NBA 2K23 Finishing Badges: The Complete Guide

Acrobat

Acrobat has been around for quite some time in the NBA 2K games, but very few players have been able to fully take advantage of the animations this badge grants you.

For 2K23, Acrobat is largely the same, as it increases your ability to make difficult layups. This badge is going to be useless for your player unless you try a lot of reverse layups or even have the stick stills for more advanced lineups.

Aerial Wizard

Before there were specific badges for finishing lobs and putbacks. For NBA 2K23, both of these abilities are combined into one new badge: Aerial Wizard.

This badge replaces Lob City Finisher and Putback Boss and improves your player’s ability to finish alley-oops and putbacks. If you are a decent lob threat, we recommend this badge on at least the lower levels.

Backdown Punisher

NBA 2K is not always programmed to allow bigger players to back down smaller ones, as you may see in real life, so there is a badge to help you do so: Backdown Punisher.

This badge increases the chances of a player successfully backing down an opponent. It works for all players against all players, but we only recommend it for big men who frequently play the post.

Bully

Even if you had a high strength rating and a few inches on the opponent, finsihing in traffic was always a nightmare. For NBA 2K23, there’s a new badge to fight through traffic in the paint instead of having to jump over them.

Bully increases your player’s ability to finish strong by bulldozing through traffic. 2K lists Giannis and Lebron as good examples of this badge, but we have a feeling you won’t be as dominant as either in the paint with this badge.

Dream Shake

Dream Shake is a post scoring badge that raises the chances that a defender bites when doing fakes in the post. It doesn’t work that well against the AI or against humans, so we don’t recommend it.

Dropstepper

The dropstep was nearly impossible a few years ago in NBA 2K19, but has since lost its luster. Regardless, 2K has continued to include Dropstepper in the list of finishing badges.

This badge improves a player’s ability to effectively use dropsteps in the paint. The only players who are going to need or use this badge are Post Scorers.

Fast Twitch

The advent of Pogo Stick and spamming jumps in the paint was a nightmare for any offense, so 2K developed a badge that hoped to counter the unstoppable move.

Fast Twitch is back for NBA 2K23 and boosts the ability to jump quicker for standing layups and dunks. It didn’t really work that well (and Pogo Stick was nerfed), so we don’t recommend it besides on a lower level.

Fearless Finisher

Contact layups were one of the most random events in NBA 2K for years, as you would get a whole host of animations and results. Fearless Finisher was the fix to hopefully create some consistency in paint.

This badge improves the ability to finish contact layups. We did see that it worked a bit, and it was a must-have for a lot of slashers, but most players would benefit most from having this badge on Bronze or Silver.

Giant Slayer

Smaller players always complained that it was impossible to finish near larger defenders, and it was true: Big men were getting unrealistic blocks on guards. Giant Slayer was introduced.

This badge heightens the efectiveness of layups over taller defenders. It works, and although you won’t finish impossible or even tougher layups, guards should have this badge in their arsenal.

Limitless Takeoff

Crazy dunks, like Jordan’s free throw line dunk, have always been a part of NBA 2K. For 2K22 and now 2K23, there’s a badge that helps you get more of these insane animations.

Limitless Takeoff boosts the ability to soar from further away on driving dunk attempts. It is one of the top finishing badges a must-have for builds with higher dunk ratings.

Masher

The inability to finish layups and dunks over smaller defenders has infuriated big men for years, so 2K released a badge called Mouse in the House in 2K22. It was not good at all, so 2K has reworked and given it a new name.

Masher increases the ability to finish inside layups over defenders. We’re a bit skeptical about how well this badge will work, but it will be good to at least have on Bronze or Silver for the first few months.

Post Spin Technician

Post Spin Technician boosts post spin moves or drives. The post spin has not worked that effectively for years, so we can’t recommend it for anything other than dedicated post scorers.

Posterizer

• Post Spin Technician: Improves the ability of a post spin or drive to work effectively.
• Posterizer: Improves the likelihood of posterizing your opponent.
• Pro Touch: Gives an additional boost for having good layup timing or aiming.
• Rise Up: Makes it easier to dunk when under the basket.
• Slithery:
• Tear Dropper: Increases the chance of hitting floaters and runners.