NBA 2K15: Ranking the Teams 1-30 at the End of the Regular Season
Submitted on: 04/20/2015 by
Danny Webster
It's amazing what a year of basketball can do. Not only can it change the perception of a particular team in real life, but it can also affect what happens in the video game world, as evidence of NBA 2K15's final roster rankings for the 2014-15 regular season.
Remember when you first bought the game, and the Cleveland Cavaliers had the best offense of all time because of the additions of Kevin Love with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving? Well, Irving has maintained his end of the deal while K-Love has dropped, causing Cleveland's overall to drop, as well. More on that later.
But the playoffs are upon us, and it's time to put the regular season to bed once and for all. With that being said, here are the final rankings of the 2014-15 regular season in NBA 2K15. These are how all the teams were rated, by ranking, heading into the playoffs.
1) Golden State Warriors - No surprise here, the best team in the league is the best team in the game. The Warriors actually started the year ranked 11th, but Stephen Curry alone has propelled Golden State to the top of the rankings. He's a 95 overall now, coupled with Klay Thompson at an 87. It should also be mentioned that GSW has the top-rated defense in the game, as well.
2) Oklahoma City Thunder - This makes no sense, but then it does. Injured players were added back to the lineups in the game, which means Kevin Durant is back as a 94 overall like Russell Westbrook. The offense also jumped up four spots with the additions of Enes Kanter and D.J. Augustin. For a team missing the playoffs this year, that's not bad.
3) Washington Wizards - This game wants us to believe Washington is the third best team in the game. John Wall at an 87 overall is not a good way to state your claim for that.
4) Memphis Grizzlies - The Grizzlies started with the 25th best offense in the game. With the addition of Jeff Green, that surely helped, and the defense also returned to its stellar form.
5) Houston Rockets - Only thing you need to know about this: James Harden jumped from an 88 to a 94 overall. He's become one of those guys you just want to play with in any mode possible.
6) Atlanta Hawks - The best team in the Eastern Conference is somehow rated less than the Wizards. We'll put that theory to the actual test, if they meet in the semifinals of the playoffs. But the Hawks are fun in real life, just like the video game.
7) San Antonio Spurs - The defending champs had to go on a 21-4 spurt to close out the year and finish with the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. So their drop from No. 1 to No. 7 is warranted. The Big Three have taken a slight drop in ratings, but Kawhi Leonard is up to an 86, which was at an 82 to start the year.
8) Cleveland Cavaliers - Kevin Love dropped from an 88 to an 82, so Cleveland isn't a bunch of world beaters right now. But Kyrie Irving is automatic in the game, so that makes up for everything. LeBron's crew actually dropped six spots from the start of the year.
9) Los Angeles Clippers - The Clippers took a six-place drop from third to end the year, but it wasn't Chris Paul's fault. He played all 82 games, while Blake Griffin missed a few. DeAndre Jordan has also skyrocketed to an 86 overall.
10) Portland Trail Blazers - Portland actually dropped four spots to get to this point. Most of that has to do with Wesley Matthews' injury, and also dealing with ailments from Arron Afflalo.
11) Dallas Mavericks - Rajon Rondo's rating may be down to a 79, but he's made a huge impact on this team from both an offensive and defensive standpoint. Dallas' defense was 29th when the game came out, and it jumped up to 19.
12) Chicago Bulls - The Bulls were actually the No. 4 team overall at the start of the year, but that fluctuated thanks to Derrick Rose's inconsistencies. While Rose was continuously in and out of the lineup, the Bulls didn't have anyone else to provide a scoring punch.
13) Miami Heat - The Heat started the year eighth overall, but somehow found a way to drop to 13th after the Goran Dragic trade. Chris Bosh being out of the game was also an issue as well. All of that culminated to the Heat missing the playoffs.
Remember when you first bought the game, and the Cleveland Cavaliers had the best offense of all time because of the additions of Kevin Love with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving? Well, Irving has maintained his end of the deal while K-Love has dropped, causing Cleveland's overall to drop, as well. More on that later.
But the playoffs are upon us, and it's time to put the regular season to bed once and for all. With that being said, here are the final rankings of the 2014-15 regular season in NBA 2K15. These are how all the teams were rated, by ranking, heading into the playoffs.
1) Golden State Warriors - No surprise here, the best team in the league is the best team in the game. The Warriors actually started the year ranked 11th, but Stephen Curry alone has propelled Golden State to the top of the rankings. He's a 95 overall now, coupled with Klay Thompson at an 87. It should also be mentioned that GSW has the top-rated defense in the game, as well.
2) Oklahoma City Thunder - This makes no sense, but then it does. Injured players were added back to the lineups in the game, which means Kevin Durant is back as a 94 overall like Russell Westbrook. The offense also jumped up four spots with the additions of Enes Kanter and D.J. Augustin. For a team missing the playoffs this year, that's not bad.
