The NBA regular season is well underway and the early favorites are beginning to assert their dominance across the league already as 20 is serving up hoops action to fans in their living room across the world.
Things have settled down around the 2K community after a turbulent start and players are finally enjoying the game.
Prior to the latest update, the 2K community was outraged by the number of bugs and glitches that were present on the release of the game. Many took to Reddit to let their thoughts be known.
Now that those bugs have gone, RealSport has compiled a list of the most important badges that you need for your MyPlayer if you want to dominate on The Rec and The Neighborhood.
10 - Difficult Shots
Moving shots have become a part of many offensive player's repertoire in The Neighborhood.
Once your teammate has set you a solid screen, you have the opportunity to run into space and pull up for either a three-pointer or a mid-range jump shot.
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Difficult shots allow you to put your shot up with a higher chance of making it even though you may be off-balanced.
This makes it perfect for The Neighborhood.
9 - Unpluckable
A dribbler's worst nightmare is to be stripped whilst performing a sequence of ankle-breaking moves against their defender.
Unpluckable allows the ball handler to have a lower chance of being stolen from. Any archetype that includes playmaking should consider this badge being fully upgraded as soon as possible.
8 - Hot Zone Hunter
Despite issues regarding shooting on the park before the latest patch, shooting has become more consistent.
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But shooters out there need to know their hot zones. This badge makes it harder to miss open shots in your hot zones than not and is important if you are a spot-up shooter on The Neighborhood or The Rec.
7 - Dimer
Every point guard needs this badge if they want to be winning consistently.
Giving an increased chance to your teammates scoring makes you a valuable asset. The teammate grade you finish with reflects on how well you have performed. Usually, a well-rounded point guard would have a fair amount of points and probably the most assists on his team.
If you are playing in the Rec Center, then this would help your teammates out, a lot.
6 - Intimidator
People neglect defending and in turn neglect defensive badges.
But this year the new Intimidator badge may be one of the most underrated badges on NBA 2K20.
With shooting being less consistent than the previous 2K19 title, players are lot less likely to score contested shots.
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Hall of Fame intimidator literally stops almost every contested shot from going in. This badge can turn the average player into a strong defender that can also attack.
5 - Rebound Chaser
If your MyPlayer is 6'8" or taller, then rebound chaser must be one defensive badge you have applied.
Grabbing rebounds is important we all know that. But when you are up against Glass Cleaning Lockdown Centers you need all the help you can get.
Helping your center out in the rebound battle is always a sign of a good teammate.
4 - Range Extender
The replacement badge for the beloved Limitless Range is the new Range Extender.
They are pretty much the exact same and remain as one of the most important shooting badges on NBA 2K20.
Range Extender also applies to deep mid-ranges not just deep three-pointers. This makes it important for any shooter as being able to shoot from anywhere is the reason everyone wants a spot-up shooter on their team.
3 - Quick First Step
All playmakers and point guards need this if they want to beat their opponent off the dribble at all.
If your opponent has a low lateral quickness, then this badge at Hall of Fame would leave them in your tracks.
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This would give you the opportunity to drive to the basket or pass to the open man once you draw another defender.
2 - Contact Finisher
Any slasher needs to upgrade this badge before even thinking about upgrading anything else. Now that there is no Posterizer badge, Contact Finisher is a must if you driving to the basket.
There isn't much else to say. Get this badge on your slasher ASAP.
1 - Quick Draw
At this point in the game, it is fair to say Quick Draw is the most important badge on NBA 2K20.
The badge reduces the amount of time in which it takes to shoot your jump shot.
This means that defending players have less time to close you down giving you, the shooter, a larger window of chance for your shot to land.
If you consider yourself a shooter and do not have this badge at least on silver, then you need to focus your efforts here.
NBA 2K20: The most OP MyPlayer Archetype for each position - C, SG, SF, PF, PG
Each MyPlayer archetype gives you specific traits that will compliment your play style and dictate how your player will grow on the court.
This is the most important decision you will make in NBA 2K20 for your MyPlayer.
There are endless variations of skills that you can apply to your player, so we have refined the list to the 5 best archetypes for each position, shedding light on the traits and badges that your player can work unlock.
Point Guard (PG)
Point guards are expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right player at the right time.
Archetype | Comparison | Skills | Badges |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpshooting Playmaker | Chris Paul | Passing & Ball Handling, 3PT Shooting | Acrobat, Limitless Range, Pick Dodger, Ankle Breaker, One Man Fastbreak |
Playmaking Sharpshooter | Steph Curry | 3PT Shooting, Passing & Ball-Handling | Break Starter, Flashy Passer, Relentless Finisher, Corner Specialist, Catch & Shoot |
Shot-Creating Sharpshooter | Kyle Lowry | 3PT Shooting, Shot Creating | Acrobat, Putback King, Dimer, Post Spin Technician, Difficult Shots |
Shot-Creating Slasher | Russell Westbrook | Driving & Finishing, Shot Creating | Posterizer, Quick Reflexes, Timeless Scorer, Pick Dodger, Lob City Passer |
Playmaking Shot-Creator | Rajon Rondo | Shot Creating, Passing & Ball-Handling | Acrobat, Dimer, Mid-Range Deadeye, One Man Fastbreak |
Of these 5 archetypes, you should use Shot-Creating Slashers the most; something about their raw power being exercised with their quick reflexes and athleticism makes these types of players a dream to play with.
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Defenders are often flat-footed by this type of player, as they can score in the paint and pull up from virtually anywhere on the court.
Shooting Guard (SG)
A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for their team and steal the ball in defense, but some of the more gifted ball handlers are asked to bring the ball up the court well.
