Badges are indeed what enhances a player’s tendencies when playing NBA 2K. The extra animations it provides are what make the player you control effective in-game.
Finishing badges are the ones needed to make sure those layups and dunk attempts convert effectively in the paint. It’s what helps score once you enter the paint.
Using the right badges in-game will make sure that you are effective when making shot attempts close to the basket. It also increases your chance of an easy two points. If finishing at the basket is a part of your style in MyCareer, then these are the 2K badges for you.
What are the best finishing badges in NBA 2K23?
Read below for the best finishing badges for your player in MyCareer. Each badge has specific attribute requirements, so you’ll also need to ensure your player meets those standards.
1. Bully
Badge Requirement: Strength – 74 (Bronze), 82 (Silver), 89 (Gold), 95 (Hall of Fame)
The Bully badge is like Backdown Punisher 2.0 from previous versions. It allows a player to impose its will close to the basket and initiate contact for layup and dunk attempts. The requisite strength makes it unlikely that you’ll be knocked down, pushing through for many three point play opportunities.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the first player that comes to mind when it comes to this badge. Other paint beasts like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid also have this in their arsenal.
2. Backdown Punisher
Badge Requirement: Post Control – 55 (Bronze), 72 (Silver), 80 (Gold), 87 (Hall of Fame) or
Strength – 65 (Bronze), 76 (Silver), 86 (Gold), 94 (Hall of Fame)
Now that there’s a Bully badge to accompany the Backdown Punisher, any big man build will be close to impossible to stop within 15 feet.
This badge is used more for setting up a player before the Bully badge activates. It allows for more success when backing down an opponent close to the rim. With post ups down low becoming more rare, turning your player finisher into a bit of an anomaly could work to help open up teammates for wide open shots as you draw the defense.
3. Masher
Badge Requirement: Close Shot – 63 (Bronze), 73 (Silver), 82 (Gold), 95 (Hall of Fame)
The Masher badge completes the bully ball trifecta. It allows for a player to dominate a smaller defender.
This badge usually activates whenever a switch occurs during a pick and roll play. Once your big man posts up the significantly smaller defender after the switch, it’s easy to back him down. Combined with the first three badges, you can become the next version of Shaquille O’Neal, using your strength to impose your will on the defense.
4. Rise Up
Badge Requirement: Standing Dunk – 67 (Bronze), 80 (Silver), 90 (Gold), 98 (Hall of Fame)
The Rise Up badge is one way to impose your power move on an opponent. It’s main purpose is to increase your likelihood to dunk when under the rim.
This badge will come in handy during second chance opportunities where you nab an offensive rebound. There will also be times this badge will activate if you successfully backed down a smaller defender. This will be especially handy if your MyCareer player plays the three, four, or five.
5. Aerial Wizard
Badge Requirement: Standing Dunk – 50 (Bronze), 67 (Silver), 82 (Gold), 93 (Hall of Fame) or
Driving Dunk – 50 (Bronze), 66 (Silver), 81 (Gold), 92 (Hall of Fame)
Another useful badge when it comes to pick and roll plays is the Aerial Wizard badge. Instead of bullying your defender once a switch occurs, another thing you can do is call for that lob pass as you slide to the basket after the pick. This badge increases the likelihood of a successful alley-oop when you’re the receiver.
While the chances of converting alley-oops are not as easy as it looks when in-game, it helps when you have this badge animation helping you. Still, these are risky passes, so call for them only when you’re certain you’ll have open air to receive the lob.
6. Dream Shake
Badge Requirement: Post Control – 45 (Bronze), 62 (Silver), 77 (Gold), 86 (Hall of Fame)
The Dream Shake badge is what you need whenever you aren’t in a mismatch or when a switch is unsuccessful. Named after Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, it allows for the player to make defenders bite on shot fakes and increase your chance of scoring underneath the basket.
Good post and ball control is important as well because some big men without this badge usually get stripped off the ball without the Dream Shake. Even with this badge, you want to have at least a decent rating in Ball Control so those pesky guards don’t strip the ball on the help defense.
7. Limitless Takeoff
Badge Requirement: Driving Dunk – 65 (Bronze), 79 (Silver), 86 (Gold), 96 (Hall of Fame)
The Limitless Takeoff badge is good to have whenever you find that slight opening to finish your shot. It extends the distance you can begin your finish to the basket.
There will be times where you beat your defender off that first step and taking off from a distance for an easy dunk is one finishing option to consider. Another is on a fast break when you see the defender closing and rather than risk a contested layup or dunk, you can instead take off just a step sooner to avoid a shot contest. If they do reach you, it’ll likely be an and-1 situation.
8. Fearless Finisher
Badge Requirement: Driving Layup – 67 (Bronze), 77 (Silver), 87 (Gold), 96 (Hall of Fame) or
Close Shot – 65 (Bronze), 75 (Silver), 84 (Gold), 93 (Hall of Fame)
Arguably the most important finishing badge across all positions, the Fearless Finisher badge makes sure you get the job done.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a layup or a dunk. The important thing about the Fearless Finisher is that it helps a player score even through contact. This means it’s essentially mandatory if you also have the Bully badge.
This badge helps a lot since the later 2K versions has made it difficult to convert even the easiest shots over a standing defender aside from perfect releases. If you plan on playing down low a lot, or driving and scoring in the paint a lot, then make sure you have this badge.
9. Posterizer
Badge Requirement: Driving Dunk – 72 (Bronze), 85 (Silver), 93 (Gold), 99 (Hall of Fame)
The Posterizer badge is more of an exclamation point rather than a badge that will help you score. It gives the player the extra animation of plainly dunking over a defender. This means you can take screenshots of your nasty dunks and post them for all to see.
This badge is best used if you find a clear path to the basket. Otherwise, it’s one of the last dunk-related badges you should prioritize unless the scene of your virtual self dunking all over a player is just worth that much to you.
What to expect when using finishing badges in NBA 2K23
Finishing badges give that extra animation to your shots close to the rim. You won’t find much success converting layups or dunks even with a maxed out 99 rating without these badges.
There’s a huge difference once you start to equip badges as you progress. The Fearless Finisher badge is the most obvious one among all Finishing badges.
Once you start equipping the badges mentioned above, you can either be a dominating paint beast or an efficient slashing guard in NBA 2K23. Which badges will you choose?
Looking for the best team to play for?
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