Predicting NBA 2K20 Team Ratings Using NBA 2K19: Eastern Conference

[Steve_OS]

As we ramp up towards an earlier release of NBA 2K this year, information is starting...

Written By: Joel Smith

Click here to view the article.

[Real2KInsider]

Same exercise w/ Real 2K Insider roster
EASTERN CONFERENCE (Off/Def)
99 Bucks (99/99)
95 Sixers (95/95)
95 Raptors (97/94)
93 Celtics (89/97)
92 Pacers (89/94)
90 Heat (86/95)
90 Nets (93/87)
89 Pistons (88/90)
87 Bulls (84/89)
87 Cavaliers (89/86)
86 Magic (86/85)
86 Hornets (86/85)
85 Wizards (89/81)
84 Hawks (86/82)
82 Knicks (84/81)

WESTERN CONFERENCE (Off/Def)
98 Warriors (99/98)
97 Clippers (98/96)
97 Rockets (99/95)
96 Lakers (94/97)
95 Nuggets (97/93)
94 Blazers (94/93)
94 Spurs (98/90)
93 Thunder (90/95)
92 Jazz (86/99)
90 Kings (92/89)
90 Wolves (90/89)
90 Mavericks (90/89)
89 Pelicans (94/85)
89 Grizzlies (87/92)
86 Suns (89/83)

Coach ratings have a high impact on Team Overalls. I do think this is going to be a year where coaching stands out though, given how much more parity there is league-wide.

The Warriors and Raptors (and to an extent the Celtics) will be much better than everyone anticipates.

[jayman504]

This article loses all credibility with BROOKLYN WITHOUT KD still rated higher than Toronto??? lol YES The Raptors lost Kawhi but c'mon you see them as 10th lolol.

[CaVsFaN2273]

Quote: Originally Posted by jayman504

This article loses all credibility with BROOKLYN WITHOUT KD still rated higher than Toronto??? lol YES The Raptors lost Kawhi but c'mon you see them as 10th lolol.

Lol that's not the author's fault. It was based on 2K's ratings after moving the players around.

[TheFinalEvent97]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rashidi

Same exercise w/ Real 2K Insider roster EASTERN CONFERENCE (Off/Def) 99 Bucks (99/99) 95 Sixers (95/95) 95 Raptors (97/94) 93 Celtics (89/97) 92 Pacers (89/94) 90 Heat (86/95) 90 Nets (93/87) 89 Pistons (88/90) 87 Bulls (84/89) 87 Cavaliers (89/86) 86 Magic (86/85) 86 Hornets (86/85) 85 Wizards (89/81) 84 Hawks (86/82) 82 Knicks (84/81) WESTERN CONFERENCE (Off/Def) 98 Warriors (99/98) 97 Clippers (98/96) 97 Rockets (99/95) 96 Lakers (94/97) 95 Nuggets (97/93) 94 Blazers (94/93) 94 Spurs (98/90) 93 Thunder (90/95) 92 Jazz (86/99) 90 Kings (92/89) 90 Wolves (90/89) 90 Mavericks (90/89) 89 Pelicans (94/85) 89 Grizzlies (87/92) 86 Suns (89/83) Coach ratings have a high impact on Team Overalls. I do think this is going to be a year where coaching stands out though, given how much more parity there is league-wide. The Warriors and Raptors (and to an extent the Celtics) will be much better than everyone anticipates.

Weren't the Celtics mainly so good because of their Elite D? Going from Horford to Kanter/Theis isn't great for maintaining that.

[Real2KInsider]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheFinalEvent97

Weren't the Celtics mainly so good because of their Elite D? Going from Horford to Kanter/Theis isn't great for maintaining that.

Quick Celtics summary

HEAD COACH
Brad Stevens (Offense: C / Defense: A+)

^As stated the coach ratings have a large impact on team rating. Stevens (A+) is adding 7 points to the Celtics defensive rating (+3.5 OVR) compared to an average (C) coach.

Tweaking Defense down to A
But also boosting Offense to C+

POINT GUARD
88 (NC) Kemba Walker (21.7 PER, 56 TS%, 31 USG%, 29 AST%)
77 (+3) Brad Wanamaker (14.3 PER, 60 TS%, 17 USG%, 23 AST%)
75 (NC) Carsen Edwards
74 (NC) Tremont Waters (TWC)

Kemba isn't as good as Kyrie, but he's far more durable and a better presence in the locker room.

Wanamaker was quietly solid and should be a breath of fresh air as the team moves on from Terry Rozier (addition by subtraction). Rozier was never the player he thought he was and by the offseason flagged himself as a major internal distraction.

Edwards is Shane Larkin but under team control for four years, he could push for the backup job.

