The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a player-driven league that, throughout each season, highlights the emergence of new and promising talent. Not only do players get better throughout the course of the regular season, but true competitors continue to raise their level of play when it matters the most: during the postseason.
Since the launch of NBA 2K22 nearly a year ago, fans have been counting down the days until they can get their hands on NBA 2K23. There are more than a handful of NBA players who have earned a higher rating than what they currently sit at in NBA 2K22 as a result of the release of the newest annual entry in the series. NBA 2K22 is the most recent installment in the series.
9. Andrew Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins was an important cog in the wheel that propelled the Golden State Warriors to another NBA title, and they owe much of their success to him. Wiggins' consistent defensive contributions, in addition to his valuable offensive contributions, were a major factor in the game's outcome. He may not have been as offensively spectacular as Steph Curry.
On a nightly basis, he would accept the responsibility of guarding the best players that the opposing team had, and he would win the battle the vast majority of the time. He was a significant contributor to Jayson Tatum's difficulties with turnovers during the NBA Finals for the Boston Celtics. It is high time that Andrew Wiggins was given some respect, and the first step toward earning that respect is for NBA 2K23 to award him a rating that is higher than his current score of 83.
8. Tyrese Maxey
Tyrese Maxey, a young combo guard, was the most pleasant surprise for the Philadelphia 76ers following a season in which Joel Embiid delivered an MVP-caliber performance and the team made a move to acquire James Harden. Despite these developments, it was Maxey who was the biggest surprise for the team. The NBA 2K22 overall player who is currently ranked 84th has been referred to as an up-and-coming talent in the league, but during the most recent season, he was able to put it all together.
In addition to his regular season averages of seventeen points, four assists, and three rebounds per game, he increased his scoring in the postseason to an almost unprecedented twenty-one points per game. In light of the fact that James Harden is nearing the end of the prime of his career, there is a strong possibility that Maxey will surpass Dario Saric as the 76ers' second-best player in the years to come.
7. Jalen Brunson
Even though the Slovenian superstar had a lot to do with that, the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic were the surprise of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The emergence of Jalen Brunson was the factor that made the difference. Both the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns were no match for the scoring versatility and tenacity displayed by the soon-to-be-free-agent point guard, who led his team to victories over both of those teams.
As a point guard who is six feet tall, he had an average of twenty-one points per game, almost four assists per game, and four rebounds per game during the playoffs. That sounds very much like the work of someone who received an overall grade higher than 81.
6. Anfernee Simons
When the Portland Trailblazers are brought up in conversation, most of the focus is understandably directed toward Damian Lillard. However, the rebuilding team has another piece at the guard position who is showing signs of developing into quite the talented player. It's possible that Anfernee Simons isn't a household name yet, but that could change very soon.
This past season, the 81 overall combo guard in NBA 2K22 increased his points per game by almost ten points, and despite the fact that the number of three-point shots he attempted per game doubled, he still maintained a shooting average that was above forty percent from long range. The numbers that Simons has put up demonstrate that he is a player who deserves an NBA 2K23 overall rating that is at least a little bit higher than 81. If Lillard and the Trailblazers want to compete, they'll need Simons to make another leap.
5. Rudy Gobert
Rudy Gobert, a center for the Utah Jazz, has become the most reviled player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), despite the fact that he is the defensive anchor of a team that routinely wins games. In spite of the fact that he is one of the most influential defensive players—a fact that is demonstrated by the fact that he has won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and received numerous nominations for All-Defensive First Team—the social media community likes to label him as overrated.
Haters will argue that his rating of 88 in NBA 2K22 is already too high, but given that there are fewer than a handful of players at his position in the entirety of the NBA who have a greater impact, an overall increase to 90 in NBA 2K23 isn't out of the question at all.
4. Dejounte Murray
Greg Popovich is still widely considered to be the best coach in the NBA, and the San Antonio Spurs' roster is young and continues to improve with each passing season thanks to Popovich's tutelage. Despite the Spurs' diminished status as a perennial title contender, Popovich continues to lead the team to success. The dynamic playmaker Dejounte Murray has had a bit of a slow start to his career due to injuries, but he was without a doubt the best player on the court for the Spurs during the previous season, and he is quickly becoming one of the elite point guards in the NBA. This past season, the Spurs won the Western Conference.
He has an impressive overall score of 87 right now, but the fact that he gets better every year in terms of scoring, assists, rebounds, and steals makes it abundantly clear that he is on the ascent and is about to enter the prime of his career.
3. Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart, a guard for the Boston Celtics, has an overall rating of 81 in NBA 2K22 at the moment. He just finished a season in which he was named the Defensive Player of the Year and played a significant role in the Celtics' run to the NBA Finals. He is coming off of a season in which he won the award.
Because of the limitations of his offensive game, the improvement in his overall score shouldn't be that significantly different in NBA 2K23; however, a score closer to 84 or 85 seems to be the most appropriate in light of his accomplishments.
2. Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards made his debut in the NBA Playoffs that year (2022), and he immediately demonstrated to the rest of the world why he was selected first overall just a few short years earlier. Not only did Edwards raise his points per game average from 19 to 21 during the regular season, but he also elevated his game significantly during the postseason, scoring over 25 points per game on average and shooting 40 percent from three-point range on average.
He is showing signs of developing into a star and has a good chance of becoming the Minnesota Timberwolves' most valuable player. Before he can improve on his current player rating of 83 in NBA 2K23, he will need to have that game.
1. Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler has a current overall rating of 92 in NBA 2K22, making him one of the modern players with the highest rating available. However, this rating may not be high enough to accurately reflect what he contributes to the success of the Miami Heat.
Not only does he help instill a hard-working, win-at-all-costs mentality, but he also serves as the primary defender for the team and is the primary option for scoring. If he were to receive an increase of one or two points, it would move him closer to the top of the standings, but it would also leave some room for the players who routinely bring home championships for their teams. An accomplishment that Jimmy Butler has not yet accomplished despite his superstar status on the court.
NBA 2K22 can be played on personal computers, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch, among other platforms.