3) Washington Wizards - This game wants us to believe Washington is the third best team in the game. John Wall at an 87 overall is not a good way to state your claim for that.
4) Memphis Grizzlies - The Grizzlies started with the 25th best offense in the game. With the addition of Jeff Green, that surely helped, and the defense also returned to its stellar form.
5) Houston Rockets - Only thing you need to know about this: James Harden jumped from an 88 to a 94 overall. He's become one of those guys you just want to play with in any mode possible.
6) Atlanta Hawks - The best team in the Eastern Conference is somehow rated less than the Wizards. We'll put that theory to the actual test, if they meet in the semifinals of the playoffs. But the Hawks are fun in real life, just like the video game.
7) San Antonio Spurs - The defending champs had to go on a 21-4 spurt to close out the year and finish with the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. So their drop from No. 1 to No. 7 is warranted. The Big Three have taken a slight drop in ratings, but Kawhi Leonard is up to an 86, which was at an 82 to start the year.
8) Cleveland Cavaliers - Kevin Love dropped from an 88 to an 82, so Cleveland isn't a bunch of world beaters right now. But Kyrie Irving is automatic in the game, so that makes up for everything. LeBron's crew actually dropped six spots from the start of the year.
9) Los Angeles Clippers - The Clippers took a six-place drop from third to end the year, but it wasn't Chris Paul's fault. He played all 82 games, while Blake Griffin missed a few. DeAndre Jordan has also skyrocketed to an 86 overall.
10) Portland Trail Blazers - Portland actually dropped four spots to get to this point. Most of that has to do with Wesley Matthews' injury, and also dealing with ailments from Arron Afflalo.
11) Dallas Mavericks - Rajon Rondo's rating may be down to a 79, but he's made a huge impact on this team from both an offensive and defensive standpoint. Dallas' defense was 29th when the game came out, and it jumped up to 19.
12) Chicago Bulls - The Bulls were actually the No. 4 team overall at the start of the year, but that fluctuated thanks to Derrick Rose's inconsistencies. While Rose was continuously in and out of the lineup, the Bulls didn't have anyone else to provide a scoring punch.
13) Miami Heat - The Heat started the year eighth overall, but somehow found a way to drop to 13th after the Goran Dragic trade. Chris Bosh being out of the game was also an issue as well. All of that culminated to the Heat missing the playoffs.
14) New Orleans Pelicans - Anthony Davis, Anthony Davis and more Anthony Davis. He's the reason why the Pelicans are now in the top half of the 2K Rankings to end the year, seeing as how they started 16th. But that was before Davis became a bonafide MVP candidate.
15) Indiana Pacers - Indiana's offense took a major jump this year without Paul George in the lineup for almost the entire year, going from 26th to 19th. The Pacers might still be playing basketball, as well as potentially playing for a shot at an NBA Title, had PG-13 not suffered that terrible broken leg.
16) Toronto Raptors - A team with high expectations ends up sitting in the bottom half in the 2K world. DeMar DeRozan's injury earlier in the year definitely hampered the Raptors from being one of the best offensive teams in the game, pairing him with Kyle Lowry and Terrence Ross.
17) Phoenix Suns - The Suns went downhill after trading Dragic, dropping seven overall spots and dropping six spots on offense. Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe couldn't do enough to put them higher in the virtual world.
18) Detroit Pistons - After removing Josh Smith from the bowels of Detroit history, the Pistons started to show what a team huge potential can accomplish. Next year, with Reggie Jackson and Brandon Jennings playing together, Detroit could be a top-half team in 2K16.
19) Sacramento Kings - Remember that time the Kings were the best team in the league for, like, seven games? Well, blame ownership for where the Kings are. DeMarcus Cousins, though, is a beast that can't be stopped in 2K15. That's a plus.
20) Minnesota Timberwolves - Despite finishing with the league's worst record, the Wolves actually jumped two spots from where they started. Andrew Wiggins is on the verge of being everyone's favorite player to dunk on people with in 2K. Him and Zach LaVine make Minny a fun team to play with.
21) Charlotte Hornets - Another team with high expectations crumbled heavily. The Hornets got nothing from Lance Stephenson, and Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker both battled injuries. Charlotte actually dropped seven spots from where it was at the beginning of the year.
22) Milwaukee Bucks - A bold prediction: The Bucks might be ranked higher if they didn't trade for Michael Carter-Williams. Brandon Knight was amazing on that team. And Giannis Antetokounmpo is a matchup nightmare for anyone.
23) Utah Jazz - Another bold prediction: This team will be close to the top-half of top rated teams in 2K16. Gordon Hayward has become a star, and Rudy Gobert can get you about six blocks a game. This Jazz team is on the rise.
