NBA2K adding all-time teams for each franchise, who represents the Orlando Magic

NBA2K announced it will have all-time franchise teams in its next edition of the game. Who represents the all-time Orlando Magic?

Players have been waiting — or DM’ing — with bated breath as NBA2K has begun releasing information about its latest game.

The NBA2K brand is strong as it has become THE video game for basketball fans and players. It is the whole basketball world’s obsession for several weeks in the run up to every season.

NBA2K has only continued to add new features to the game and new ways for everyone to play.

It started when the game added classic teams a few years ago. That included the 1995 Orlando Magic. That seemed worth the $50-$60 it cost to buy the game.

Then came the online MyTeam mode where players could collect cards of current players and former players. This year’s Orlando Magic set included the entire current roster — with a Grant Hill bonus card for collecting the entire team. It also included classic Magic players like 2000 Tracy McGrady, 2008 Dunk Champion Dwight Howard, 1994 Anfernee Hardaway and 1995 Shaquille O’Neal. It also featured non-star players like 2005 Bo Outlaw (why that Bo Outlaw? Who knows?), 1999 Horace Grant and 2008 Steve Francis.

Magic players from all eras are represented in the game. It is a fun way to connect to the team’s history. And nobody ever thought they would say, “I really need to get the most from 1989 Sam Vincent to win this game.”

NBA2K18 is going to take things to the next level next season, enticing NBA history buffs even more.

NBA2K unveiled it will include an all-time team for every NBA franchise. You can pick your jaw up off the floor:

The opportunity to team up Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee Hardaway and Tracy McGrady is enough to shell out the $60 it costs for the game. Not to mention playing with Jonathan Isaac, Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon and the current Orlando Magic, right?

Well, at least they got Evan Fournier right this time.

With this new team mode unveiled, it has me thinking about who would make up the Magic’s All-Time team. NBA2K has not unveiled anything more than the above tweet. So it is unclear whether they will have any restrictions — like each player can only represent one team. That would certainly throw a wrench into designing the team.

For now, let’s assume 2K will make a true all-time team for each squad. Who then makes the cut for the Magic?

Last year on Orlando Magic Daily, we ranked the top 25 players in Magic history. That should get us started on who should make the cut.

Our panel last year named Dwight Howard the team’s best player of all time. So I will slot him in at one of the center spots. But there is a strong argument for  O’Neal. I would anticipate O’Neal will be the starting center for 2K’s all-time Magic team. O’Neal is overall the better player and Howard is still in the league. Any team with both O’Neal and Howard on it is going to be just fine.

And depending on the version of Howard you use, Howard could play some power forward like he did early in his career. That, of course, was not where he was best.

The point guard and first wing position are fairly easy to sort out. Anfernee Hardaway and Tracy McGrady complete the Magic’s clear-cut Mount Rushmore. McGrady is the best scorer in team history. If he only could have played on a winning team. And Hardaway defines the Magic for a generation along with O’Neal. They are no-brainers to start together.

We rounded out our top five last year with Hedo Turkoglu, a bit of a controversial choice at the time. Hedo Turkoglu had two very good seasons with the Magic and was instrumental in the team’s run to the NBA Finals. The 2009 or 2008 version of Turkoglu definitely deserves to be somewhere on this team.

Instead, I would start our No. 6 player from last year’s list — Nick Anderson. The original Magic player still holds a special nostalgic place in everyone’s heart around the Amway Center. But Nick Anderson was a great player in his own right. He scored 50 points in one game and had a strong post game for a guard. Anderson cut his teeth as a defensive player and grew into a knock-down 3-point shooter. He is the kind of player every team needs to round out their lineup.

When it comes to who starts at power forward, you get to pick between two distinct styles. Rashard Lewis changed the game when he agreed to shift to power forward and start the run of stretch-4s we are seeing in the league today. Rashard Lewis was one of the pioneers. He was a very good shooter and could hold his own defensively.

The other choice is Horace Grant. At the time he signed with the Magic, Grant was the definition of mid-1990s power forward. He made the All-Star team in 1994 with the Chicago Bulls for good measure. He was a tough-nosed defender and could step out to 18 feet and reliably hit a jumper. I actually think NBA2K underrates his jump shooting. But that is just me.

The backup point guard spot will go to Jameer Nelson. Especially if it is 2009 Jameer Nelson. Nelson was high on our list last year largely because of his longevity. But he earns serious consideration because he proved to be a solid player overall. The other point guard options — Darrell Armstrong and Scott Skiles — had their moments. Especially Armstrong, but Nelson is the guy.

Dennis Scott rightfully rounds out the Magic’s two-deep. He is perhaps the Magic’s best shooter of all-time and changed the league with his ability to hit 3-pointers. He was one of the league’s first shooting specialists. Not to mention a great character and fan favorite.

It is a crime that NBA2K has not managed to put a Darrell Armstrong in their game quite yet. He is a hidden secret for Magic fans. His energy on defense was infectious. But he could also score, topping out at 16.2 points per game in the 2000 season. At the very least, NBA2K needs to make a Darrell Armstrong MyTeam card this year.

Putting Armstrong on the roster makes Scott Skiles the biggest snub on the team. But we have to build a complete roster — for MyTeam I usually do a two-deep with a third point guard, a wing and a big to keep some balance.

Nikola Vucevic is probably the only current player who someone could argue should make the all-time Magic team. Longevity is on his side, but he has produced in every year. His numbers are solid — 15.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

But I think this team should go for some a bit more historical (you can play with Nikola Vucevic on the current team). And I think they should look for a bit more versatility.

So I go with another fan favorite — workhorse Bo Outlaw. Outlaw will not score much, but he will defend at a high level and get rebounds. That may not work so great in a video game. But Magic history starts to thin out at some point.

I round out the roster with Grant Hill. True, Hill played only 195 games in six seasons (32.5 per season!). But Hill still produced at a high level. He averaged 16.4 points per game and shot 50.0 percent from the floor. When he was healthy, at least, he was still very productive. And in this video game, we get a healthy Hill.

So here is my 13-man team:

The snubs are Scott Skiles, Nikola Vucevic, Steve Francis and Vince Carter. Vince Carter could make a claim to enter the group over Grant Hill or Bo Outlaw. And J.J. Redick might also make a claim to the roster.

But even the 15-man roster I named, looks pretty strong. McGrady and O’Neal are Hall of Fame players. Even with their short four-year stints with the Magic, they left an indelible imprint on the franchise. Hardaway was also an all-NBA player in his career with the Magic. And Howard was one of the best players in the league with the Magic.

Orlando should have a fairly strong all-time team no matter how you pick it for NBA2K18. This is a fun idea to get to know each team’s history a little bit more — just like the MyTeam history cards.

Will you be playing as the All-Time Magic in NBA2K18? Which players would make up your team?

Next: An all-time BIG3 and NBA JAM team for the Orlando Magic

Also be sure to check out our series last year on the top 25 players in Magic history. You can check out all five parts — 21-25, 16-20, 11-15, 6-10, 1-5. And stay tuned next week for an exciting project from the OMD staff looking at Magic history.