SHOOTING GUARD
84 (+5) Marcus Smart (13.1 PER, 57 TS%, 15 USG%, 19 AST%, 3.1 STL% #1 in NBA)
80 (+1) Jaylen Brown (13.5 PER, 55 TS%, 22 USG%, 8 AST%)
76 (NC) Romeo Langford
69 (NC) Max Strus (TWC)

Smart took the starting job from Brown, as he finally showed an NBA caliber 3pt shot (36%, after hitting only 29% over his first 4 seasons).

Brown's subpar playmaking ability also pushed him to the bench as the team liked to use Kyrie off the ball, a trend that should continue with Kemba. It's a contract year for Brown and he's running out of time after not showing any improvement in his 3rd season. He's good enough to start somewhere, but not on a team this stacked on the wings.

Langford is a bit of a project, but his presence on the roster makes Jaylen Brown's long-term future w/ the team a bit murky.

SMALL FORWARD
84 (NC) Jayson Tatum (15.1 PER, 55 TS%, 22 USG%, 10 AST%)
74 (+2) Semi Ojeleye (8.5 PER, 53 TS%, 14 USG%, 5 AST%)

Tatum didn't have the leap many expected, but he's still only 21. It's been a quiet offseason for him after people made a big deal out of him working with Kobe last summer (something that served to hurt him early in the year).

Ojeleye is mainly a specialist, as mentioned Brown and Hayward get most of the backup mins here.

POWER FORWARD
81 (+1) Gordon Hayward (15.6 PER, 58 TS%, 19 USG%, 18 AST%)
78 (+2) Daniel Theis (17.0 PER, 62 TS%, 16 USG%, 11 AST%)
74 (NC) Grant Williams

Much of the Celtics success is pending on Hayward (owed 68M over the next 2 seasons) recapturing his pre-injury form. He shot 39% as a starter and 49% as a backup so it's not a given that he starts. Maybe this is where we see Jaylen Brown this year?

G-Will has Draymond Green appeal and is a major sleeper given how much the team needs defense.

Theis spent most of his time at C and I have him at PF primarily as a depth chart consideration. He's the best floor stretching big they have now that Horford is gone.

CENTER
84 (+2) Enes Kanter (22.3 PER, 59 TS%, 23 USG%, 12 AST%, 16.4 ORB% #2 in NBA)
74 (NC) Robert Williams (18.8 PER, 70 TS%, 10 USG%, 3 AST%, 12.5 BLK%)
73 (NC) Vincent Poirier

Going from Horford to Kanter has been much maligned on the defensive end. With that said Kanter held his own against Nikola Jokic in the playoffs while playing hurt. He's a reasonable 1v1 defender but just awful on rotations due to awareness/quickness (Stevens could help with one of those). What Kanter does offer is a legit rebounding presence (the C's have gotten killed on the glass in the Horford era), and he has had a top 3 ORB rate in each of the last 5 seasons. The C's would likely be better served handcuffing him to Grant Williams for defensive purposes rather than maxing out on offense w/ Hayward. Stevens has been encouraging him to expand his range to 3pt - he's not gonna replace Horford, but he's probably no worse than Theis.

R-Will is probably set for a decent leap in PT. His athletic plays will set him apart from an otherwise lumbering front-court.

Poirier was an odd pickup. He's a rim runner on offense, which the Celtics sort of lacked, but he's slow-footed like Kanter on defense. Seems like low-end insurance in case Robert Williams busts.

While I (and everyone else) have Hayward penciled in as a starter, depending on how it all shakes out I can see their lineup actually looking like

Starters: Kemba-Smart-Tatum-Jaylen-Kanter
Bench: Wanamaker-Langford-Hayward-Grant-Theis

OR

Starters: Kemba-Smart-Tatum-Grant-Kanter
Bench: Wanamaker-Jaylen-Hayward-Ojeleye-Theis

It should also be noted that the team is certainly not lacking for TALENT (I have them w/ six 80+ players), it's just that those pieces don't really fit well together. That was always gonna be the case when they signed Hayward after drafting Brown/Tatum (even if the injury never happened). Brown seems like the odd man out and can see him being dealt. Boston would probably love Jae Crowder back (currently in purgatory w/ Memphis).

[Knickerbocker91]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rashidi

While I (and everyone else) have Hayward penciled in as a starter, depending on how it all shakes out I can see their lineup actually looking like Starters: Kemba-Smart-Tatum-Jaylen-Kanter Bench: Wanamaker-Langford-Hayward-Grant-Theis OR Starters: Kemba-Smart-Tatum-Grant-Kanter Bench: Wanamaker-Jaylen-Hayward-Ojeleye-Theis

I can't see Jaylen Brown playing the 4, even in a stretch-4-small-ball-switch-on-every-screen role. It's more than likely he'd be at the 3 and Tatum would take the 4 (if they run that lineup)