Archetype | Comparison | Skills | Badges |
|---|---|---|---|
Pure Sharpshooter | Klay Thompson | 3PT Shooting | Catch & Shoot, Limitless Range, Charge Card, Pick & Popper, Up & Under Specialist |
Sharpshooting Shot Creator | James Harden | Shot Creating, 3PT Shooting | Catch & Shoot, Limitless Range, Posterizer, Pick & Popper, Flashy Passer, One Man Fastbreak |
Pure Lockdown Defender | Patrick Beverley | Defending | Bruiser, Defensive Stopper, Pick Dodger, Putback King, Hustle Rebounder |
Two Way Slasher | DeMar DeRozan | Driving & Finishing, Defending | Break Starter, Brick Wall, Rim Protector, Relentless Finisher, Quick Reflexes |
Slashing Shot Creator | Jaylen Brown | Shot Creating, Driving | Post Spin Technician, Hustle Rebounder, One Man Fastbreak, Flashy Passer |
Sharpshooting Shot Creators are arguably the most useful of all these archetypes, as they blend the roles of PG and SG together most effectively.
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A good shooting guard will consistently knock down shots for their team, but a great shooting guard will score points while contributing to their team's scoring.
Small Forward (SF)
The small forward is considered to be perhaps the most versatile of the five basketball positions, tasked with bridging the gap between the smaller guards and bigger forwards.
Archetype | Comparison | Skills | Badges |
|---|---|---|---|
Pure Lockdown Defender | Robert Covington | Defending | Pick Dodger, Bruiser, Defensive Stopper, Chase Down Artist, Putback King, Tireless Scorer |
Two Way Sharpshooter | Jimmy Butler | 3PT Shooting, Defending | Rim protector, relentless finisher, catch and shoot, pickpocket, up and under specialist |
Shot Creating Sharpshooter | Kevin Durant | 3PT Shooting, Shot Creating | Difficult Shots, Dimer, Acrobat, Mid-Range Deadeye, Post Drop-Stepper |
Slashing Defender | Giannis Antetkounmpo | Defending, Driving | Pick Pocket, Posterizer, Hustle Rebounder, Free Throw Ace, Putback King, Bruiser |
Sharpshooting Slasher | Kawhi Leonard | Driving & Finishing, 3PT Shooting | Putback King, Limitless Range, Chase Down Artist, Acrobat, Quick Reflexes, Tear Dropper |
The styles with which small forwards gain their points vary widely.
Some players in the position are very accurate shooters, some prefer to initiate physical contact with opposing players, and others are slashers who also possess jump shots.
Using Slashing Defenders is most valuable, as they offer the most protection around the paint while providing an element of flair to their team's offense.
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Power Forward (PF)
Power forwards typically play offensively with their backs towards the basket and position themselves under the basket in a zone defense, or against the opposing power forward in man-to-man defense.
Archetype | Comparison | Skills | Badges |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpshooting Rebounder | Dirk Nowitzki | Rebounding, 3PT Shooting | Difficult Shots, Hustle Rebounder, Charge Card, Pick & Popper, Lob City Finisher |
Slashing Stretch 4 | LeBron James | 3PT Shooting, Driving & Finishing | Bruiser, Acrobat, Hustle Rebounder, Quick Reflexes, Putback King, Relentless Finisher |
Shot Creating Post Scorer | Blake Griffin | Post Scoring, Shot Creating | Break Starter, Putback King, Posterizer, Lob City Passer, One Man Fastbreak |
Two Way Athletic Finisher | Draymond Green | Defending, Driving & Finishing | Hustle Rebounder, Break Starter, Rim Protector, Lob City Finisher, Pick & Roller |
Sharpshooting Rim Protector | LaMarcus Aldridge | Defending, 3PT Shooting | Up & Under Specialist, Limitless Range, Chase Down Artist, Charge Card, Tireless Scorer |
The power forward position entails a variety of responsibilities, one of which is rebounding.
Many power forwards are also known for their mid-range jump-shots, with several players becoming very accurate from 12 to 18 feet.
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The Two Way Athletic Finisher is the most dangerous of all these archetypes, as they possess all the most important traits of a big man in conjunction with the handles of a 6'5" guard.
Center (C)
The center is normally the tallest player on the team and often has a great deal of strength and body mass to match (the average center in the NBA is 6'10" and weighs roughly 240lbs).
Archetype | Comparison | Skills | Badges |
|---|---|---|---|
Pure Glas Cleaner | Rudy Gobert | Rebounding | Bruiser, Hustle Rebounder, Relentless Finisher, Pick Pocket, Post Spin Technician, Up & Under Specialist |
Pure Rim Protector | Clint Capela | Defending | Defensive Stopper, Chase Down Artist, Brick Wall, Posterizer, Rim Protector |
Sharpshooting Rebounder | Al Horford | Rebounding, 3PT Shooting | Lob City Finisher, Hustle Rebounder, Defensive Stopper, Tireless Scorer, Putback King |
Rebounding Post Scorer | Marc Gasol | Post Scoring, Rebounding | Chase Down Artist, Dimer, Post Spin Technician, Brick Wall, Bruiser |
Rebounding Athletic Finisher | Anthony Davis | Driving & Finishing, Rebounding | Break Starter, Defensive Stopper, Pick Dodger, Rim Protector, Posterizer, Hustle Rebounder |
The center position used to be the most important to fill for any NBA team, with Bill Russell and George Mikan being centerpieces of championship dynasties throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
However, with basketball becoming increasingly perimeter-oriented in recent decades, there are new ways for centers to stand out.
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Sharpshooting Rebounders like Al Horford, who possess great defensive abilities and a reliable mid-range jumper, are the ideal fit for the center position in current times.