Barring something unexpected, the Atlanta Hawks are going to be bad this year. The team looks like it is full “build towards the future” mode, and as a result, the roster isn’t exactly loaded with talent.
Sure, Atlanta has Dennis Schroder, but beyond him there aren’t many guys who are established in the NBA.
This is reflected in NBA 2K18. The Hawks do not have a single player who is rated above an 80, which is kind of crazy — Schroder is their best player with a 79 rating, while new free agent signing Dewayne Dedmond is right behind him with a 77. While 2K ratings aren’t always a perfect reflection of a player/team, it’s not exactly encouraging if you want the Hawks to hit the over on their projected win total this year.
In fact, the Hawks’ roster is so devoid of talent in NBA 2K18‘s eyes that the player with the game’s most controversial individual rating would be Atlanta’s best player.
Austin Rivers' NBA 2K18 rating is higher than that of every member of the Atlanta Hawks.
— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) September 4, 2017
That’s right — NBA 2K18 thinks Austin Rivers (who is an 80) would be the best player on the Hawks if they were to acquire him. Going even further, a pair of rookies — Markelle Fultz (80) and Lonzo Ball (80) — would be Atlanta’s superstar as well. But the funniest player who is rated above everyone else on the Hawks is someone the team traded earlier this offseason: Dwight Howard, who checks in at an 81.
It’s going to be a long year for Hawks fans, both because their team is building for the future, but also because it probably won’t be fun using them in NBA 2K18.
