Yesterday not only did we get the release of the NBA 2K13 demo but someone who had the game early revealed all of the overall player ratings in the game including the Oklahoma City Thunder players.
A little over three weeks ago I predicted the overall ratings for every Thunder player. I ended up being pretty close on some but not perfect of course. There were a few surprises but it looks like the Thunder are going to be pretty unstoppable to use in NBA 2K13.
On to the ratings.
Kevin Durant – 94 overall
We have known for awhile that Durant would be a 94 overall. What we also know now is that there are two players rated higher than him in LeBron James (98 overall) and Dwight Howard (96 overall). It’s not surprising that Durant is this much less than LeBron and Dwight. He is not going to get rated too highly on his defensive skills and post-up offense. Nevertheless Durant will surely be ridiculously good in the game. There won’t be any better shooter from anywhere on the floor for the most part and thanks to 2K introducing signature skills, it will be even tougher to affect Durant’s shot at all.
Russell Westbrook – 93 overall
Westbrook got a big boost from last year and ends up two points higher than I predicted. He is one of the most all-around players in the league for his position and that is clearly shown in this rating of 93, which is also the rating Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant received. From playing the demo just a little bit it is already very clear just how amazing Westbrook is in the game. It is close to impossible to stay in front of him in the game, very much like it is in real life.
James Harden – 81 overall
This one surprised me to see Harden this low. I predicted an 85 overall and it has been revealed that Manu Ginobili is an 86 overall. Harden is not five points worse than Ginobili. There games are so close that you have to compare the two and it isn’t hard to make the case that Harden has surpassed Ginobili at this point in their careers. Harden must not have gotten very good ratings on defense at all and perhaps awareness ratings. He should still be very good in the game but an 81 is simply too low.
Serge Ibaka – 80 overall
Ibaka with an 80 overall is exactly what I predicted. He will be the best shot blocker in the game and deservedly so. They also gave him the defensive anchor signature skill and while he may not quite deserve that yet, it will make him even better in the game. After playing the demo some it is also clear that 2K respected Ibaka’s midrange jump shot which is basically money in the game as well.
Kendrick Perkins – 72 overall
I predicted a 70 overall for Perkins but after some thought, I am not surprised 2K made him a 72. He will clearly be a little overrated in the game as we know he also has the defensive anchor signature skill. The real shocker is how much lower Nick Collison is rated.
Thabo Sefolosha – 69 overall
I thought Sefolosha would get a little higher of a rating but this is pretty fair either way. He is rated as one of the best perimeter defenders in the game which is nice but he does little else besides knocking down a few threes.
Eric Maynor – 68 overall
Maynor goes up from last year’s game despite playing only nine games last season. This may be an example of a team making it to the NBA Finals and everyone on the roster getting a little ratings bump because of it.
Reggie Jackson – 67 overall
This is ridiculous that Jackson is just one point worse than Maynor. Jackson was pretty terrible last season and I can’t believe he is rated this high. This will make Jackson a real asset to trade for a high draft pick in Association mode which shouldn’t be the case. I guess he is rated pretty well on athleticism that may make him this high overall.
Nick Collison – 63 overall
Collison is a little low for my taste and every other Thunder fan’s. Saying he is nine points worse than Perkins makes just about no sense. This is where the 2K team falls short doing their homework on guys like Collison. He was still valuable in last year’s game as a great offensive rebounder and I expect the same this year. If he has any hustle signature skills he may be a little better too.
Daequan Cook – 62 overall
This is right around what I expected for Cook. He will be a good 3-point shooter despite having a down year last season and that’s all he will bring the Thunder.
Perry Jones, III – 60 overall
This seems a little low for Jones but he is a late-first round draft pick and 2K rated accordingly. He is pretty unknown right now so don’t expect Jones to play too close to real-life form out of the box.
Lazar Hayward – 60 overall
I can’t imagine any Thunder fan will ever be playing with Hayward. 60 might be a tad too high.
Cole Aldrich – 59 overall
Aldrich gets a solid boost for no apparent reason except he is the frontrunner to assume the backup center role for the Thunder. We will see if he has any value at all in the game.
Daniel Orton – 55 overall
Orton may not make the team in real life. A 55 overall won’t make him too popular in 2K either.
Hasheem Thabeet – 54 overall
Shouldn’t Thabeet at least be higher than Orton? 2K must hate him because neither have done anything in their NBA careers but I still think you say Thabeet has more upside than Orton. 7-foot-3 players are always valuable in 2K no matter how low their rating is. I may end up using Thabeet instead of Aldrich at times in NBA 2K13.