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

NBA2K18 largely gets the all-time Orlando Magic team right. But there are a few players they left off that Magic fans would have liked to see on the team.

In a simple Facebook post, NBA2K sparked a debate and some outrage among Orlando Magic fans. And probably a few other fan bases.

NBA2K18’s addition of all-time teams was bound to cause some controversy and a bit of a stir. Especially considering there were player rights involved or players who did not give permission to use their likeness.

Still, the Magic’s all-time roster got the main guys in and got most of the roster correct — or at least correct according to what I selected when the initial idea was announced. I picked a 13-man roster and got 11 of the 13 players correct. The only two I missed were Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu — more on them in a minute.

So the all-time Magic are pretty much the team everyone would want to play if they are Magic history buffs like me. This is a solid representation of the Magic’s all-time roster.

But there were definitely points of contention. The big one is Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. They are the two guys I missed and undoubtedly should be in the game.

There are all indications they — along with the 2009 Magic — would have been included in NBA2K18 if they could. Unfortunately, it appears neither Turkoglu nor Lewis have signed the agreement with the NBRPA for inclusion in the game.

If they had, 2K would definitely include them on the all-time team. Turkoglu might even be among the starters.

Ronnie2K has at least put out a call to get Turkoglu in the game next year:

So we will just have to excuse Turkoglu and Lewis’ exclusion. At least, for now. There were still some other questionable decisions for the all-time Magic team.

Most fans asked why Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic were included on the team. It seems like every team has at least one modern player. And, in fairness to Nikola Vucevic, he is probably the third best center in Magic history. His inclusion is not so crazy.

But Aaron Gordon seems a bit aspirational. There were at least four 2K17 MyTeam cards of Gordon that rated higher than the 80 he is on the all-time team in 2K18. But it still seems a bit premature to put him on the team.

And the most egregious inclusion appears to be Brian Shaw. He started only 41 games in three seasons, averaging 6.7 points per game and 4.6 assists per game. Considering the Magic already had Anfernee Hardaway, Darrell Armstrong, Jameer Nelson and Steve Francis on the roster, it seemed adding an extra point guard was a bit . . . much.

Not that Brian Shaw was a bad player. He was a great backup point guard. But he was definitely not among the best players in Magic history. And there were plenty of other players who deserved to be on the team who ended up getting snubbed.

Although there are some debates about Steve Francis’ inclusion (I have no problem with it) or Grant Hill getting the nod at starting small forward (I believe he should be on the team).

While fans argue about who should be included in the team, there comes the next argument: Who would you add in?

Lewis and Turkoglu are the obvious answers. But they are not in the game. So there is no point arguing for them. What other players that have been in previous versions of NBA2K deserve a nod on the all-time Orlando Magic?

Glad you asked. Here are at least some suggestions on who should make the team.

Vince Carter (2010-11)

Outside of Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, no player probably has gotten more support for addition to the all-time Orlando Magic team than Daytona Beach-native Vince Carter.

Some of it is probably some form of local nostalgia or nostalgia for what Carter was with the Toronto Raptors — he is on the all-time Raptors, by the way. And some of it is probably wishing the 2009 or 2010 Magic ended up in the game. Obviously, Lewis and Turkoglu’s absence prevented that. So no one would complain about getting more players from those teams on there.

Carter played only 1.5 years with the Magic (and not even that since he got traded in December of his second year). So he does not have longevity. But that did not disqualify Francis. He did not play for the Magic much longer than Carter.

Carter’s time with Orlando is ultimately viewed as a disappointment despite the wave of nostalgia about Carter. The Magic represented the best teams Carter ever played on and the furthest he ever advanced in the Playoffs. And far too often in the 2010 season, a team some consider the best in Magic history, Carter faded into the background. That became a problem in the Playoffs, especially in the Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Boston Celtics.

Overall, Carter averaged 16.3 points per game and shot a 49.3 percent effective field goal percentage. Those are hardly poor numbers. Carter may not have been an All Star in Orlando, but he was still a very solid player. Just maybe not the player the Magic needed to get over the top and win a championship.

Carter is still immensely popular. There were some fans who wanted Orlando to bring him back as a free agent this summer. And since he is an active player, he is definitely going to be in the game — and, again, is on the Raptors All-Time team.

