Category: NBA 2K23 Defense and Rebounding Badges

Best Defensive Badges for Every Position

“Defense wins Championships” rings true in NBA 2K23. If your player clamps up your opponent, chances are you’re going to win most games in NBA 2K23.

And to play your best defense in the newest game, you’re going to need the help of the Best Defensive Badges for Guards in the game this year. We broke them into positions and tiers to best fit your player(s):

Skip to: Guards | Swings | Big Men

Guards

Guards are typically focused on perimeter defense, and these badge selections reflect this focus:

Tier 3

  1. Clamps: Guarding opposing guards is tougher with overpowered blowbys off stepbacks, but Clamps is going to be your best bet to stop opposing scorers.
  2. Challenger: Chances are, you’ll be guarding a lot of 3-point shots. Challenger is going to help amplify your contests and slow down opposing shooters.
  3. Glove: Some really like this badge, but on-ball steals are still pretty inconsistent in 2K23. If you have extra badge points, this may be worth throwing a few on.

Tier 2

  1. Pick Dodger: Screens are still extremely effective, and Pick Dodger is still underpowered. Nonetheless, you’re going to need this badge if you want to have any hope of getting around picks.
  2. Menace: This badge has not been great these past few years, but there aren’t too many great options in this tier.

Tier 1

  1. Chasedown Artist: This badge is far underpowered compared to last year, but with the dominant playstyle being rim-running, this badge will at least give you some hope.
  2. Anchor: This, again, is a counter to rim-running. You’re a small player, so don’t expect great results contesting in the paint, but this badge will give you a fighting chance.

Swings

Swing players, defined as 6’6″ to 6’9″, have to focus on both a bit of perimeter defense and interior defense. Here are the best defensive badges in each Tier for swings:

Tier 3

  1. Clamps: Again, this badge is going to help you stop ball handlers. Swing players will probably be helping on ball handlers frequently, so this is still the best defensive badge.
  2. Challenger: Whether you’re guarding an on-ball or off-ball shooter, Challenger is going to help you contest their jumpshots and stop a barrage of threes.
  3. Interceptor: Playing passing lanes is perhaps a swing player’s biggest contribution on defense, so Interceptor is a natural fit. You can play without it, but it makes getting steals so much easier.

Tier 2

  1. Chasedown Artist: Whether you’re playing on-ball or off-ball, this badge is going to help you guard again rim-running. Again, this badge pales to last year’s version, but still helps.
  2. Anchor: You’re a bit bigger than guards, so this interior defense badge is going to help a bit more. Whether you are on a guard, swing, or big man, this badge will help you guard the paint.

Tier 1

  1. Rebound Chaser: You won’t be the primary rebounder (hopefully), but having this badge on a lower level is going to allow you to help clean up the boards on long rebounds.
  2. Pick Dodger: You won’t face a ton of screens as a swing, but this badge will help you in the chance that you do. It’s still underwhelming, but it’s one of few good badges in Tier 1.

Big Men

Big Men are entirely focused on paint defense and rebounding, and this list of badges is going to help you maximize both skills and help you lead your defense to wins:

Tier 3

  1. Anchor: Interior defense is a bit odd this year without this badge, so big men should have it on the highest level they can afford. It’s a mix of Rim Protector and Intimidator from last year, so you can see why it’s so important.
  2. Rebound Chaser: You can get rebounds without this badge, but you are going to be out-boarded, without fail, by centers with this badge.
  3. Brick Wall: Screens are still an important part of 2K23, and this badge is going to help you set both stronger and more effective screens. ?It’s not necessary, but helpful after you equip the above badges.

Tier 2

  1. Boxout Beast: Unless you want opposing big men worming around your boxouts, this badge is going to be necessary. It’s pretty cheap and effective, so it’s a definite must for all big men.
  2. Chasedown Artist: This badge makes another appearance, and it’s just another tool for big men to guard the paint.

Tier 1

  1. Challenger: Regardless of your defensive scheme, you are going to be switched onto shooters at some point. This cheap badge is going to help you defend against those shots.
  2. Interceptor: Again, you’ll be playing the passing lanes at some point. This badge is going to maximize your chances of getting a steal if they throw it your way.

Check out our other guides on the best badges in each category:

NBA 2K20 Badges – The Complete List

Finishing

Acrobat: Spin, half-spin, hop step, euro-step, cradle, reverse, and change shot layup attempts receive a significant boost.

Backdown Punisher: Allows players to have more success than normal when backing down a defender in the paint.

Consistent Finisher: Penalties for mis-timed layups are reduced, allowing players to make layups more consistently.

