Badging Thread

[harryl]

Wanted to start a thread to discuss how to badge up players. Now that 2K has drastically constrained the badges that players come with, the open slots are now all the more precious and the decision of what badges to add all the more important.

[harryl]

I'll start off with...

Player: Current Gold DeAndre Jordan
Comes With: No Badges
Open Slots: 3

I'm hesitant to add anything valuable to pretty much any card I currently have, as it's so early in the game cycle. So I don't even really want to add expensive stuff like Deep-Range Deadeye to Current Steph Curry (though I might break down and do so).

But there are quite a few very useful badges that are pretty cheap. And I was having a rough time with Domination games, and wanted to get a little extra edge.

So with Domination in mind, I figured I don't need to worry about achieving balance all that much and to just play to strength. So I decided to just amp up DeAndre Jordan's offensive abilities...

Added:

1. Pick & Roller
2. Lob City Finisher
3. Posterizer

The Posterizer is the only one that is quasi expensive. Pick & Roller and Lob City Finisher are pretty cheap, easily under 1000 MT (this is on PC).

Other Options:

If this were a higher-level Center card and I would use it long-term, I'd be concerned about buffing defense.

A. Rim Protector: Obvious.
B. Bruiser: Obvious, but kind of a luxury.
C. Brick Wall: Obvious...maybe should have added this instead of Posterizer because DJ already is so highly rated for dunking, including Contact Dunk, and is constantly the screener/roll man.
D. Relentless Finisher: Nice, but very much a luxury unless the card is heads-and-shoulders superior to what one could sub in for it.
E. Post Spin Technician: Might consider this a must for a more skilled post offensive player. DJ has crap Post Control so I figured adding this would be like putting lipstick on a pig. Same deal with Drop-Stepper and Dream-Like Up and Under.
F. Putback King: I think this is a luxury, given that one isn't getting that many offensive boards, usually, to begin with.
G. Hustle Rebounder: Wonder how useful this is for a Center, versus a more mobile PF or SF.

[Foldzy]

They all can be good. It all depends on playstyle and personel, I like a lot of the pic & roll + fast break stuff myself because that's how I play I love hustle rebounder and rim protector. The deadeye badges don't seem to proc much and I haven't tested out the alley oop ones. Rim protector, defensive stopper and pick pocket are my go-to defensive ones.

[harryl]

The other guy I upgraded and added a badge to was my DeMarcus Cousins. Much more expensive, relative to DJ, but still not all that expensive so I'm not that concerned about "making a mistake." But still concerned enough about getting it right that I only upgraded his existing badge and added one, so far.

Player: Current Emerald DeMarcus Cousins
Comes With: Bronze Bruiser
Open Slots: 3

Again, a little hesitant to put really valuable badges on this guy. And, also, mainly see his utility to me as being part of my Domination/Challenge team.

Added:

1. Post-Spin Technician: felt like this was a must, since he's primarily a post offensive weapon to me and the post-spin is bread-and-butter.

Other Options:

I was thinking about just sticking with offensive upgrades and just cede out that Cousins is a bit of a defensive liability. Not necessarily because the offensive upgrades are more important than defensive, but because they're much cheaper and I doubt I'll be using Cousins in a couple months. But maybe I'm being too cheap and too dismissive of the impact of the defensive badges.

A. Rim Protector: Before, Post LD was clearly counteracting Post-Scoring badges/enhancements. And Eraser counteracting Inside Scoring badges and creating the possibility of Energy buff for blocks. Now I don't really know what Rim Protector does, exactly. The description says...

Quote:

An elite shot-blocker who intimidates those around the rim, causing interior shots to be less effective.

Maybe there is a buff to Shot Contest and Block and pertinent Def IQ Ratings? Also counteracting of corresponding badges? Maybe I should strongly consider adding this. If Cousins can be less of a detriment on D, it's much easier to justify how much of a beast he is in the paint on Offense, though there is still the sticky issue of how bad he is when drawn out in Pick'n'Rolls.

B. Drop-Stepper: I was thinking about adding this. It's cheap and the Drop Step might be one of the most common post moves I use with Cousins. That, and Post Hook. Don't seem to do well with Post Fades with him, though his is pretty good. But maybe it's a waste to use a badge just for a single type of shot, when there is much more in the post move arsenal.

C. Dream-Like Up and Under: Was thinking about this because cheap and offensive, again, but maybe even less useful than Drop-Stepper. I feel like...if one gets the defender off his feet and times the Up and Under correctly to get to the basket without heavy contact, one has very high % chance of making the shot, without any badge buffing. But maybe this badge makes it still a very effective move, even if one is making it through hard contact? I.e. times the move late and is trying to go "through" the defender? If so, then it's maybe worth it.

D. And then all the other stuff mentioned above, w/r/t DeAndre.

[kabamaru]

Nice thread!

of course all the above have to do with plastyle. Example I don't lob so I wouldn't put lob finisher.
Current players are too low in ratings. It is my feeling that in 2 months these cards will be unusable so I don't badge them excessively as it will hit my Mt.

Having said that since I use a lot of pnr my Curry, Harden and LBJ have pick n roll maestro and DeAndre and Towns have pick roller.

My only other added badges are corner specialist in harden ( I bought him with it) and I added rebounder in Towns


For me pick dodger is very important for a pg, even if is usually overlooked and is very cheap. I will upgrade my Curry with a gold pick dodger

[harryl]

Quote: Originally Posted by kabamaru

Current players are too low in ratings. It is my feeling that in 2 months these cards will be unusable so I don't badge them excessively as it will hit my Mt.

That's how I feel too. But the fact that the Current players have looming obsolescence also decreases the pressure to badge them "right."

So, for example, if one feels firm about not adding valuable badges, then, with a Curry, there's no pressure to add the "necessary" long distance shooting badges that are also the most expensive.

So, then, adding Pick Dodger is easy to justify, in terms of slot and price. And, I agree, it's a badge I consider to be a must for a perimeter player...except, this year, "must" becomes much harder to determine.

[Foldzy]

I wish you could badge over unwanted badges, I get not being able to remove them and get the badge back, but if you accidentally put the wrong badge on a card it becomes ruined and some cards you cant get another one of

[Torty84]

Steve Francis
----------------

Added badges so far:

1) Tireless Scorer

Stamina is a big thing this 2k. He is a powerhouse for me. Many blow by action and dunking attempts - he needs more energy for that

2) Relentless Finisher

He is a good shooter but his strengths are attacking the rim

3) PnR Maestro

Every PG needs this

4) Dimer

Every PG needs this

5) Defensive Stopper

He is already a great defender but this badge will always find a place in my slots

6) One open slot

With a 85 open shot 3 Catch and Shoot might be a good badge...