Carter probably should be first in line to get on the all-time Magic team in 2K18. And the fact he is not on considering some of the other picks is a bit confusing.

Mike Miller (2001-03)

It is hard to imagine why NBA2K left off one of the Magic’s few award winners off the Magic’s all-time team.

Mike Miller won the 2001 Rookie of the Year Award as a key part of the Magic’s run to the 2001 Playoffs and quickly established himself as one of the best shooters on the team. He was a perfect complement to Tracy McGrady — and Mike Miller and Tracy McGrady became fast friends.

In all, Miller averaged 14.1 points per game and shot a 50.6 percent effective field goal percentage in 2.5 seasons with the Magic. He shot 38.0 percent from beyond the arc. And he would prove he was just scratching the surface.

Miller was a solid player and a great shooter. One of the best in Magic history. And he certainly would have been if he had stayed with the team. Orlando traded him at the deadline in 2003 for Drew Gooden and Gordan Giricek.

Orlando Magic

The thing that is clear is the Magic’s depth of solid players does get thin. Miller is not someone who sticks out. And as far as star power goes, other players even on this list might make a bit more sense.

But Miller still won an award in a Magic uniform. His injury in the 2002 season knocked the team slightly off course (although the team finished fifth in the Eastern Conference that year, the highest of the McGrady era). It would have been nice to see what he could have done with a fuller career in Orlando. Neither Drew Gooden nor Gordan Giricek lived up to what Miller would become with the Memphis Grizzlies.

And this is where 2K’s logic seems to fall flat. Orlando clearly needed another wing player for their depth chart (instead of Brian Shaw) and Mike Miller was one of the players sitting there. Miller appeared in NBA2K17 as an active player with the Denver Nuggets and as a member of the historic collection with the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies.

In NBA2K18, Miller will appear on the all-time Grizzlies team. He seemed like he would be a great addition to the all-time Magic team, adding some much-needed shooting.

His overall historical impact may not be the greatest. But this is a guy who was Rookie of the Year with the Magic.

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.

Arron Afflalo (2013-14)

Arron Afflalo has the unfortunate distinction of being the best player on two of the worst teams in Magic history. That is just kind of how things shook out for him.

Afflalo came to Orlando as part of the Dwight Howard trade and got thrust into a role he was willing to try but probably was not a best fit for. That is what happens with bad teams. Someone has to carry the scoring load. Their ability to do so efficiently is probably not there.

Still, Afflalo became one of the best raw scorers in Magic history. He averaged 17.4 points per game and shot a surprisingly efficient 50.2 percent effective field goal percentage. Afflalo was a solid player in the mid-post for a shooting guard and grew as a 3-point shooter.

Afflalo did his best in the role he had. Perhaps the Magic needed a better playmaker. And clearly, the Magic were readying to move Arron Afflalo out of the way for Victor Oladipo to get his opportunity. But Afflalo would hardly be a poor selection for the Magic. His time with Orlando was good.

Afflalo is still an active player and is back in Orlando. He seems very excited about the opportunity to play for the Magic again. Exceedingly so.

Last year on NBA2K17’s MyTeam game mode, Afflalo was included in the Magic historic collection. They rated him an 80 as an emerald card. That 80 overall rating would put him even with Aaron Gordon and Bo Outlaw on the 2K18 All-Time roster. So Afflalo is probably right on the outside of getting onto the All-Time team.

Even though the Magic as a team struggled while Afflalo was the team’s key player, Afflalo did not disappoint with his performance. It deserves some consideration to make the team.

Victor Oladipo (2014-16)

Victor Oladipo was the best option with the second overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft in a draft full of bad options. It is not his fault he became the highest overall selection the Magic would take and quickly the centerpiece to the Magic’s rebuild. He was probably never meant to be that star.

But, every year it seemed like the Magic were waiting for him to take that star leap. He improved in each of his three years with Orlando but was never quite what the team needed. In his final year in Orlando, his inconsistency hurt him and had him moving in and out of the lineup. Yet, the Magic still needed his ability to get into the paint and cause the defense to collapse.

