he was close. Miami would have no chance. A more interesting question would be the 2000 Lakers vs the 1996 Magic.

[raid09]

Orlando would win in 5. Shaq wasn't in his prime yet but he was close. Miami would have no chance. A more interesting question would be the 2000 Lakers vs the 1996 Magic.

'00 Shaq would dominate.

[Nym]

Prime Penny had speed and quickness, more so than any other 6'7 player at the time. I think Penny would give Wade more trouble than many may think- Penny was a good defensive player in his heyday.

And the Magic had better shooters - double team Penny or SHaq and you got 3-d or Anderson waiting to shoot those threes.

[go_blue]

magic win 5 games easy

[Penny4MVP2k]

mean joe, you are so wrong on the penny vs. wade. Put it this way, kobe would destroy penny in every capacity in any of penny's primes. People are debating whether kobe or wade is better. Wade would murder penny one on one, and team ball, yes penny was like magic and all that, but can he stop wade at least 5 times in a game, never ever ever. Wade is toooo quick for penny ever.

Umm... back in 96, Penny guarded the quickest of the quick; from the likes of KJ, Muggsy, Mookie, NVE, Terell Brandon, Timmy, GP, Kidd, Marbury, Iverson etc. day-in-and-day-out.

But to elaborate more on the matchup, I believe what people fail to remember, is that the Magic were one of the premier offensive teams back in the mid 90's. They would thrive off of Wade's 4-5 turnovers per in this series and easily put up 10 points just off that alone.

[White Chocolate]

The only thing that stopped the Magic in 1996 was the Bulls. I don't think the Sonics would have beaten them, even with home court. 1996 Magic would destroy the 2006 Heat. Horrible comparison.

Though, the 1996 Magic and 1997 Heat would be a better comparison.

[baby_jordan_23]

Magic win easily cuz Shaq just isn't that dominant he used to be back with magic in the 90's.

[Nym]

I think if Horace Grant didn't get injured, the Magic probably wouldn't have been swept. The Magic without Horace were 10-8 and they were 44-10 with him. Grant was in his prime, and he seemed like he was always there to clean up a play.

Rodman defended Shaq superbly. He really got him frustrated- he shoved Rodman onto the floor after a foul call. Still, even though I am sure he got Shaq frustrated by his trash talk, he defended Shaq better than anyone else I've seen that year.

Does anyone else besides me think that Horace faked his injury during the playoffs? The Chicago crowd were chanting "HORACE HORACE HORACE" very loud, and he may have cracked under the pressure. At first, he was holding his right elbow like it was in pain. Then on the next play, he was clutching the *wrong* elbow- his left elbow - and was grimacing in pain and was then called to the bench, where he sat out the remaining games injured. Horace also had a reputation of having 'blue knees' (as one Orlando Sentinel writer wrote ) whenever he was facing former teammates like Shaq during the 97-99 seasons.

[Wade's Rings]

Prime Penny = Prime Wade

Prime Shaq > Shaq now

Magic easily.

:oldlol: