In the beginning of his prime, things really picked up for Magic. At 26, he earned .226 win shares per 48 and 12.1 over the course of the season. In 72 games (70 starts), he averaged 18.8 points, 12.6 assists and 5.9 rebounds across 35.8 minutes. That's good enough for a box plus-minus of 5.9.

Despite his best efforts, the Lakers only made it as far as the Western Conference Finals before fizzling out at the hands of the Houston Rockets. Nevertheless, Magic made the All-Star team and was again voted to the All-NBA First Team.