NBA 2K23: Best Teams To Play For As A Power Forward (PF) in MyCareer

Power forwards have become versatile in NBA 2K these days. The position has become a bit crowded due to bigs wanting to play smaller almost by necessity as teams rely more on draining the three than pounding it down low.

Oftentimes, you’d see drafted small forward prospects move up to the four after their rookie years. It explains why every time a year goes by, their 2K position changes. 

Some teams could still use another power forward despite having quite a logjam. Being a power forward is a safe position to play in NBA 2K. 

Which teams are the best for a PF in NBA 2K23?

It’s easy to fit in a four in any rotation. In fact, those who aren’t natural fours slide up to the position and play the spot. 

The position is home to tweeners, which any team would appreciate. Some contributions do not reflect in the box score, but with NBA 2K, being a good teammate matters just as much as stats. Note that you will begin as a 60 OVR player.

If you’re looking to pad your power forward stats, here are the best teams for your growth. 

1. Golden State Warriors

Lineup: Stephen Curry (96 OVR), Jordan Poole (83 OVR), Klay Thompson (83 OVR), Andrew Wiggins (84 OVR), Kevon Looney (75 OVR)

Draymond Green was drafted as a three despite playing center in college. Now that he classifies himself as a big man, he needs a fellow bruiser at the four spot. Green is also not the player he once was, and that’s been true for several seasons.

Andrew Wiggins is another three that suddenly became a four. You being the power forward on this pure three-point shooting team will make Wiggins slide down to his original position. You can also set screens to open up Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, and Klay Thompson for their crushing threes.

The team knows nothing but three-pointers, which opens up a lot of opportunities for you on second-chance points. Being a rebounding big man and a putback boss will be the best scenario for your four here. 

2. Boston Celtics

Lineup: Marcus Smart (82 OVR), Jaylen Brown (87 OVR), Jayson Tatum (93 OVR), Al Horford (82 OVR), Robert Williams III (85 OVR)

Speaking of teams sliding positions a lot, Boston continued their college-type of play where no size matters. 

Jayson Tatum is the starting three, but can slide to the four. It only means you’ve got an All-Star sharing forward duties with you. Al Horford can play center in addition to the four so you can have the freedom to be any type of power forward. 

Playmaking isn’t as much of a need in Boston with Tatum, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and at times, Horford, which will make you the surefire guy to post up shall you receive the ball. Look to the arc as the other four should be spotted up for three.

3. Atlanta Hawks

Lineup: Trae Young (90 OVR), Dejounte Murray (86 OVR), De’Andre Hunter (76 OVR), John Collins (83 OVR), Clint Capela (84 OVR)

No matter how much the Atlanta Hawks make John Collins their starting four, he’ll never play like a traditional one. The 6-foot-9 forward is better off as a big small forward. It means you take frontcourt duties with Clint Capela in the paint. 

Trae Young and Dejounte Murray will both be alternating between outside shots and drives. It opens up an opportunity for you to either pick-and-roll on offense or being a glass cleaner for their three-point misses. If you’re a stretch, then pick-and-pop will help unclog the paint for the Young and Murray drives.

Whether you go defense or offense with your build, both will be welcome for the playoff hopefuls.

4. Portland Trail Blazers

Lineup: Damian Lillard (89 OVR), Anfernee Simons (80 OVR), Josh Hart (80 OVR), Jerami Grant (82 OVR), Jusuf Nurkić (82 OVR)

Portland is still Damian Lillard’s team and will not be anyone else’s in the future. What the team needs is another superstar alongside Lillard to win a title. 

C.J. McCollum’s departure has left Lillard carrying the team alone. He can’t sustain a full game of isolation and will need someone who calls for passes. The additions of Josh Hart and Jerami Grant, plus the continued development of Anfernee Simons, will help, but as is, the team is not a bonafide playoff team…until you join them. Grant is seeking to prove his past two seasons weren’t flukes and that the injuries he was beset by were just that, but you can slide into the starting spot should you play well.

Having a surefire four is a team priority, especially as the entire roster relies solely on who scores the basketball. It only means the team passes to either Lillard or you as their power forward. 

