We are less than a month away from teams reporting to training camps around the NBA, and the official first sign that the new season is almost upon us is the annual release of the latest installment of the NBA 2K franchise, NBA 2K24.
While fans of the game will be concerned mostly with the gameplay changes and updated game modes, general NBA fans are always interested in seeing how the ratings folks at 2K grade out all of the players and teams in the league. Player ratings always spark debate, particularly among how they rank top stars and regarding players whose impact often isn’t fully felt in the box score — or, vice versa, those who put up big stats but might not always contribute to winning basketball. As far as team ratings, 2K has moved away from dramatic differences between top and bottom teams, as the lowest rated team in this year’s edition is an 86 OVR and they don’t even show team ratings in the game setup screen (you can find them in MySeason mode when picking through teams to start a franchise with).
The Thunder took a major step last season, earning a Play-In spot thanks in large part to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s leap into superstardom. He’s continued that this summer in the FIBA World Cup and, if anything, his 93 overall might need an upgrade as this season goes on. The Thunder have a ton of young talent, but the guy that holds the key to how good they can be is Chet Holmgren. Last year’s No. 2 overall pick missed all of last season with a foot injury and given the Thunder’s issues at center, if he can pop in the way some think he can, Oklahoma City could take another stride into the playoff convo out West. In 2K, his combination with SGA figures to be extremely fun and you can mix and match a number of fascinating wing combinations between them.
Oklahoma City Thunder: 93 OVR, 97 OFF, 88 DEF
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 93
Josh Giddey: 83
Jalen Williams: 82
Luguentz Dort: 78
Chet Holmgren: 77
Vasilije Micic: 77
Isaiah Joe: 76
Kenrich Williams: 76
Aleksej Pokusevski: 76
Jaylin Williams: 75
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl: 75
Tre Mann: 75
Victor Oladipo: 75
Aaron Wiggins: 74
Ousmane Dieng: 73
Lindy Waters III: 73
Cason Wallace: 72
Davis Bertans: 72
Olivier Sarr: 68
Jack White: 67