How to Reach Level 40 in NBA 2K23 Quickly

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.

How to Quick Stop in NBA 2K22

The quick stop is one of the best ways for ball handlers to get open shots in NBA 2K22, as it allows a ball handler to stop on a dime without a bad load-up animation.

What you’ll need: In NBA 2K22, the quick stop requires either the Quick or Shifty dribble style. Other dribble styles make it extremely difficult to do the move effectively.

How to do it: To quick stop, you will need to flick your stick directly to the left or right at a 90 degree angle, depending on the direction you’re going. If you are off, you will get a weird animation.

You’ll need to practice this move to perfect it, as getting the perfect angle is tough at first. But with the necessary practice in the MyCourt or Gatorade gym, you will be shooting greens off the quick stop in no time.

How to maximize the Quick Stop: Equipping Blinders will stop defenders from contesting you from the side coming off the screen. Deadeye can also help when help defenders jump at you.

In addition, a quick jumpshot (like 98 on current gen, or Jumpshot 3/Ray Allen on next-gen) is necessary to avoid contests from the defense. You’ll need to practice this jumpshot off the quick stop, as the timing is a bit different.

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:

The Best Power Forwards in NBA 2K23 MyTeam

Power Forward is a stretch spot that needs to be able to shoot and defend both the perimeter and interior. The following five players are the best at doing these jobs right now in NBA 2K23 MyTeam:

  1. Galaxy Opal Dolph Schayes: Amazing badges a great jumpshot for the PF spot. His shooting will be lights out (HOF Limitless), and his defense and finishing are nothing to scoff at either.
  2. Galaxy Opal Bob Netolicky: This card comes with one of the best jumpshots in the game (Brissett) despite a lack of shooting badges. He’s a top defender at his position, though.
  3. Pink Diamond Giannis Antetokounmpo: Any Giannis card is going to be insane on defense and slashing, and this card is no different. Of course, his shooting is only passable, but the card is still very good.
  4. Pink Diamond Lamar Odom: A do-it-all card that excels at nothing, but is good at everything. Odom will be a great plug-and-play card that will improve almost any lineup.
  5. Galaxy Opal Zion Williamson: Zion will be one of the best slashers in the game. He’s a bit short for the PF spot and is not going to have any great shooting badges, but the Brissett base is perfect for spotting up.

The Best Centers in NBA 2K23 MyTeam

Center is one of the most important positions in basketball, and the same is true in NBA 2K23. Besides the obvious paint protection, centers play an integral part in the offense both inside and outside the 3-Point line. Here are the best center cards in NBA 2K23 MyTeam right now:

  1. Pink Diamond David Robinson: One of the few true centers that can shoot at this point in the game. Robinson is also an elite defender, but you’ll pay a ton of MT for him.
  2. Dark Matter George Mikan: Another shooting big, although Mikan doesn’t have the same elite defense as Robinson. Despite this, spacing the floor is such a valuable skill.
  3. Dark Matter Yao Ming: Any 7’6″ center is going to succeed in MyTeam. Yao is, of course, going to be a great interior finisher and defender, but he’ll be able to hit from corners decently, as well.
  4. Dark Matter Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Kareem would be elite if post hooks were still dominant, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is one of the best defenders and interior finishers at his position.
  5. Pink Diamond Shaquille O’Neal: Another non-shooting big that will terrorize anyone who dares to enter the paint. On offense, he’ll dominate the pick-and-roll, but little else.

How to Win Every Triple Threat Online Game in NBA 2K22 MyTeam

Triple Threat is an extremely competitive game mode with nice prizes, making it one of the best game modes to make MT, Tokens, or other things. Here’s my formula for winning most TTO games:

  • Run a lineup of players you’re good with. You also want one player you dominate with, either as a shooter or finisher. The other two players should be able to shoot in most cases.
  • Use your dominant player to try to score. Call a Quick Isolation from the menu, do your thing with your favorite player, and it that fails, you can kick it to a teammate for a 3 or easy drive.
  • Play both on-ball and off-ball defense. Sometimes on-ball is better, sometimes off-ball is. Figure out the perfect mix and shut down the other team.

These may seem like easy tips, but this year there is no foolproof way to win. This formula provides the method I used to win 80% of my TTO games without using any exploits or “tryhard” methods.

How to Shoot Better (Get more Greens)

Shooting consistently in NBA 2K23 is no easy task, yet one of the most valuable skills to win a lot of games. Therefore, it’s important that you’re good at it, and we outline the ways in which you can shoot more greens in 2K.

