The Best Badges in Each Category:
- Best Shooting Badges
- Best Playmaking Badges
- Best Finishing Badges
- Best Defensive Badges for Guards
- Best Defensive Badges for Big Men
The Complete List of Badges in Each Category:
Other Badge Info:
Category: Uncategorized
NBA 2K23 is a team game in that everyone must contribute their part in order to win. The best way for each position to make their contribution is to each have the best build at their position, meaning the ones with the best attributes and badges to dominate their spot on the floor.
Here are the best builds for each position in NBA 2K23, broken down into Guards (up to 6’5″), Swings (6’6″ to 6’9″), and Big Men (6’10” and up):
Guards
Guards are highly underappreciated in this game, thanks to the dominance of larger builds, but they can play a huge role in teams winning games with their speed and quick jumpshots. Here’s the best guard build:
This PG build is very well rounded, with the ability to dunk and play defense at an acceptable level, but excels at shooting the lights out and breaking down defenders with ease.
The above video is a quick tutorial on how to build it, with a breakdown of the best badges to pair with the build to maximize its strengths.
Swings
This 6’10” build is super well-round. It’s really only great at finishing, but it’s a capable spot-up shooter, good switch defender, and can put the ball on the floor if need be.
The video above is a short tutorial of how to make this build, which garnered comparisons to Lebron James and Scottie Pippen. We even included a part with the badges we think you should equip on the build.
Big Men
This Center Build is built for playing defense in the paint and knocking down shots on the perimeter. While it’s won’t post up super well and certainly cannot dribble, it is the perfect build for any mode.
Above is a quick video on how to make the build, including a part on which badges maximize the strengths needed at the center position.
NBA 2K22 will be released on September 10, 2021. This post will contain all the news drops available for NBA 2K22 and should serve as your go-to headquarters for finding new information about the newest iteration of the game.
Jump to: 2K22 Versions | Gameplay Updates | MyCareer News | Park/City News | MyTeam News | Other Info
Versions of the Game and the Cover Athletes
- Standard Edition: Available for both Current ($60) and Next-Gen ($70). Contains one copy of the game for the respective console in which you purchase the game for. Preorder here.
- Cross-Gen Digital: For $80, you get a digital version of both the Current and Next-Gen versions of the game on either the Playstation or Xbox console family. Preorder here.
- 75th Anniversary Edition: With Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowtizki, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the cover, this version contains both the Current and Next-Gen versions of the game, plus some extra goodies like 100,000 VC. Preorder here.
- 25th Anniversary WNBA Version: With Candace Parker on the cover, this is a Next-Gen only version of the game. It’s still the full NBA 2K22 game, but with a WNBA-specific cover. Preorder here.
Gameplay Updates
- 2K claims to have a new slate of signature moves and combos, and jump shooting, contact dunks, and alley oops are apparently more skill-based. We’ll see, but hopefully this decreases the amount of ridiculous dunk animations and whites going in.
- 2K also claims there is a new shot contest and blocking system. Next-Gen has a notoriously bad contest system, especially in the paint, so hopefully this claim applies especially to the PS5/Xbox X version of the game.
- We expect these changes to largely affect Next-Gen. Current Gen has largely been the same game for the past few years. Current Gen may see the addition of sigs, but I doubt it will get any other major gameplay revamps.
- 2K’s gameplay director stated that the on-court experience is similar between current and next-gen 2K22. Graphics probably differ, but controls and on-court feel seem to be pretty similar according to this source.
- Some shooting stuff: You don’t need a super high rating to shoot decently, Steady Shooter is gone, the vibration cue remains out of the game, shot aiming is gone, and there is a new shot meter.
MyCareer
- MyCareer is going to be completely different between Current Gen and Next-Gen. There is no cross-progression.
- Next-Gen will have no storyline like in past years, apparently the focus is on your player’s life in the City. This includes storylines around endorsements, quests with NPCs in the City, and amassing wealth and assets like housing and other stuff.
- We expect Current Gen to have a similar experience to past years. There will be a new storyline, but the same endorsement pipeline and a shorter timeline that cuts out at about midway through the first season. Most will skip the story on Current Gen, anyways.
- There will be seasonal animation content drops for the MyPlayer mode. This includes dribble animations and even jumpshot animations.
- Preorder NBA 2K22 here.
The City/Neighborhood
- On Next-Gen, the City will feature NPCs that supposedly enhance the experience. We’re a bit skeptical about their role. In addition, the City is redesigned to also improve the experience of walking around. Hopefully stuff is easier to find and walk times are decreased.
- MATCHMAKING IS FINALLY ON NEXT-GEN. Although there are not many details, apparently we will be able to hop into certain buildings and get games. Hopefully this means we can go solo when our buddies can’t play, but we shall see.
