NBA 2K is one of the most played video games throughout the world. The game is played by NBA superstars as well. Well, some stars might not be happy with the new updates made in the game. NBA 2K updated the ratings of a few players on 17th February right before the All-Star break. While some players saw a boost in ratings, some players’ ratings have fallen.
Some of the notable changes were Luka Doncic being upgraded to 95 OVR from 94. Khris Middleton for the Bucks also received a +1 upgrade to 86. First-time All-Stars Darius Garland, Dejounte Murray, LaMelo Ball, and Andrew Wiggins all received upgrades with Wiggins getting a + upgrade to 85 while both Murray and Garland got +1 upgrades to 87. LaMelo Ball also got a +1 upgrade to 86.
Another great update was a +1 for DeMar DeRozan who has been playing at an MVP level this season. DeRozan’s rating rose to 91 after the update. Tyler Herro for the Miami Heat and frontrunner for the 6th Man of the Year award received a +2 upgrade to 85. Other notable upgrades included +1 for Jaren Jackson Jr from the Memphis Grizzlies and +1 for Josh Giddey, the rookie from OKC, who became the only person to have 3 triple-doubles in a row in his rookie season after Oscar Robertson.
While there were upgrades, there were also many downgrades to notable players across the league. One that comes as no surprise is a -2 for Russell Westbrook who has been struggling all season for the Lakers. Westbrook was pushed out of the 80+ rating club after the downgrade and now has a rating of 79. James Harden had a -1 downgrade as well after his poor performances in Brooklyn over the last few weeks he was there as well as him being out right now. Kyrie Irving had a -1 rating as well but that is mostly due to him being unavailable to play in home games.
Other notable players that were downgraded were Trae Young (-1) from the Atlanta Hawks and Jaylen Brown (-1) from the Boston Celtics. Surprisingly, Brown got downgraded as the Celtics have become a better team recently and Brown has played well in most games throughout the season.
While the ratings do not say a lot about a player, most times it is a reflection of their poor performances. While we can make a case for most players not to be downgraded, one person that deserves the downgrade is Russell Westbrook. Even though it is unfair that he has been put in a situation where he cannot thrive, it is undeniable that Westbrook’s game has regressed overall. He has been a major reason for the Lakers’ struggles this season along with GM Rob Pelinka who traded for Westbrook and Frank Vogel and his coaching staff who have not found a way to use him effectively.
