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 Boston Celtics come into this season having made a major roster shakeup for the first time in a few years after trading Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies in a three-team deal to bring in Kristaps Porzingis. The goal is to create a more dynamic offense, adding a third high-level scorer in Porzingis to play alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The big question is whether Porzingis can stay healthy enough to pay off that gamble, as well as how much they’ll miss the defense and intangibles brought by Smart to the roster. On paper (and in 2K), it looks to be a solid upgrade, as the Celtics boast a 98 OVR rating and have one of the strongest rosters in terms of ratings in the game, with seven players rated 82 or higher, headlined by Tatum with a 95 OVR.
Boston Celtics: 98 OVR, 99 OFF, 97 DEF
Jayson Tatum: 95
Jaylen Brown: 89
Kristaps Porzingis: 86
Malcolm Brogdon: 83
Derrick White: 82
Al Horford: 82
Robert Williams III: 82
Payton Pritchard: 73
Sam Hauser: 73
Luke Kornet: 73
Dalano Banton: 73
Svi Mykhailiuk: 73
Oshae Brissett: 72
Jordan Walsh: 70
JD Davison: 69
