The greatest sixth man from each NBA team

Greatest sixth man in Orlando Magic history: Darrell Armstrong

When Shaquille O’Neal left the Orlando Magic in the mid-90s they tumbled from contention, bouncing in and out of the playoffs and never making it past the first round. Yet, they did not post a losing record until 2003-04, sustained by players such as Penny Hardaway, Horace Grant and Darrell Armstrong.

Armstrong played the first nine seasons of his career on the Magic, starting as an end-of-rotation player who worked his way into a featured role off the bench. In the lockout-shortened 1998-99 seasons, he came out ready to play, appearing in all 50 games for a Chuck Daly-coached team that had its best finish since O’Neal’s departure.

Once merely Hardaway’s backup Armstrong began playing extended minutes alongside Hardaway, allowing him to stay on the court for longer stints. His 30 minutes per game ranked fourth on the team despite coming off the bench, and his 13.8 points were third on the defensively-minded squad.

Armstrong won Sixth Man of the Year for his efforts in 1999, an acknowledgment of his strong season. He parlayed that into a spot in the starting lineup the next season, leading the team in scoring. Despite spending half of his Magic career as a bench player Armstrong is still in the top-10 in points scored in team history.