Creating your MyPlayer in NBA 2K26 is an expensive commitment. We're talking about dollars upon dollars worth of VC just to reach a decent 85 overall rating, or countless hours of grinding if you're going the standard free route.
Every attribute point matters, and with such limited resources, it's tempting to just build a standard midi-build or a slasher because it's a higher percentage shot maker. However, I'm going to tell you upfront that it might be a mistake that'll haunt you in The City.
Whether you're planning to be a rim-running center, a lockdown defender, or a slasher, there are five good reasons why your build needs to be at least a respectable 3-point shooter in NBA 2K26.
#5 It's Easier to Make Shots Now
You don't need to have a Steph Curry kind of build to make defenders respect your shot. The beauty of NBA 2K26 is that even modest 3-point ratings can unlock badges that might help you get your shots in.
For instance, even if you only have a 73 three-point rating, you can equip a Bronze Deadeye, which helps in reducing the penalty from contested shots. Heck, even a 65-rated 3-point shooter can get a Bronze Set Shot Specialist badge, which boosts your catch-and-shoot attempts. In MyCareer, you can make a living off of getting shots just by being the roll/fade man or shooting off the dribble.
#4 You Make It Easy to Space the Floor
It's no longer the 90s, and the advent of the Splash brothers opened up all sorts of new ways to play basketball, including spacing the floor and favoring smaller, quicker big men who can shoot. Centers and Power Forwards aren't relegated to stick to the paint, and zones get busted all the time by corner shooters.
Today's game is all about matchups, and it's the same in NBA 2K26. Whether you're handling the ball or the screener in a PNR (Pick and Roll) or a PNF (Pick and Fade), you create a chess match where your opponent picks the lesser of the evils. This is also where a Jokic-type build will flourish because your opponent will always be wary of the threat of a shooting big, but if their own big men help on the shooter, it will always be an automatic layup for your team.
That said, slashers aren't exactly disadvantaged in NBA 2K26, but it's easier to gang up and clog the paint as a defender rather than slip through screens to chase a shooter.
#3 Crew Invites Dry Up Fast for Non-Shooters
Here's a harsh reality about The City. Nobody wants to run with builds that can't shoot. Period. You could be the best defensive player on the team, but if you can't contribute on the other end of the court, chances are your matchup will eventually catch up, score, and win against you.
It's a competitive cycle where you can't improve without good teammates, but good teammates won't play with you if you can't shoot. No matter the position you play. Investing in a mediocre shooting ability nowadays won't cut it, and the reality is that there are just more opportunities to run with squads who'll help you win games and earn VC if you're not one-dimensional, and especially if you can score from the outside.
#2 Shooters are Future-Proofed
Every year, 2K releases some updates or patches that tweak shooting mechanics. Sometimes, inside scoring gets nerfed to favor the defense, or sometimes certain offensive badges get taken down a notch. The one constant thing, though, is shooting.
By giving your build at least a decent shot of scoring the three-ball, you're also ensuring that your build is playable regardless of how the meta shifts throughout the year. This also doesn't apply only to multiplayer but in MyCareer as well. The AI, especially in superstar difficulty, is a bit smarter in this game, knows your shooting percentage, and will ignore you if you're a non-shooting threat.
Another benefit that I'd like to point out is that it's easier to get a good teammate grade by scoring rather than playing defense. You can get to an A+ in every game by just putting up 25+ points and reducing your turnovers on any team during your MyCareer. That's without rebounds and assists, too.
#1 You Become Unpredictable
This might be the most underrated reason, but the truth is that defenders hate guarding players they can't figure out. For example, when you're an ISO savant that can do anything and shoot from virtually anywhere, you become a defensive nightmare.
You might not be the best shooting guard out there, but being unpredictable is sometimes better than a 3-and-D build, who you know will just be a static character standing in the corner to wait for someone to pass him for a shot. If you can keep opponents guessing because you have more than one way to score or contribute by passing or being a consistent shooting threat as a screener, chances are you'll win.
The era of one-dimensional builds in NBA 2K is over. The game's mechanics, how the community plays, all point to the same reality. Every build needs at least a respectable outside shooting to be effective. You don't need to be a sharpshooter all the time, but you need enough range to keep the defense busy.
If you want to play competitively, three-point shooting is now the price of admission, not to guarantee wins, but to just compete and survive. Without it, you're locked out of squads and, quite frankly, you're just going to be a liability because players today tend to exploit non-shooters.
So, before you max out that driving dunk or pump every point into a pure Michael Kidd-Gilchrist build, remember that in NBA 2K26, the three-ball isn't optional; it's highly essential.