5 Orlando Magic

Juwan Howard may have pulled off the most impressive feat of his career last season. In the final year of a seven-year, $105 million contract, he had—rightly or wrongly—become Exhibit A when fans talked about hypercompensated pro athletes. He turned 30, the age at which many NBA players' skills begin to desert them. He was in the hoops necropolis of Denver, playing for a team that won only 17 games. And in spite of all that, Howard's spirits remained buoyant and he didn't dog it on the court. "It's all part of the business," says the 6'9" Howard, who averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds. "You get paid to do a job, you do it."

Perhaps as a karmic reward for being a good soldier, Howard gets to do his job under more agreeable circumstances this season. Over the summer he signed a free-agent deal with playoff-bound Orlando. If Howard's new salary—$28 million over five years—is relatively modest, so too are the accompanying expectations. His job description: Alleviate the pressure on Tracy McGrady, who accounted for nearly one third of the Magic's scoring last season while also leading the team in total rebounds, assists and blocks. "If I can come in and give us 18 [points] and eight [rebounds] every night," Howard says, "it's clear that's going to be a big help."

Less clear is how he will play alongside emerging forward Drew Gooden, a smooth-shooting, inside-outside threat whose play (and even physical appearance) is reminiscent of Howard's. Magic coach Doc Rivers is optimistic the two can coexist, though that will likely mean alternating the 250-pound Howard among the frontcourt positions. "I'll play wherever Doc wants me to," he says. Give him credit: While Howard may no longer be the Man, he has decidedly been a man about his basketball fortunes.