Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

5 biggest snubs off the NBA2K18 All-Time Orlando Magic team

By Philip Rossman-Reich

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Rashard Lewis #9 and Hedo Turkoglu #15 of the Orlando Magic high five during Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. 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 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - JUNE 7: Rashard Lewis #9 and Hedo Turkoglu #15 of the Orlando Magic high five during Game Two of the 2009 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on June 7, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. 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 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 7
Next
Ryan Anderson, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets
DENVER, CO – APRIL 22: Ryan Anderson #33 of the Orlando Magic takes a shot against Javale Mcgee #34 of the Denver Nuggets on April 22, 2012 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. 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 2012 NBAE (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Ryan Anderson (2010-2012)

The all-time Orlando Magic are missing Rashard Lewis. He should be on the team and the only reason he is not is because 2K could not secure his rights (I will have more to say on guys 2K does not have rights to in a moment). So if the Magic cannot have Lewis, why not bring in the closest facsimile to him?

That would be his eventual replacement Ryan Anderson.

Anderson was probably not a better player than Lewis. But he proved himself to be an effective stretch-4 and made Lewis expendable in the 2011 season as Lewis dealt with a knee injury (Rashard Lewis was never the same after Orlando traded him for Gilbert Arenas).

Anderson played three years in Orlando. He averaged only 11.4 points per game and shot a 54.9 percent effective field goal percentage. But it sure felt like it was a bit more. For a stretch-4 too, Anderson was a surprisingly effective offensive rebounder.

Anderson has expanded his game some since leaving Orlando. With the Magic, he was pretty much just a spot-up shooter. But he was deadly effective at it.

Not to mention, Anderson remains an extremely popular player with the Magic. If the 2K all-time team is also a statement about which players were popular too, Anderson is definitely someone Magic fans would be excited to play as. And, like other players on this list, Magic fans wanted to bring him back (and lament letting him leave in free agency at the beginning of this rebuild).

Anderson is still an active player. So he would be available for 2K to pull onto the team (if I understand the rights agreements correctly).

The Magic have had quite a few solid stretch-4s. And since they cannot get their best stretch-4 on the roster, Anderson is the next best option. And a solid one at that.