Contact Finisher: Slashers who play below the rim finish contact layups more successfully while dunkers are able to pull off more contact dunks.

Cross-Key Scorer: Boosts the ability to make running hooks, layups, or close range pull-ups while driving across the paint.

Deep Hooks: Post hooks taken far from the basket receive less of a distance penalty than normal.

Dropstepper: Allows for more success when attempting post dropsteps and hop steps, in addition to protecting the ball better, while performing these moves in the post.

Fancy Footwork: players get past defenders more efficiently when performing euro, cradle, hop step, spin, and half-spin gathers.

Fastbreak Finisher: Gives an additional boost to a player’s takeover meter when successfully dunking on a fastbreak.

Giant slayer: Boosts the shot percentage for a layup attempt when mismatched against a taller defender and reduces the possibility of getting blocked.

Lob City Finisher: Improves a player’s ability to successfully finish an alley-oop layup or dunk. The shot must be taken before the receiver lands.

Pick & Roller: When rolling off the pick and roll, a shot boost is applied if the layup or dunk attempt comes within a few seconds after catching the pass.

Pro Touch: Gives an extra shot boost for having slightly early, slightly late, or excellent shot timing on layups.

Putback Boss: Boosts the shot attributes of a player that attempts a putback layup or dunk right after getting an offensive rebound.

Relentless Finisher: Improves a player’s ability to take a lot of contact by reducing the energy lost when attacking the rim for contact shots.

Showtime: Gives an additional boost to a player’s takeover meter and his teammates, when successfully completing an and-1 or flashy dunk.

Slithery Finisher: Increases a player’s ability to slide through traffic and avoid contact during gathers and finishes at the rim.

Tear dropper: Improves a player’s ability to known down floaters and runners.

Shooting

Catch & Shoot: For a short time after receiving a pass, the receiver’s outside shooting attributes get a significant boost.

Clutch Shooter: Shot attempts that occur during the final moments of the 4th quarter, or in any overtime period, receive a large boost.

Corner Specialist: Deep mid-range or 3pt shots taken along the baseline of the court receive a boost, whether it is off the dribble or off the catch.

Deadeye: Jump shots taken with a defender closing out receive less of a penalty from a shot contest. This includes both mid-range and 3pt shots.

Deep fades: Post fadeaways taken far from the basket receive less of a distance penalty than normal.

Difficult Shots: Boosts your player’s ability to make shots off the dribble, in addition to boosting your player’s ability to make moving shots.

Flexible Release: Shot timing penalties for jump shots are reduced, making it easier to knock down attempts even when releasing early or late.

Green Machine: Gives an additional shot boost when consecutively achieving excellent releases on jump shots. 

Hot Start: For every made shot from the beginning of the game, players receives a shot attribute bonus that lasts until the first missed shot attempt

Hot Zone Hunter: Shots that are taken in a player’s hot zone(s) are given a boost

Ice in Veins: Free throws taken in the second half of close games or overtime periods are given a boost. Also, the timing window for free throws becomes larger.

Pick & Popper: Shot attempts that come after setting a screen are given a boost if the shot happens far enough from the rim and within a few seconds after the screen has been set.

Pump Fake Maestro: Shortens the timer that determines how long after a pump fake a player can shoot without incurring a shot percentage penalty.

Quick Draw: The higher the badge level, the faster a player will be able to release all jump shots.

Range Extender: Adds extra distance to a player’s given shot range for both mid-range and 3pt shots.

Slippery Off-Ball: When attempting to get open off screens, the player more effectively navigates through traffic.

Steady Shooter: Shot attempts that are contested receive less of a penalty, however shot attempts that are open do not receive as much of a bonus.

Tireless Scorer: Shot attributes on jump shots suffer a smaller penalty than normal when tired.

Volume Shooter: After a player has taken a small handful of shots, an additional boost to shot attributes is given for ever subsequent shot, whether it’s a make or a miss.

Playmaking

Ankle Breaker: Improves the likelihood of freezing or dropping a defender during dribble moves, especially stepback moves or certain chains of dribble moves.

Bail Out: Increases the chances of a successful and accurate pass out of a jumpshot or layup while mid-air.

Break Starter: Allows rebounders to throw more effective deep outlet passes shortly following a defensive rebound.

Dimer: Gives a shooting boost to receivers in catch-and-shoot oppurtunities.

Downhill: Increases your player’s speed with ball rating on fastbreak opportunities

Dream Shake: Increases the chances that a defender falls for a pump fake in the post. In addition, your player’s shooting attributes increase after post moves or pump fakes.