- Current Gen’s Park is now on a cruise ship. Kind of a cool concept, but it will probably otherwise have the same layout as the past few years. Apparently the cruise ship will stop at islands for special events, but we’ll see closer to release date.
- Seasons are apparently a feature in the City and Neighborhood. They made their debut in MyTeam in 2K21, and offered prizes for a limited amount of time based on gameplay. We loved them in MyTeam, and they will probably be pretty cool for online MyCareer game modes.
- As always, visuals of the new City and Cruise Ship will be released basically a few days before release of the game. This means we will have to wait until around September 5-9 to see some real news on the supposed upgrades.
MyTeam
- MyTeam will largely be the same between console generations, with the only differences being related to gameplay. There is cross-progression between the consoles, meaning your progress is saved on both Current Gen and Next Gen consoles.
- Seasons, which was actually a great way to keep MyTeam alive during typical dead periods, is back for 2K22.They apparently extend to all game modes, but we assume it will be about the same as the seasons we saw and loved in 2K21.
- Draft mode is back for MyTeam, which allows two players to join a game without having a team prepared. Instead, they are randomly assigned players. This should be fun for some players (especially NMS), but may not be used by the card collector players.
- Apparently there is a new game mode debuting around Thanksgiving/Christmas. We don’t have any details on it, but it might be interesting to keep an eye out for.
Other Relevant Information
- There is no cross-console play this year, meaning Xbox players cannot play with or against Playstation players and Current Gen players can not play against or with Next-Gen players.
- MyTeam progress again carries over from Current Gen to Next-Gen, and vice-versa. MyCareer will not have cross-progression, however, and MyCareer will vary differently between generations again.
- The Nintendo Switch and the PC will receive only the Current Gen version of the game. This is a sad development, especially for the PC, but they will only receive the older version of the game for the second straight year.
- Preorder NBA 2K22 here.
Small Forwards play a pivotal role in every game on both ends of the floor, making it necessary to have a good one on your squad. Here are the top 5 SFs in NBA 2K23 MyTeam right now:
- Dark Matter Kawhi Leonard: This Kawhi card is literally good at everything, but his real calling card is on the defensive end. He’ll lock up any 1-4, shoot from deep, and dunk on a defenders’ head with ease.
- Dark Matter Julius Erving: A relentless slasher who can do everything else at a high level. Of course, he’s not easy to get, but nothing amazing comes easily.
- Pink Diamond Lebron James: You can pretty much guess what you’re to get with this card. Big player build, well-balanced badges, and top-tier slashing. He’ll cost you a pretty penny, however.
- Pink Diamond Terry Dischinger: A staple on this list for years, this Terry card is again a great option at the 3 spot. Great jumper, top badges in every category, and good size.
- Galaxy Opal Jayson Tatum: His jumpshot timing may still be on normal, but Tatum is a well-rounded card that will excel at attacking the hoop and shooting from deep.
- Dark Matter Cazzie Russell: Another well-rounded card. Russell doesn’t seem to have one main calling card, but he’s good at just about everything and has a top jumpshot in the game.
MyTeam has certainly been interesting this year, with a focus on shorter Point Guards and a slow power creep. Given this, here are the best point guards in NBA 2K23 MyTeam:
- Pink Diamond Magic Johnson: Height is once again a huge factor in NBA 2K23, and Magic towers above other PG’s. Plus, he has great playmaking badges and is an underrated finisher.
- Pink Diamond Penny Hardaway: Another tall point guard that can pash and finish in the paint. And just like Magic, he has a wacky jumpshot that takes time to master.
- Galaxy Opal Stephen Curry: Even though finishing is the name of the game, shooting can be deadly in the right hands. With ample badges and a great jumper, Curry can be unstoppable.
- Galaxy Opal Don Ohl: Ohl is going to be a monster at everything but finishing. He’s got great animations, HOF Limitless and Clamps, and a slew of other top tier badges.
- Dark Matter Ja Morant: He’s not super tall, but he fits the meta of rim-running perfectly. He’s also going to be a great passer, shooter, and even a good defender, but his size is still a big downside.
Creating Centers in NBA 2K23 is tougher due to the new build system that completely changed how attributes affect badges. Nonetheless, we have created a few builds that will help you maximize your contributions out of the 5 spot.
The All-Around Center
Here is a short, no-nonsense video on the best all-around center build in NBA 2K23:
This build is perfect for almost any game mode. It’s defense is much improved compared to our first iteration of the best center build, it actually will have some pass accuracy, and the shooting and finishing remain excellent as well.
Defensive-Oriented
Coming soon. Thank you for your patience.
Playing MyCareer games is still the best way to get your badges quickly, but there’s an easy way to supplement this progress: practice drills in between games.
