The NBA offseason is nearly upon us, with the Tokyo Olympics and the offseason right around the corner. This is also the time when fans anticipate changes for next seasonโs NBA 2K title. The shortened offseason makes it more difficult to gauge talent, but many players certainly broke out, especially during the playoffs.
Some leading guards became bona fide superstars, while other All-Stars cemented themselves as the top players of the NBA. We expect the NBA 2K22 rating team to adjust their values based on the real-life performances from this past season, hopefully giving some deserving stars an ample boost.
So, here are the five players that are looking at a rating upgrade next season.
1. Nikola Jokiฤ
Current Rating: 95
Projected Rating: 97 (+2)
The reigning NBA MVP showed why he deserves the award throughout the season. The star center for the Denver Nuggets put on an All-Star performance without missing a game after coming off of a Western Conference Finals berth in the bubble.
Jokiฤ averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per night, on a 56.0 field-goal percentage. The Serbian essentially put the Nuggets on his back after co-star Jamal Murray suffered a season-ending ACL injury in April. This was his highest-scoring season, and all while feeding his teammates with assists as they charged into the third seed.
The โBig Chungusโ was bumped up to a 95 overall in the midseason update. We would expect the best player of the season to be upgraded to a 97 overall and be one of the highest-rated centers in NBA 2K22.
2. Devin Booker
Current Rating: 88
Projected Rating: 90 (+2)
The Phoenix Suns superstar broke out in his first playoff appearance, being the leading scorer of this young team. The two-time All-Star averages 26.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in the Sunsโ quest for an NBA Championship.
Itโs common knowledge that Booker is an elite scorer in the league, but this offseason has elevated his status; now, heโs one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. His rare skill set of three-level scoring while playmaking for others is a treat for any NBA 2K fan to utilize.
Devin Booker became an 88 overall guard in NBA 2K21. We expect 2K to adjust him to a 90 overall, putting him as the second-best SG in the game โ only behind James Harden. His rating could see yet another bump during next season as he gets more control of the offense moving forward.
3. Zach LaVine
Current Rating: 85
Projected Rating: 87 (+2)
The renaissance of Zach LaVine after suffering a torn ACL in 2017 is a treat for fans to watch. The first-time All-Star is a bona fide flamethrower for the Chicago Bulls as he averaged 27.7 points, 3.4 threes, and 4.9 assists on a 50.7 field-goal percentage last season.
This season was a big step up for the lead guard after not playing for nine months. The improvement is evident with his shot selection and ability to get others involved, with co-star Nikola Vuฤeviฤand new head coach Billy Donovan at the helm.
Zach LaVine is currently an 85 overall, with his three-point shooting and dunking being his best stats. We would expect him to be bumped up to an 87 overall, to be in with the likes of Donovan Mitchell and possibly Bradley Beal.
4. Julius Randle
Current Rating: 83
Projected Rating: 87 (+4)
The reigning Most Improved Player of the 2020/21 season impressed with the New York Knicks under Tom Thibodeau. Julius Randle showed that his offseason work paid off as he became a deadly three-level scorer and can finally control his drives into the paint.
Randle led the Knicks to the third seed in the Eastern Conference: their first playoff berth in seven years. The first-time All-Star posted an average of 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and six assists this season while only missing one game.
He is currently an 83 overall from the January update, but this is definitely an understatement โ especially after the Knicksโ late playoff surge following the All-Star break. As a result, we project Julius Randle to get bumped up to an 87 overall, sitting among Bam Adebayo, Domantas Sabonis, and Nikola Vuฤeviฤ. This could change during the season, though, with the league shifting once again to big men.
5. Trae Young
Current Rating: 89
Projected Rating: 90 (+1)
โIceโ Trae was by far one of the biggest winners of this NBA Playoffs. The Atlanta Hawks completed an unprecedented run to the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating the favored New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.
The Atlanta Hawks were 14-20 at one point of the season, but a coaching change and a late-season charge gave them their first ECF berth in five years. Trae Young broke out in the playoffs, posting 28.8 points, 9.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 3.0 three-pointers per game.
We can see a possible rating upgrade from an 89 overall to 90 overall. This move will make him a top-five point guard in NBA 2K22, with only the famous names of Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, and Luka Donฤiฤ ahead of him. Itโs certainly an accomplishment for the 6โ1โโ guard, who will look to continue his great play next season.
As we close in on the September 10 launch of NBA 2K22, we hope to see the overalls of these star players given a boost in the official ratings reveals.
Check out more of these NBA 2K23 player ratings.
(5 votes, average: 4.60 out of 5)
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