NBA Live 19 Ratings: Best Players

NBA Live 19 is now out, and we’ve got a list of the most highly rated players in the latest edition of the game. Below, we’ll have an in-depth look at the ten players with the highest Overall Rating, and provide a list of the next best ten players.

LeBron James (OVR 97)

Age: 33

Position: SF

Height: 6’8’’

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Traits: Playmaker

Best stats: 99 Court Vision, 99 Contested Shots, 99 Defensive Awareness, 99 Stamina

Unsurprisingly, the best player in the world has the highest OVR in NBA Live 19. James, who has now been terrorizing the NBA for 15 years, had yet another extraordinary season in 2017/18, averaging 27.5 points on 54.2% shooting, 8.6 boards, a career-high 9.1 assists and 1.4 steals as he led an under-manned Cleveland side to the NBA Finals. This year, he will suit up for the Lakers for the first time, having signed a four-year $154 million deal in the offseason. 

Kevin Durant (OVR 95)

Age: 29

Position: SF

Height: 6’10’’

Team: Golden State Warriors

Traits: Wing Shooter

Best stats: 99 Contested Shots, 99 Shot off Dribble, 99 Draw Shooting Foul

Durant secured a second consecutive finals MVP alongside his second consecutive NBA ring last season, cementing himself in the history books in the process. During the 2017/18 regular season, the star Warrior put up 26.5 points to go with 6.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.8 blocks. He will be expecting another big season playing in one of the greatest teams of all time, earning $30 million this season with a player option to earn $31.5 million the following season. 

James Harden (OVR 94)

Age: 29

Position: SG

Height: 6’5”

Team: Houston Rockets

Traits: Slasher

Best stats: 99 Draw Shooting Foul, 98 Driving Layup, 98 Contested Shots, 98 Shot off Dribble

After years of falling just short, Harden won his maiden MVP title last season after leading Houston to a 65-win season on the back of 30.4 points, 8.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. The dominant season justified the record-breaking super-max contract he signed in 2017, extending his current contract - which will see him earn around $30 million this season - with the Rockets by four years and almost $170 million. 

Stephen Curry (OVR 94)

Age: 29

Position: PG

Height: 6’3”

Team: Golden State Warriors

Traits: Backcourt Shooter

Best stats: 96 3-point Shot, 97 Contested Shot, 96 Shot off Dribble, 96 Mid-Range Shot, 96 Stamina

Curry once again missed out on a maiden Finals MVP last season, but it won’t bother the now three-time NBA champ. Curry missed a large chunk of the 2017/18 regular season, but when he was playing he put up the kinds of numbers we’ve come to expect from the best shooter in history. Curry put up 26.4 points a night on 42.3% shooting from downtown, as well as 6.1 assists and 1.6 blocks. Curry signed a five year deal worth over $200 million to stay with the Warriors last year, meaning he will earn around $40 million this season. 

Anthony Davis (OVR 94)

Age: 25

Position: C

Height: 6’11’’

Team: New Orleans Pelicans

Traits: Post Anchor

Best stats: 99 Defensive Awareness, 97 Stamina, 97 Shot Block, 97 Inside Shot

Davis’ second half of the 2017/18 season was one of the best in living memory, and he rounded out the season with typically incredible stats, averaging 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.6 blocks. Davis is on the final year of his five year contract with the Pelicans worth nearly $130 million, and expect the season to be dominated by talks of where he will sign next. 

Russell Westbrook (OVR 93)

Age: 29

Position: PG

Height: 6’3’’

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Traits: Slasher

Best stats: 99 Driving Layup, 99 Draw Shooting Foul, 98 Stamina, 98 Court Vision

Though 2017/18 didn’t go exactly as planned for OKC, Westbrook managed to secure a historic second consecutive triple-double average, a year after he achieved the feat for the very first time in history. His points suffered as a result of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony’s presence on the team, but he still put up 25.4 of them a night, to go with 10.1 rebounds, 10.2 assists, and 1.8 steals. Last year, he signed the biggest contract deal in history when he agreed to terms of five years, $205 million with his Thunder. 

Kyrie Irving (OVR 93)

Age: 26

Position: PG

Height: 6’3”

Team: Boston Celtics

Traits: Backcourt Shooter

Best stats: 99 Contested Shots, 99 Driving Layup, 98 Dribbling

Irving missed the entirety of the latter stages of the regular season and the Finals in his first year as a Celtic, but he was sensational when on the court. He averaged 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 2017/18, but his stats fail to encompass just how good he was. Irving is in the second last year of a five year contract which will see him earn a little over $20 million this season, after he signed with Cleveland back in 2015. 

Kawhi Leonard (OVR 92)

Age: 27

Position: SF

Height: 6’7’’

Team: Toronto Raptors

Traits: Wing Defender

Best stats: 99 Defensive Awareness, 99 On Ball Defense, 96 Steal

Despite Leonard’s bizarre 2017/18 season, he is still one of the best players in the game, and his NBA Live 19 rating reflects that. He missed almost the entirety of last season with an obscure quad injury, playing just nine games for 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He subsequently severed ties with the Spurs, and will play the final year of his five year, $94 million contract with the Raptors, who will be hoping for a much more significant output this season than last. 

Chris Paul (OVR 92)

Age: 33

Position: PG

Height: 6’0”

Team: Houston Rockets

Traits: Floor General

Best stats: 99 Court Vision, 96 Passing, 94 Steal

Paul’s first season with Houston saw him form one of the best backcourts in history alongside MVP James Harden. Paul, who recently signed a four year contract worth $160 million to stay with Houston, managed just 58 games last season, but put up good numbers regardless. He averaged 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.7 steals in 2017/18, and was rewarded with a huge rating in NBA Live 19.

Joel Embiid (OVR 92)

Age: 24

Position: C 

Height: 7’0’’

Team: Philadelphia 76ers

Traits: Post Anchor

Best stats: 97 Strength, 96 Post Moves, 95 Draw Shooting Foul

Embiid got to put together a decent body of work for the first time in his four year career in 2017/18, managing 63 regular games and averaging 22.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 blocks per night. Heading into the 2018/19 season, he will kick off a new contract which will see him earn around $30 million with the 76ers this season - a significant increase on the $6 million he made last season. 

The Best of the Rest

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