We are less than a month away from teams reporting to training camps around the NBA, and the official first sign that the new season is almost upon us is the annual release of the latest installment of the NBA 2K franchise, NBA 2K24.
While fans of the game will be concerned mostly with the gameplay changes and updated game modes, general NBA fans are always interested in seeing how the ratings folks at 2K grade out all of the players and teams in the league. Player ratings always spark debate, particularly among how they rank top stars and regarding players whose impact often isn’t fully felt in the box score — or, vice versa, those who put up big stats but might not always contribute to winning basketball. As far as team ratings, 2K has moved away from dramatic differences between top and bottom teams, as the lowest rated team in this year’s edition is an 86 OVR and they don’t even show team ratings in the game setup screen (you can find them in MySeason mode when picking through teams to start a franchise with).
The Orlando Magic took significant strides forward last year, particularly after the calendar flipped to 2023, and have a very talented young roster headlined by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. They are one of the few teams in 2K24 without a player above an 85 OVR, which certainly holds down their team rating, but they are in position to be a very interesting team, particularly if there’s a leap coming for Wagner or Banchero (or both) next season. The frontcourt is unquestionably the strength of this Magic team, with Wendell Carter Jr. also enjoying a terrific season last year, but the question both on the real court and on the virtual court is what they can get out of their guards.
Orlando Magic: 87 OVR, 89 OFF, 84 DEF
Paolo Banchero: 84
Franz Wagner: 82
Wendell Carter Jr.: 81
Markelle Fultz: 80
Cole Anthony: 79
Jonathan Isaac: 77
Jalen Suggs: 76
Mo Wagner: 76
Joe Ingles: 76
Gary Harris: 75
Chuma Okeke: 74
Goga Bitadze: 74
Anthony Black: 73
Jett Howard: 72
Caleb Houstan: 71
Admiral Schofield: 70
Kevon Harris: 69
