NBA 2K21: Best Two-Way Lockdown Point Guard Build

Overall, a top-class two-way lockdown PG offers a well-balanced build that can dominate at both ends of the floor in NBA 2K21. Once fully upgraded, this best build has the ability to equip 22 defensive badges, 16 shooting, and ten playmaking.  

Here, we’ll show you how to create one of the best two-way lockdown point guard builds to use in the game, with the body type details quickly shown first below.  

How to build the best two-way lockdown

• Position: Point Guard
• Height: 6’3’’
• Weight: 170lbs
• Wingspan: 82.2’’
• Build: Two-Way Mid-Range Shooter
• Takeover: Lockdown Defender
• Primary Skills: Shooting and Defense
• Secondary Skill: Playmaking
• NBA Player Comparison: Kirk Hinrich, Jrue Holiday, Dejounte Murray

Why create the two-way lockdown build in NBA 2K21

In 2K21, being effective at both ends of the floor is the blueprint for most successful builds.  

Oftentimes, many in the community neglect adding adequate defensive attributes to their player. As a result, their player becomes a defensive liability on the floor, making it harder to reach 99 overall or legend status.  

Compared to most guards, this build offers elite defense and lockdown ability, which will increase your chances of winning close matches and earning extra VC every time you hit the floor.  

Highlights of this two-way lockdown build:

Whether you plan to spend most of your time on the playground, pro-am, rec, or in MyCareer NBA games, this build has got you covered. You’ll have the attributes and badges to be your team’s primary ball-handler, number-one scoring option, or a defensive specialist.

Here is are the key highlights for this build: 

• You’ll have an elite defensive player that can be assigned to the other team’s best scoring guard.
• The build can be used in 5v5 or in 3v3 to lock down elite dribble gods, sharpshooters, and high octane players. 
• It has the scoring attributes of a reliable offensive player that can create their own shot and be your team’s primary scoring option.  
• You’ll have a versatile two-way build that can be used in multiple roles, including as a spot-up shooter, playmaker, or defensive specialist. 

So, without further ado, here’s how to create the best two-way lockdown point guard in NBA 2K21.

Choosing your position

The first step here is to choose point guard as your build’s default position. There are several benefits to choosing a point guard over a shooting guard. In particular, the PG position offers a higher overall badge count and better default attribute ratings.

As we’ll see later, fundamental skills such as ball-handling, passing, speed, shooting, and defense are very well balanced with a PG set-up.

Choosing your pie chart

In terms of skill breakdown, it is recommended that you go with the ‘Red and Green’ pie chart here.

Attribute-wise, this gives your player a solid foundation, with the ability to equip Hall of Fame badges for both shooting and defense. This is a crucial aspect because shooting and defence are arguably the two most important skills to have in NBA 2K21. 

Compared to other pie charts, the Red and Green one is quite lenient in providing your player with above-average ball-handling and finishing ability. 

Additionally, your player’s finishing ability (driving layup and driving dunk) is considered decent for a point guard. Once fully upgraded, finishing near the basket shouldn’t be a huge concern. 

Finally, as you can see from the attribute ratings, your player will have a rather decent pass accuracy (in the high 70s), so their playmaking ability should be above average for the PG position.

Choosing your physical profile

For the physical profile, it is recommended that you go with the mostly Purple (agility) pie for this build.

As a point guard, most of the time, you’re the smallest player in your team. As such, maxing out strength and vertical shouldn’t be your priority for this build. 

Instead, having elite speed and acceleration should be the area of focus. This is because your teammates will likely rely on your speed to transport the ball and to keep opponents on the edge defensively. 

With your speed and acceleration in the high 80s, or possibly 90s, your player will have a huge advantage against bigger and slower players. 

Most taller players in the game won’t have the speed or stamina to keep up with you, thus helping you to create plenty of mismatch opportunities in isolation, or easy baskets in transition.  

Setting your potential to maximize primary skills

In terms of setting your player’s potential, it is recommended that you max out their defensive ability first. This will help your build obtain the full 22 defensive badges. Being able to equip defensive badges such as Intimidator and Clamps to the Hall of Fame tier will be essential for making your player an elite defender. 

As you can see from the photo above, your player will have a steal rating in the 90s. On top of that, they will have elite numbers for perimeter defensive and lateral quickness, making them very hard to beat in most one-on-one situations.

In terms of shooting, it is recommended that you max out both your triple, mid-range, and free throw to obtain 16 badges. With this set-up, the 16 badges will give your player the option to equip either four Hall of fame, five Gold, six Silver, or more than Seven bronze badges. 

Once fully upgraded, your player will be a very reliable shooter from beyond the arc and in the mid-range. This also gives your build the ability to be a ‘3&D’ spot-up shooter or a primary ball-handler that can get buckets in isolation. 

Setting your potential and secondary skills

With the current set-up and pie chart selected, this build does limit our player’s ability to obtain multiple finishing badges. However, given the elite shooting and defense obtained previously, having elite finishing ability near the basket isn’t necessary. 

Therefore, to optimize your PG build, you should look to allocate the majority of your remaining attribute points to pass accuracy and ball-handling instead. Not only do the attributes align more with your player’s position this way, but you’ll also have the ability to obtain ten more playmaking badges. 

As a result, your player will be eligible to equip two of the best badges in the game: Quick First Step and Dimer. With these equipped as well, your build will create a very good passer and a player that can rely on their speed to blow by opponents. 

Finally, in terms of finishing ability, setting the driving layup into the high 70s should be enough to make your player a decent finisher at the rim. 

Best height for a two-way lockdown build

In terms of height, it is recommended that you leave it at 6’3’’. From the testing done in the lab, adding an inch does not give your player enough upgrades defensively to counter the decrease in speed. 

Meanwhile, lowering the height to 6’2” may give your player an extra boost in speed, but they may have a problem guarding the bigger and more powerful guards in the 6’4’’ to 6’6’’ range.

Best weight for a two-way lockdown build

In terms of weight, it is recommended that you lower it to around 170lbs. Doing this will bump up your player’s speed attributes into the 90s and will help them become one of the fastest players in 2K21. 

As most gamers will tell you, speed and acceleration is one of the most important attributes to have for smaller players, so refining your build’s body type is essential.  

Best wingspan for a two-way lockdown build

In terms of wingspan, there is some flexibility here. You can adjust it to your liking and modify it so that the attribute ratings fit your playstyle.

However, it is recommended that you don’t go all the way to the maximum or minimum wingspan as the drop-off in attributes is too extreme at either end of the spectrum.

With that in mind, for a 6’3’’ point guard build, having the length somewhere around 82.2” would be optimal. Essentially, you are capturing the best of both worlds, where only two attribute points are taken off for shooting, but there is a healthy gain in most major offensive categories.

Picking your two-way lockdown build’s takeover

It’s probably best to go with the lockdown defender takeover here. The boosts in shot contests and steals will go a long way to helping your build become an elite defensive player. 

Your completed two-way lockdown build

In terms of player build comparison, this best build creates a two-way mid-range shooter with shades of Jrue Holiday and Dejounte Murray. Overall, this is a rather nice comparison as both players are considered premier defensive two-way point guards in the NBA today. 

By following the steps above, you’ll have the makings of a top-class point guard capable of dominating at both ends of the floor.