24) Brooklyn Nets - Somehow, the Nets are in the playoffs with a bunch of mediocre players, according to the ratings. It's Brook Lopez, and then everyone else scraping the bottom. This was a terrible year for the Nets, and they're easy to beat in the game.
25) Los Angeles Lakers - Not a surprise, but the Lakers finished lower from where they started thanks to Kobe Bryant getting hurt. Then again, four spots isn't too bad. And they were without Julius Randle, so the Lakers may be pushing towards the top of the 20s next year.
26) Boston Celtics - 2K knows this team made the playoffs, right? They know Isaiah Thomas should be rated higher than he is, right? THEY KNOW THE CELTICS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS RIGHT? Sheesh, everyone on that roster is terribly rated. How did this team make the playoffs?
27) Denver Nuggets - Nothing went right for Denver, and they're right where they need to be. A good lottery pick, though, and the Nuggets could be back towards the upper 20s to late teens. They have the talent.
28) New York Knicks - How are they not 30th? Only answer I can come up with is Carmelo Anthony is back on the roster and playable.
29) Orlando Magic - There is talent on this roster, but someone, somehow, has to put it all together. Magic -- literally -- is happening in Orlando. Just no one knows how.
30) Philadelphia 76ers - What if Joel Embiid was actually the coach for Philly next year? Would you play with the Sixers? He should be a player-coach. That would be fun.
15) Indiana Pacers - Indiana's offense took a major jump this year without Paul George in the lineup for almost the entire year, going from 26th to 19th. The Pacers might still be playing basketball, as well as potentially playing for a shot at an NBA Title, had PG-13 not suffered that terrible broken leg.
16) Toronto Raptors - A team with high expectations ends up sitting in the bottom half in the 2K world. DeMar DeRozan's injury earlier in the year definitely hampered the Raptors from being one of the best offensive teams in the game, pairing him with Kyle Lowry and Terrence Ross.
17) Phoenix Suns - The Suns went downhill after trading Dragic, dropping seven overall spots and dropping six spots on offense. Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe couldn't do enough to put them higher in the virtual world.
18) Detroit Pistons - After removing Josh Smith from the bowels of Detroit history, the Pistons started to show what a team huge potential can accomplish. Next year, with Reggie Jackson and Brandon Jennings playing together, Detroit could be a top-half team in 2K16.
19) Sacramento Kings - Remember that time the Kings were the best team in the league for, like, seven games? Well, blame ownership for where the Kings are. DeMarcus Cousins, though, is a beast that can't be stopped in 2K15. That's a plus.
20) Minnesota Timberwolves - Despite finishing with the league's worst record, the Wolves actually jumped two spots from where they started. Andrew Wiggins is on the verge of being everyone's favorite player to dunk on people with in 2K. Him and Zach LaVine make Minny a fun team to play with.
21) Charlotte Hornets - Another team with high expectations crumbled heavily. The Hornets got nothing from Lance Stephenson, and Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker both battled injuries. Charlotte actually dropped seven spots from where it was at the beginning of the year.
22) Milwaukee Bucks - A bold prediction: The Bucks might be ranked higher if they didn't trade for Michael Carter-Williams. Brandon Knight was amazing on that team. And Giannis Antetokounmpo is a matchup nightmare for anyone.
23) Utah Jazz - Another bold prediction: This team will be close to the top-half of top rated teams in 2K16. Gordon Hayward has become a star, and Rudy Gobert can get you about six blocks a game. This Jazz team is on the rise.
24) Brooklyn Nets - Somehow, the Nets are in the playoffs with a bunch of mediocre players, according to the ratings. It's Brook Lopez, and then everyone else scraping the bottom. This was a terrible year for the Nets, and they're easy to beat in the game.
25) Los Angeles Lakers - Not a surprise, but the Lakers finished lower from where they started thanks to Kobe Bryant getting hurt. Then again, four spots isn't too bad. And they were without Julius Randle, so the Lakers may be pushing towards the top of the 20s next year.
26) Boston Celtics - 2K knows this team made the playoffs, right? They know Isaiah Thomas should be rated higher than he is, right? THEY KNOW THE CELTICS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS RIGHT? Sheesh, everyone on that roster is terribly rated. How did this team make the playoffs?
27) Denver Nuggets - Nothing went right for Denver, and they're right where they need to be. A good lottery pick, though, and the Nuggets could be back towards the upper 20s to late teens. They have the talent.
28) New York Knicks - How are they not 30th? Only answer I can come up with is Carmelo Anthony is back on the roster and playable.
29) Orlando Magic - There is talent on this roster, but someone, somehow, has to put it all together. Magic -- literally -- is happening in Orlando. Just no one knows how.
30) Philadelphia 76ers - What if Joel Embiid was actually the coach for Philly next year? Would you play with the Sixers? He should be a player-coach. That would be fun.
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