Flashy Passer: Gives a Takeover boost to the passer and receiver after following a made shot off a flashy pass.

Floor General: Boosts your teammates’ offensive attributes when on the floor.

Handles for Days: Allows playmakers and dribbling builds to lose less stamina when chaining dribble moves.

Lob City Passer: Increases the chances of a successful alley-oop pass and finish. It boosts both your player’s passing attribute and the finishing attributes of your receiver.

Needle Threader: Increases the success of tough passes between defenders. When activated, this badge will boost your passing attributes and help deliver a crisp pass.

Pass Fake Maestro: Increases the effectiveness of fake passes by making them quicker and tighter.

Post Spin Technician: Boosts a player’s post spin or post drive

Quick First Step: Allows players to get more explosive first steps out of the triple threat or size up.

Space Creator: Boosts your player’s ability to create space from a defender on a step back move or shot.

Stop & Go: Allows ball handlers to quickly stop-and-go while dribbling. You also get unique launch animations on stop-and-gos with this badge.

Tight Handles: Boosts your player’s ball handling in one-on-one situations.

Unpluckable: Makes it more difficult for defenders to steal the ball from your player.

Defending and Rebounding

Box: Strengthens a player’s ability to effectively box out opponents in anticipation of a rebound.

Brick Wall: This badge makes it tougher for a defense to get through or around screens. Players hit by contact from a brick wall lose more energy than normal.

Chase Down Artist: Boosts the speed and leaping ability of a player when he is chasing down an offensive player in anticipation of a block attempt.

Clamps: Defenders have access to quicker cut off moves and are more successful when bumping or hip riding riding the ball handler.

Defensive Leader: Lifts the defensive ability of teammates when on the court. Also, at the Hall of Fame level, can see potential shot percentages of opposing players. 

Heart crusher: After successfully blocking or stealing the ball from an opponent, an additional penalty is given to the opposing player’s takeover meter.

Interceptor: The frequency of successfully tipped or intercepted passes greatly increases.

Intimidator: Offensive players have less success shooting when contested by players with this badge. Also boosts the shot defense rating when tightly guarding an opponent.

Lightning Reflexes: Gives the defender an advantage to read where the ball handler is going in the Read and React System.

Moving Truck: Players are more effective pushing opponents out of the post while playing defense.

Off-Ball Pest: Makes players more difficult to get past when playing off-ball, as they can grab and hold their matchup and don’t get their ankles broken as often.

Pick Dodger: Improves a player’s ability to navigate through and round screens while on defense.

Pick Pocket: Increases the chances of a steal and reduces the chances of a foul when attempting to strip the ball from a ball handler. Also improves the chances of successful layup strips. 

Pogo Stick: Allows players to quickly go back for another block attempt upon landing.

Post Move Lockdown: Increases the chances of a defender preventing an offensive post move from succeeding.

Rebound chaser: Improves a player’s ability to track down rebounds from farther distances than normal.

Rim protector: Improves player’s ability to block shots, unlocks special animations and gives a boost to the Takeover meter for the blocker and blocker’s teammates following a block.

Tireless defender: Allows defenders to play defense more aggressively without losing energy at the same rate as a normal player.

Trapper: When trapping offensive players, defenders are more effective at forcing pickups and turnovers than normal. 

Worm: When boxed out, rebounders have more success swimming around and getting into successful rebound position.

NBA 2K23 Defending and Rebounding Badges: A Complete Guide

BadgeDescription
AnchorImproves your player's ability to block and contest shots in the paint
Brick WallStrengthens screens and allows players to hold their ground.
ChallengerStrengthens perimeter shot contests
ClampsBoosts the ability to stay in front of the ball handler on the perimeter
Rebound ChaserImproves a player's ability to chase down rebounds
GloveAllows you to strip opponents as they gather for shots and poke the ball free from ball handlers.
Pogo StickAllows you to jump repetitively in the paint to get more blocks and rebounds.
InterceptorIncreases the chances at getting steals in the passing lanes.
Ankle BracesReduces the chances of getting crossed over.
MenaceSignificantly drops the offensive ratings of opponents while you smother them.
Pick DodgerHelps players get around screens.
Work HorseBoosts your ability to get 50/50 balls and play intense defense without getting tired.
Boxout BeastImproves a player's ability to box out opponents.
Chase Down ArtistHelps you get more chase down blocks.
Off-Ball PestImproves a player's ability to to bump and harass a player off-ball.
Post LockdownImproves a defender's ability to defend post moves and backdowns