5. Utah Jazz

Lineup: Mike Conley (82 OVR), Collin Sexton (78 OVR), Bojan Bogdanović (80 OVR), Jarred Vanderbilt (78 OVR), Lauri Markkanen (78 OVR)

Utah lost a big man when they traded Rudy Gobert to Minnesota. While Gobert is a center, they still need an interior presence to feed lobs plus more. The additions of Jarred Vanderbilt and Lauri Markkanen will present a far different type of defense than Utah fans are used to after years of Gobert manning the paint as the “Stifle Tower.” Add to that the recent trade of Donovan Mitchell and this Utah team is nearly unrecognizable from the 2021-2022 season.

Mike Conley can cover for you on offense, and Collin Sexton can microwave some big games. Being a 3-and-D four is a feasible idea for your build. The two guards can give you lobs on a pick-and-roll or kickouts on pick-and-pops.

Expect kick out passes in isolation plays, but since Bojan Bogdanović is covering the outside, you can be the big man your teammates drop pass to for the easy bucket. 

6. Phoenix Suns

Lineup: Chris Paul (90 OVR), Devin Booker (91 OVR), Mikal Bridges (83 OVR), Jae Crowder (76 OVR), Deandre Ayton (85 OVR)

Phoenix is a team that doesn’t have a bonafide power forward as well. 

What you have, though, is one of the greatest point guards of all time in Chris Paul, and a workhorse of a scorer in Devin Booker. Center Deandre Ayton operates better inside of 15 feet and while Jae Crowder and Mikal Bridges can hit the threes and play defense, their less reliable in terms of creating their own shot. A playmaking four could work wonders to spell the pressure on Paul and Booker. 

Stretching the floor will be beneficial as a pass from Paul is an easy shot booster for you. A big man pick-and-roll combo with Ayton could put defenses on their back foot, opening up kickout passes to Paul, Booker, or Bridges for open 3s. 

7. Oklahoma City Thunder

Lineup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (87 OVR), Josh Giddey (82 OVR), Luguentz Dort (77 OVR), Darius Bazley (76 OVR), Chet Holmgren (77 OVR)

Some might say that Chet Holmgren is Oklahoma City’s go-to four, but he’s more of a point center. Don’t be surprised if the two 7-footers dish out the extra pass. 

OKC has now the tallest lineup with Josh Giddey being able to facilitate on offense. Aleksej Pokuševski is another ballhandling big man, which opens a ton of opportunities for you as a either as a shooter or after a screen.

While it’s still Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s team for now, the team can still have another legit power forward teammates will like distributing the ball to for easy scores. You could also focus on defense to help Luguentz Dort as Darius Bazley seems more apt for a role position than a starting position.

How to be a good power forward in NBA 2K23

Being a power forward in NBA 2K23 is not as easy as real NBA. Sliding positions can create mismatches in-game. The best way to deal with such is being the one to create the mismatch. 

A good technique is to set a pick for the ballhandler and call for the pass. You can easily post up your smaller guard for the easy two in the post. 

The best way to play power forward in 2K is to lean your play style towards a more traditional style rather than a stretch wing player. Find your team and turn yourself into the next Tim Duncan.

Looking for the best badges?

NBA 2K23 Badges: Best Finishing Badges to Up Your Game in MyCareer

NBA 2K23 Badges: Best Shooting Badges to Up Your Game in MyCareer

Looking for the best team to play for?

NBA 2K23: Best Teams To Play For As A Small Forward (SF) in MyCareer

NBA 2K23: Best Teams To Play For As A Center (C) in MyCareer

NBA 2K23: Best Teams To Play For As A Point Guard (PG) in MyCareer

NBA 2K23: Best Teams To Play For As A Shooting Guard (SG) in MyCareer

Looking for more 2K23 guides?

NBA 2K23: Best Teams to Rebuild

NBA 2K23: Easy Methods to Earn VC Fast

NBA 2K23 Dunking Guide: How to Dunk, Contact Dunks, Tips & Tricks

NBA 2K23 Badges: List of All Badges

NBA 2K23 Shot Meter Explained: Everything You Need to Know About Shot Meter Types and Settings

NBA 2K23 Sliders: Realistic Gameplay Settings for MyLeague and MyNBA

NBA 2K23 Controls Guide (PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S)