More from History

• 5 worst starters of the Orlando Magic’s Shaquille O’Neal era
• Orlando Magic 35th Anniversary Season: The top 35 players in Orlando Magic history
• 5 Worst Starters of the Orlando Magic’s Rebuild Era
• 5 worst starters of the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard era
• Into the Orlando Magic-verse: Top 5 What-If’s in Orlando Magic History

Oladipo is a flawed player. The Magic’s development plan for Oladipo was flawed too — from starting him at point guard as a rookie to pairing him with another non-shooter in Elfrid Payton in the backcourt. And ultimately, Oladipo’s time in Orlando was a disappointment. The regret in trading him for Serge Ibaka is more about how Ibaka did not work out more than about whether Victor Oladipo was on the precipice of taking the next step.

In three seasons with the Magic, Oladipo averaged 15.9 points per game and shot a 47.4 percent effective field goal percentage. Maybe Orlando needed a little bit of patience to let him grow further. He showed signs of being able to take that big leap into stardom. That was all the Magic ever hoped for.

It just never happened. And then Orlando ran out of patience, cashing in that chip to give Serge Ibaka his chance for a bigger role. It did not work out.

Oladipo is still figuring things out though. He averaged 15.9 points per game in his lone year with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Playing more off the ball next to Russell Westbrook, he shot the ball a bit better. But Oladipo never may have been that star.

It is hard to see him being on the Magic’s All-Time team. But his strong scoring average suggests he deserves some consideration. And, perhaps unfortunately, he will help define this era of Magic basketball.

The players 2K needs to add

The previous five players have already appeared in editions of NBA2K and their rights are secured. They are clear options 2K could have used on the Magic’s all-time team. But there are also lots of players 2K has not used before. Assumedly, it is because 2K does not have their likeness rights through the NBRPA.

Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu are the most obvious examples. And we have talked about them a lot in this space. So there is no reason to go into their bona fides. If they were included in the game, they would be on the Magic’s all-time team (even the Magic playfully called them out).

There are a few other players though we would like to see NBA2K get likeness rights to and add to the roster. And they would have a case to join the all-time Magic.

Scott Skiles (1990-94)

To younger Magic fans, Scott Skiles might just be the guy who was the team’s head coach two years ago and then suddenly quit on the team. But that is not who Skiles is to long-time Magic fans.

To fans of the original teams, Skiles was the feisty point guard who gave the Magic some attitude. He was the guy willing to fight Shaquille O’Neal because, why not? Well, there was a reason after Shaquille O’Neal showed up to practice late.

Skiles averaged 12.9 points and 7.2 assists per game in five seasons with the Magic. He set a NBA record with 30 assists in a single game in December 1990. He is a longtime fan favorite player. And should get consideration — if 2K could ever get his likeness rights.

Terry Catledge (1990-93)

Terry Catledge may be one of the forgotten players from Magic history. He did not have the long lasting impact of several players on the original teams like Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott or Scott Skiles. He did not have the star power that Reggie Theus might have. Or even the memorable moments like Otis Smith. But Catledge produced.

In his four seasons in Orlando, Catledge averaged 15.3 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. That included averaging 19.4 points per game on that inaugural 1990 team, by far the best of his career.

For a deep dive on the Magic roster, Catledge would have been a great add for this all-time team. It at least would have gotten people to research who he was.

Rony Seikaly (1997-98)

Rony Seikaly did not play long for the Magic — just 121 games in less than two seasons. But he was a scoring machine. That is really what he was throughout his career. He averaged 16.4 points per game in a Magic uniform.

Outside of O’Neal, Seikaly was probably the best low-post scorer in a Magic uniform. He was just a solid offensive player, even if he did not add much defensively. The Magic very well could have upset the Heat in the 1997 Playoffs — or not relied so heavily on Anfernee Hardaway to save the series in Games Three and Four — if Rony Seikaly were not hurt. He played that much of a role.

And, adding to the Sunshine State connection, the Heat could probably lay a claim to having Seikaly on their all-time team. They would probably like to see him added to their historic collection. But, alas, Seikaly is not in the game at all.

Next: Why Aaron Gordon is ready to take the next step

Who would you add to the all-time Orlando Magic team? Which players should 2K make sure is on the next edition of the all-time Orlando Magic?