Pick the Right Build: In 2K23, any build with a 60-plus 3-ball can shoot consistently. The higher the better, of course, but having a higher attribute is not necessary. Badges are more important.

Pick the Right Badges: Here’s our list of Best Shooting Badges. Pick the best ones for your build and they’ll help you become a sharpshooter in no time.

Pick the Right Jumpshot: Here are the best jumpshots in 2K23. Regardless of build, you’ll find one on that list for your player. The most important part of this is that you pick a jumpshot and stick with it for a period of time.

Practice your Jumpshot: Practicing your jumpshot is one of the most important parts of shooting. You could have everything else perfect, but if you do not know your timing, you will miss a ton of shots.

How to practice: On Current Gen, go to the MyCourt and practice your jumpshot. On Next-Gen, go to the Practice Facility, choose the Corner 3’s Drill, and press Square to practice. This will allow you to get a ton of shots up.

Only Shoot Open Shots: Shooting Contested Shots will only lessen the chance you have of making a shot, so learning the contest system and shooting open shots will help you shoot better overall.

Buy Jumpshot Boosts: Boosts are an expensive addition, but are largely worth it for this year’s game. They give you a considerable boost to your shooting and are worth the 1500 VC per ten games.

Decrease Gameplay Lag: This relates to online play, as offline play is not affected by 2K’s poor servers. Ways to decrease lag are using a LAN cable or having top-notch WIFI (which can be expensive).

How to Make Tokens Quickly in NBA 2K22 MyTeam

Tokens are a valuable asset in NBA 2K22, with a whole market devoted to spending them to get top-tier players. In this post we detail how to make tokens in the quickest and most efficient way.

  1. Triple Threat Online: Tokens are on a lot of boards after games, and you can easily racks up a ton of tokens from playing quick 3v3 games. Winning games is your best bet to maximizing your token earnings.
  2. Domination: Domination, especially All-Time and Historic, earns you a lot of tokens. You earn over 600 for playing 100 games, a value only matched by TTO games (TTO doesn’t give you player, badge, and other rewards, though).
  3. Challenges: A lot of the Spotlight challenges and weekly challenges give you tokens for winning them, but the amount is so miniscule we don’t recommend this method for token-earning only.
  4. Completing Card Sets: Completing Current NBA Team sets nets you 10 tokens. This method is MT-expensive, so going about it requires a trade of MT for tokens. It’s not worth it in most cases.

How to Make MT Quickly in NBA 2K22 MyTeam

Whether you’re saving up for a card, looking to buy packs, or just like having a big bank account in MyTeam, you’re going to need to have a method to make MT quickly. We’ve compiled the best ones here:

  • Triple Threat Online: Most boards have MT on them, and you can also earn a lot per game from just playing. I’ve earned over 10000 MT/hour playing TTO. Winning helps you maximize your earnings.
  • Triple Threat Offline: A non-tryhard mode where you can earn 300+ MT per sub-five minute game. This adds up, and you also get conditional win-based prizes as you climb up the ladder.
  • Domination: You earn a ton of MT when you win the highest difficulty level for each team (2-3K in many cases), and you also get a ton of other cool prizes for playing these 30 minute games.
  • Playing the Auction House: I’m not an expert at this method, but sniping and reselling is a way some people make a good amount of MT. I don’t know the best way to do it, however.
  • Liquidating your collection: You certainly have a gold mine of shoes, injury cards, and maybe even some players you can sell to earn quick MT. You can easily earn an extra 10k MT per week just by clearing out your shoes.
  • Save your MT: Seems basic, but not spending your MT will allow the balance to grow as you play the game more. This means not spending it on frivolous players, contracts in many cases, and other wasteful ways.

The Best Point Guards Builds

NBA 2K23 introduced a whole new system of badges that has upended the traditional method of making builds. Finding the perfect build now takes much more time and thought, but it’s definitely worth it.

After spending the first season trying various builds, talking to competitive point guards, and trying the builds ourselves, this is the best Point Guard build we found in NBA 2K23:

This build is certainly offense-focused, but can also play a bit of defense as well. It will never throw down thunderous dunks on opponents, but it will get you dunks in wide-open situations. It will, however, shoot the lights out and drop defenders with ease.

In the right hands, this build can be an offensive beast and put up a ton of points in any game modes. It’s got the shooting and dribbling needed out of a point guard, and will hold it’s own on defense as well.