Who would play for the Magic in a modern 'NBA Jam'?
It's quite the premise for an NBA video game, let alone an argument -- if you had to take two players from your favorite team to play 2-on-2 against the rest of the league, who would it be? The classic video game franchise "NBA Jam" has offered numerous combinations over the years. But with today's Orlando Magic roster, who are the go-to players?
The original "NBA Jam" came out 22 years ago, and the arcade version made Magic fans happy. It featured Shaquille O'Neal and Scott Skiles, which was a perfect combination. Skiles got the ball up the floor and knocked down 3-pointers, and Shaq dominated everything else. But when the game came to home consoles, O'Neal was nowhere to be found due to licensing issues. The Magic kept Skiles and added Nick Anderson.
In 2010, "Jam" saw a remake that featured Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis. Of course, all three of those players have moved on to new teams. So if "NBA Jam" were released today, who would the Magic have on their squad? According to Dan Favale of Bleacher Report, the first selection is clear. Victor Oladipo is the alpha for Orlando's 2-on-2 squad:
"Sick-nasty 360-degree reverse dunks are permitted in NBA Jam. So, Victor Oladipo is the Orlando Magic's foremost authority. Meteoric guards with a dash of playmaking and a pinch of shooting are qualified for such a responsibility."
But who joins Oladipo? You probably don't want to have Elfrid Payton alongside Oladipo, as great as they'd be, because the squad would be kind of small. That's not a huge deal in "NBA Jam," but all things being equal, a big guy would be nice. And along that line, Orlando has two choices, Favale writes -- Aaron Gordon and Tobias Harris. Both players are monsters at the rim, and Gordon has shown an added ability to stretch out to the NBA 3-point line. A grouping of Oladipo and Gordon would run teams off the floor and knock down shots from everywhere; put Oladipo and Harris together, and teams might walk off the floor a broken mess of shattered dreams.
Oh, and the Magic legends? Do you even need to ask? It's Shaq and Penny, of course.
(h/t Bleacher Report)
