The best single-season statistical averages for the Orlando Magic during the 2010s

The 2019-20 season isn’t even halfway over for the Orlando Magic, but the decade of the 2010s virtually is.

The decade wasn’t particularly kind to Orlando. After reaching the NBA Finals to cap the 2000s, the Magic made just four playoff appearances this decade and advanced past the first round just once.

Although there weren’t many great seasons for Orlando as a team, there were some solid individual campaigns. Here’s a look best at the best single-season averages for Magic players during the decade. We look at the 2009-10 season through last season:

Scoring: Dwight Howard, 22.9 points per game (2010-11)

The last season where he was relatively healthy, Dwight Howard averaged just shy of 23 points per contest. Howard scored a career-high 46 points in his first playoff game that season and wound up finishing second to Chicago Bulls’ guard Derrick Rose in the MVP voting. Howard’s 22.9 points per game ranked 11th in the NBA.

Rebounding: Dwight Howard, 14.5 rebounds per game (2011-12)

As he did five times in his NBA career, Dwight Howard’s 14.5 rebounds per game during the 2011-12 season led the league. It also served as a career-high for Howard and an Orlando Magic single-season record. Twice that season, Howard ripped down 25 rebounds in a game.

Assists: Jameer Nelson, 7.4 assists per game (2012-13)

During the first of many rebuilding years for the Orlando Magic, Jameer Nelson was forced to become more of a playmaker and that, he did. That season, Nelson averaged a career-high 7.4 assists per game, which was good for ninth in the NBA. His career-high of 15 assists came that season in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Nelson left the franchise as the all-time leader in assists.

Steals: Elfrid Payton, 1.7 steals per game (2014-15)

The top thief for the Orlando Magic for any season during the 2010s was guard Elfrid Payton during his rookie season. Payton’s 1.7 steals per contest ranked 13th in the NBA and tops among all rookies. Now in his sixth season, that remains a career-high for Payton.

Blocks: Dwight Howard, 2.8 blocks per game (2009-10)

Dwight Howard appears on the list for a third time and for a third different season. The first year of the decade saw Howard lead the league in blocked shots at nearly three per contest. That included a season-high nine in a playoff win over the Charlotte Bobcats. That season, Howard would win his second of three straight NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

Free Throws: J.J. Redick, .911 free throw percentage (2011-12)

When the Orlando Magic used a lottery pick on Duke guard J.J. Redick, they knew they were getting a pure shooter. From the charity stripe, Redick shot better than 91 percent during the 2011-12 season. Only Portland’s Jamal Crawford shot it better that year. All-time, Redick ranks third in Magic history in free throw percentage behind Scott Skiles and Darrell Armstrong.

3-Pointers: Arron Afflalo, .427 3-point percentage (2013-14)

During his final full season in Orlando, guard Arron Afflalo quietly put together a solid case for an All-Star bid. Afflalo averaged better than 18 points per game that season and proved deadly from beyond the arc. At nearly 43 percent from deep, Afflalo ranked seventh in the NBA in three-point percentage. It was the best mark for an Orlando player in five years.

Field Goals: Dwight Howard, .612 field goal percentage (2009-10)

During the 2009-10 season, which saw the Orlando Magic finish one win shy of a franchise record, Dwight Howard led the league in field goal percentage and set an Orlando record by shooting better than 61 percent from the field. Of the five best shooting seasons in Magic history, Howard holds four of them.