Orlando Magic Daily
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Top 5 NBA Jam duos for the 2018 Orlando Magic

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 16: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic goes to the basket against the Charlotte Hornets on December 16, 2015 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 16: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic goes to the basket against the Charlotte Hornets on December 16, 2015 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Evan Fournier, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards
WASHINGTON, DC –  MARCH 5: Evan Fournier #10 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball during a game against the Washington Wizards on March 5, 2017 at Verizon Center in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Terrence Ross & Evan Fournier

Ultimately, the video game is about scoring. And so the Magic’s NBA JAM team needs shooters. And 3-point shooting is the most effective jump shooting available in the game. So why not pair perhaps the Magic’s two best shooters?

Evan Fournier is the Magic’s best returning 3-point shooter. He hit on 35.6 percent of his 3-pointers last year, the top returning 3-point shooter on the team.

Terrence Ross is a good shooter, but struggled some in his run with the Magic. He hit on only 34.1 percent of his 3-point shots last year. That was still third-best on the team. Ross can be a better 3-point shooter.

If the Magic are hoping to spread the floor and get a 3-point shooting team going, it will require both Ross and Fournier on the floor. D.J. Augustin was the only other returning player to shoot better than 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. That is not good for a team hoping to run a more spread-the-floor, up-tempo offense.

The Ross-Fournier combination is going to be important for the team in real life — for what it is worth, the Magic had a -3.5 net rating with the duo on the floor — but it could be a good option for players if they were to play NBA JAM.

One of the classic NBA JAM duo styles is to pair two shooters and just find a way to get them 3-point shots. Those teams are always dangerous because it is always easy to catch the defense ball watching and draw them in to kick out for threes.

That works in a video game. And this would be one of the first duos I would think about running — especially since Ross is such a strong dunker.

In real life? The Magic will need both Fournier and Ross to improve their 3-point shooting significantly.