NBA 2K17 will be released to customers who pre-ordered it on Sept. 16, with The Prelude, a free MyCareer introductory demo, dropping on Sept. 9. We’ve already gone over some of the control-based changes you should be looking forward to heading into this years’ release, and now that player ratings are starting to trickle out, it’s time to look at some of the most underrated players in this year’s game.
In NBA 2K terms, underrated can mean a couple of different things. On the surface, if a player is underrated in NBA 2K17, it means that they should be rated higher relative to everyone else’s overall rating. But as veteran NBA 2K players know, overall ratings are not as important as the skill set that player will bring to your virtual basketball team. Our list here comprises both definitions of underrated: Who should be rated higher, and who will perform for you on the court above what their overall rating suggests. Let’s dive in.
10. Willie Cauley-Stein (72)
If you’re the type of NBA 2K gamer that relies on perimeter players to score most of your buckets, Willie Cauley-Stein is a massively underrated defensive tool. Look at it this way: If you’re not going to utilize post scoring anyway, you want a mobile center with length who can block shots, defend the rim, rebound, and run the floor. That is Willie Cauley-Stein, and while there are certainly higher-rated players who can perform this task, at 72 overall, you’ll get more value out of him than, say, 77-rated Jared Sullinger. This is a perfect example of how playing style can determine how valuable a player is to each individual, and why overall rating doesn’t tell the whole story.
9. Emmanuel Mudiay (76)
Emmanuel Mudiay had an up-and-down rookie season in Denver last year, but I have little doubt that he will out-perform this 76-overall rating in NBA 2K17. If you’re the type of 2K player who utilizes a relentless rim-attacking offensive game, Mudiay is going to give you what you need with his crazy athleticism and fantastic size for a point guard. Plus, finding a player at 76 overall who can shoulder your offensive load is nothing short of a steal. Is he as good as some of the other point guards out there? Of course not, but much like Willie Cauley-Stein above, if you play a certain way, and are looking for a particular skill set, Mudiay, at 76 overal, as your lead guard, is going to be tough to beat.
8. Giannis Antetotkounmpo (83)
Giannis is another player who may very well be appropriately rated from an overall standpoint, but considering his raw physical attributes and his ability to play point guard, he could break NBA 2K17 much like he could ‘break’ the real NBA. A 6-foot-11, 222 pounds, the ‘Greek Freak’ at point is a video-gaming nightmare for opponents. The Milwaukee Bucks are going to play Giannis at point guard this season, and cross matchups are much easier to manage in the NBA than they are in NBA 2K. If you catch your opponent trying to cover Giannis with whoever they are trotting out at point guard, it’s going to be a massacre.
7. Doug McDermott (74)
I don’t have an issue with Doug McDermott’s overall rating. He just hasn’t done enough in his just-starting NBA career to warrant much argument. With that being said, McDermott shot 42.5 percent from three with the Chicago Bulls last season. That tied him for fifth in the entire NBA with Klay Thompson. Klay Thompson! At 74 overall, McDermott is going to give you prolific 3-point shooting with the ability to play either small forward or power forward. Big men who can shoot from distance are particularly valuable in NBA 2K because a lot of opposing bigs have low perimeter defense ratings. They leave shooters open, and with McDermott’s Klay Thompson-esque ability to shoot the ball, he’s going to be a deadly offensive weapon.
6. Kyrie Irving (89)
Kyrie Irving could very well be the most unstoppable offensive player in NBA 2K17, and he couldn’t even crack 90? Here’s the secret, defense matters a lot more in the NBA than is does in NBA 2K. Kyrie’s low defensive ratings is undoubtedly dragging his overall rating down. This happens every year, and it never matters. Kyrie is fast, he has the best handle in the NBA, he can finish at the rim, and he can shoot from three. He could be the best point guard in NBA 2K regardless of his rating, and regardless of where he falls in the best-point-guards-in-the-NBA list. This isNBA 2K17. He’s going to be awesome.
5. J.J. Redick (78)
J.J. Redick shot an absurd, NBA-leading 47.5 percent from beyond the arc last season. His three-point shooting prowess has been rewarded in NBA 2K17 with an A+ rating from three. I cannot stress the importance of dead-eye three-point shooting in the NBA 2K franchise enough, and if you’re the type of player who only utilizes one primary ball-handler, having Redick as your dedicated off-ball sharp shooter is a huge luxury. For some, he’ll be the most valuable shooting guard in the game, making his 78 overall supremely underrated for what he’d bring to your squad.
4. Rudy Gobert (81)
Rudy Gobert is everything I wrote about Willie Cauley-Stein, and so much more. For a lot of NBA 2K players who employ that style of ‘my center is just a defensive goalie and an offensive rebound / put-back machine,’ Rudy Gobert could be the best center in this game. He ranked third in the league in blocks per game, third in block percentage, 10th in offensive rebound percentage, sixth in total rebounding percentage, and No. 1 overall in ‘this man is an absolute giant.’ In NBA 2K, it’s important to have players who can contribute when you aren’t controlling them. That is Rudy Gobert. He does everything you need him to do, while you can focus your attention elsewhere, and at 81 overall, he’s certainly underrated.
3. Kevin Love (82)
The bloom fell off the Kevin Love rose a couple years ago, but this 82 overall rating feels awfully low this year. Players like Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo, Kris Middleton, Steven Adams,and Jonas Valanciunas all fall in that 81-84 ballpark, and I highly doubt you’ll get as much production out of those guys as you will out of Love in NBA 2K17 this year. I don’t have a huge problem with Love’s overall rating, as the Cleveland Cavaliers have sort of dumbed-down his game, but it resulted in an NBA Finals win, so how can you complain? In Kevin Love, you’re getting an excellent three-point shooting big man with the rare ability to rebound with the NBA’s elite for a player with that offensive skill set.
2. James Harden (90)
I’m not going to argue for, or against James Harden’s real-life NBA game. He has his detractors, certainly, and while some of the criticism lofted his way is valid, it has absolutely nothing to do with how his NBA 2K counterpart will play. Harden, at 90 overall, is fair, but we already went over how poor defensive statistics can sink a player’s overall number. That is all fine and good, but in the NBA 2K franchise, offensive ability is paramount. You can hide bad defenders in 2K, or better yet, you can take the A.I. out of it and control that player manually instead, inherently making him a better defensive player.
If James Harden isn’t the single best offensive player in NBA 2K17 this year, he’s going to be pretty damn close. Considering players like Draymond Green, Chris Paul, Anthony Davis, and DeMarcus Cousins are all rated higher or at the same level, Harden at 90, in a virtual sense, is underrated here.
1. Russell Westbrook (93)
Russell Westbrook is tied with Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard as the third-highest ranked player in NBA 2K17, so how can he be underrated? Much like his NBA counterpart, Westbrook can straight-up break NBA 2K if used properly. A players’ ability to dunk in traffic is notoriously ridiculous in the 2K franchise. You shouldn’t be able to hold sprint on the fastbreak, get to the paint, and dunk the ball regardless of who is trying to defend you, but that is exactly what players in NBA 2K can do, and Westbrook is nearly unstoppable at doing just that.
You know what, that actually kind of sounds like what Russell Westbrook does in real life, so maybe NBA 2K is realistic after all.
