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The Orlando Magic had several reasons to be optimistic about their 15th Anniversary season. After taking the top-seeded Detroit Pistons to seven games in the playoffs last year the consensus was that the Orlando Magic was on the verge of a special season. With the addition of veteran forward Juwan Howard and point guard Tyronn Lue to help superstar Tracy McGrady, expectations were high.
Unfortunately things just never came together for the Orlando Magic in the 2003-2004 season. After winning the season opener in New York, Orlando lost a franchise record 19 straight games. Injuries once again plagued the Orlando Magic, and they were never able to recover from their brutal start. Grant Hill was unavailable all season, and Pat Garrity saw action in only one game as he spent the year recovering from knee surgery.
Though the 21-61 campaign was more than a little disappointing the Orlando Magic did have some bright moments. Tracy McGrady was the NBA Scoring Champion for the second straight season and on February 2nd McGrady became the second-youngest player in the history of the NBA to reach 10,000 points in a career. McGrady also rewrote the Orlando Magic record books when he exploded for a franchise record 62 points in a March 10th win over the Washington Wizards.
McGrady was once again electrifying on the court, but it was off-the-court changes that are going to shape the Orlando Magic over the next few seasons. Johnny Davis was promoted to head coach in Novermber, and John Weisbrod was named the new General Manager in March. With new leadership in place and a new attitude being formed, the Orlando Magic will look to restore optimism and put themselves back in the playoffs.
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