There are a ton of drills to choose from in NBA 2K23, and we’ve tried all of them. The following are the easiest and most effective to help you grind badges quickly, broken down into their respective categories:
Finishing: Fatigued Finishing
The Finishing drills are pretty bad, but Fatigued Finishing is a Hard-level drill that is fairly easy to complete. The biggest key here is to start your layup or dunk early, and to not waste stamina running back to the balls on the perimeter.
Shooting: Rip to Flare Shooting
This drill requires you to shoot catch-and-shoot midrange and three point shots, and it’s easy if you have decent shooting ratings. It’s a hard-level drill as well, so you’ll get a ton of points for a relatively simple drill.
Playmaking: Dribble Speed Run
A playmaking drill that is relatively easy for guards with good speed with ball and ball handle. Although big men and some swing builds may struggle with it, it still is effective with the group that mainly needs to grind a ton of playmaking badges.
Defense: Charge
This medium-level drill has your player take a charge in the paint, netting you 1000 defensive points if you get three stars. All you need to do is move one step, hold O/X, and take the charge. Easy and super quick.
Should you do Coaches’ Drills?
It depends. The Coaches’ Drills are terrible this year, ranging from a Partner’s 3pt drill that is easy but too short, to constant 4-on-3 fastbreak drills that are just terrible. Don’t go out of your way to do them, but you might as well do them if you are in the Practice Gym already.
Virtual Currency is the supreme currency in NBA 2K24 that allows you to upgrade your player, buy gear, or open packs in the MyTeam mode. As usual, it’s as valuable as gold if you plan on playing a lot of NBA 2K24.
However, it can sometimes seem impossible to make, but, in this post we point out the best ways to make a ton of VC quickly.
Free Daily VC: The Daily Spin/Prize, Daily Bonus, and daily tasks can net you a decent amount of VC just from doing easy and quick tasks. It’s not a lot, but can add up over time.
Offline Grinding: MyCareer may be boring, but you earn a good deal of VC for each game (from 1K+ in some cases). This can also be done in about 15 minutes per game by subbing out at halftime if you’re up 25 points. Also, the higher the difficulty, the more VC (and badge points) you earn.
Quests: Quests can be quite tiresome and stupid at times, but most of them provides a few thousand VC for completing tasks the game already forces you to do. Plus, you get nice bonuses over time through the bigger quests.
MyCareer Endorsements: If you’re already grinding in MyCareer, eventually you’ll unlock some endoresements. Some of them will actually give you stuff like shoes or other gear, but all of them provide you with a few thousand VC. Again, not a ton, but can help you stack some coin.
Limit Spending: It’s easy to drain your VC wallet on clothes, shoes, and other stuff, but saving it for whatever you really want (a new player, for example), is always the smarter move.
Play Ante-Up: The Stage is home to the sweatiest of 2K players, but provides the most VC for winning games. We only recommend this method if you are very good at 2K.
Play 3v3 ProAm: 3v3 ProAm is a bit less competitive than Stage, but gives a decent amount of VC per game. You can earn up to 800+ VC per game that takes the same amount of time as a typical Park game.
Buy VC: We absolutely do not recommend this method, but if you are impatient and have the money, there is no doubt that buying VC is the easiest way to pad your VC wallet.
Hitting Level 40 in NBA 2K23 is both a grind and a super rewarding experience. You get some cool prizes along the way, but you also have to play the game a ton.
However, if you want to save some time in your grind to the top, we have compiled several tips that will allow you to save time while grinding for Level 50 in NBA 2K23:
- Play the Right Modes: Events, Park, and Rec provide the most Rep, while the Theater and Pro-Am sadly give comparatively less. Focus on the modes that give more rep and you’ll save a lot of time.
- Use your 2XP Coins: You get a few 30 minute, Hour, and 2 Hour coins along the way. They are your best friend while grinding, but make sure you time them well so you get the full benefit from them.
- Play 2X events: There are typically weekend events that give you 2X rep. Sometimes they are good, sometimes not, but they give you an easy opportunity to get bonus rep for playing certain modes.
- Lobs: Throwing and/or catching lobs still provide the most XP out of any other action in-game, so if you can make them a focal point of the offense, you can get some serious XP.
- Winning Games: Easier said than done, but the bonuses you get from winning individual games makes it so much easier to reach Level 40 quickly and efficiently.
- Play a lot: If all else fails, at the end of the day, if you play a lot, you’ll reach Level 40. It takes time, but it’s not supposed to necessarily be easy to reach Level 40.
“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
- Clamps: Guarding opposing guards is tougher with overpowered blowbys off stepbacks, but Clamps is going to be your best bet to stop opposing scorers.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- Menace: This badge has not been great these past few years, but there aren’t too many great options in this tier.
Tier 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- Rebound Chaser: You can get rebounds without this badge, but you are going to be out-boarded, without fail, by centers with this badge.
- 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
- 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.
- Chasedown Artist: This badge makes another appearance, and it’s just another tool for big men to guard the paint.
Tier 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.
- 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: