Before the start of the NBA season many questions remained about the Orlando Magic’s prospects for the future.

• Could Jameer Nelson finally become an elite point guard in the league?
• Would Hedo Turkoglu really perform as well as he did last season when he won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award?
• Would Mickael Pietrus be a good fit in the Magic’s system as the starting shooting guard?
• Would Dwight Howard have to carry the team on his shoulders once again?
• Was signing Rashard Lewis to a six-year, $118 million contract really worth all the money?

These types of questions circulated around the entire NBA questioning the Magic’s integrity and if they really had it in them to make it past the second round of the playoffs.

ESPN NBA analyst John Hollinger stated in his Orlando Magic '08-09 NBA Season Preview that the team had more negative indicators than positive ones.

Nelson had ended his third season with 10.9 PPG, a career-high 5.6 APG, 3.5 RPG, with nearly one steal, and shot 46.9% from the field and 82.8% from the free-throw line. But questions arose about whether or not Nelson was ever going to become an elite point guard in the NBA. Analysts bashed the six-footer questioning his ability to take control and become a leading role player for the Magic.

Others suggested that Nelson needed to work on his shooting percentage and his decision making before he could ever be considered among the league's elite. They also stated that fans should not be surprised if Coach Stan Van Gundy replaced Nelson in the starting lineup with veteran Anthony Johnson if Nelson’s struggles continued.

Nelson entered the season taking all the negativity that he heard around the league as motivation. He lit it up, averaging a career-high 16.7 PPG, 5.4 APG, 3.5 RPG and 1.2 SPG. Nelson’s shooting skyrocketed to 50.3% from the field and 88.7% from the charity strike. He also reduced his turnover average to fewer than two per game, winning the NBA Player of the Week award and the NBA Player of the Month award. Nelson was selected as an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve for the first time in his career and was finally getting noticed as one of the best point guards in his conference.

He helped the Magic beat the San Antonio Spurs twice, dropping 24 points in the first contest in Orlando and 22 in the second at San Antonio.  The Magic also pulled off two wins against the high and mighty Los Angeles Lakers thanks in no small part to Nelson, who scored 27 in the first tilt and 28 in the second.

But shortly after that, Nelson’s season came to an abrupt end after he suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder, forcing him to undergo surgery.
Hedo Turkoglu is now in his eighth season in the NBA. After last year’s dynamic performance which earned Turk the Most Improved Player award, experts around the league questioned whether or not he would be able to post those types of numbers again.

Through 62 games this season, Turk was averaging 17 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.7 APG. He has provided the Magic with a vast amount of scoring, dropping 20 or more points 26 times including three 30-plus point performances. Turk ranked fourth in the league in fourth quarter points last season behind a few of the most elite players in the game today: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Kobe Bryant. This season when the Magic are down in the fourth quarter, every Orlando fan knows what time it is: TURK TIME!

With all the hype about acquiring Mickael Pietrus before the beginning of the season, the real surprise has turned out to be rookie shooting guard Courtney Lee. Lee was placed into the starting lineup immediately and has been assigned to defend players like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady, Manu Ginobili and many of the league's other top scorers.

Lee has proven to be a steal for the Magic. He has now started in 23 of the 58 games he has played. He is shooting 42.1% from the beyond the three-point line and has put up exceptional numbers across the board. Especially with the numerous injuries that Pietrus has suffered, Lee has already turned into the most consistent shooting guard on the Magic roster.

Dwight Howard? Well, he is the Superman of this era (sorry, Shaq). He is putting up career-high numbers, averaging 21 PPG, 14 RPG (best in league), 2.9 BPG (best in league) and has posted 49 double-doubles (another league best). Howard is the most dominant center in the NBA today and continues to improve each and every game.

While he is the centerpiece of the Magic, the weapons surrounding him are what have made the team what they are today. In fact, Howard missed two games this season (for the first time in his four-year career) while on the road, in which the Magic were victorious in both.

But the Magic need Howard to remain healthy throughout the rest of the season and deep into the playoffs. He has the responsibility of carrying the team on his shoulders and will be the deciding factor in Orlando’s success.

The last question deals with Rashard Lewis and the signing of his hefty deal. Most people would say that he is not worth that much money, but I beg to differ. Shard has the most 3PTM in the entire league with 180 and is showing outstanding intensity this season. He is putting up better averages in virtually every category compared to last season and looks a lot more comfortable on the Magic roster this year. Lewis is learning to attack the basket instead of settling for jumpers and is slowly turning into an all-around player. He has three double-doubles on the season and has dished out four or more assists 22 times. In the eyes of this Magic fan, Lewis’s contract was well worth it as he is in the midst of his prime.

The questions that were left up in the air have finally been answered throughout the season. The Magic players have improved tremendously and have broken through due to their fantastic effort this year. Currently standing at 46-17, 3rd place in the Eastern Conference, only 2.5 games behind Boston, with the best road record in the league at 22-10, the Magic will continue to shock more fans, expert analysts and other NBA teams before the season comes to an end.

Do not rule out the Magic during the playoffs as this will go down as a season to remember; especially with all the hype going to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.