If you’re like most fans around the world, NBA 2K13 is a staple of your basketball world. From the casual fan, to the hardcore, to the actual players, 2K is a franchise that is built on great simulation of the sport we know and love. The following list is my personal favorite Warrior players to play with in the game.
5. David Lee
I don’t know about everyone else, but whenever I play 2K, it’s all about run and gun. Get the ball, outlet pass, and go to work with either Stephen Curry or a SF, so David Lee gets left behind quite often. That doesn’t mean he’s useless, though.
With his post-proficiency and finishing Signature Skill, he’s a great option for an inside offensive player. His Hustle Points skill also makes him a great rebounder and put-back king, so even if you’re not controlling him, he’s great to have on the floor.
His defensive pressure is as good as his real life counterpart though, so if you’re still rocking 2K13, make sure you’ve got an updated roster with Andrew Bogut included to make up for that.
4. Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson is a pretty one-dimensional player when it comes to 2K, which isn’t very fair, considering his vastly improved defensive repertoire, which we saw during the previous season. It does make for some frustrating moments during the game, but his shooting stroke is deadly, which makes him a great part of your 2K squad.
His Spot-Up Shooter and Deadeye signature skills make him almost automatic if he receives the ball in a position to shoot, with latecomers to the defence party barely having an effect on his shot. If you can get the ball to him in the corner, you’ve got yourself a 3.
3. Andre Iguodala
In fairness, Andre Iguodala hasn’t played a minute on my Warriors 2K squad, as he’s been a Nugget for all of the current generation, but if his ratings and play style hold up for the next game, he’s going to be blowing up opponents on either end of the court.
The greatest part of playing with Andre is that when he gets close enough to the rim with a running start, there is nothing that is going to stop him from dunking on his opponents. With Highlight Film and Acrobat in his Signature Skill arsenal, nothing will stop him. He’s deadly around the rim, but also has a great passing ability, which we hope to see in game and on the court for the Warriors next season.
He’s a great defensive player also, guarding 1-3, and it makes for some freedom when picking defensive assignments. I tend to move Curry over if he’s meant to be guarding, say, Chris Paul. Iggy (or Klay, hopefully) can handle that assignment. Lockdown Defender and Interceptor skills make him a handful, even for the best of the best.
2. Harrison Barnes
Now, Harrison Barnes isn’t the greatest player out of the box, but it’s the long haul that you want to keep him around for. When playing Association, I constantly find myself extending his contract due to his potential, which he always seems to take advantage of, becoming an All-Star in 2-3 years.
He has an outside game, which helps to spread the floor, but it’s his inside presence and athletic ability that makes him a great member of the team. He only has Spot Up Shooter in his Signature Skills, but it’s the Black Falcon highlight plays that make Barnes worthy of keeping on the squad, even when 6 or 7 seasons have passed.
His defence is also a huge positive, making him another stopper on the court. With Andre coming in to the Warriors for 2K14, it’ll be interesting to see if he wins a 6MOY award in your 2K seasons, considering he might be a prime candidate for the real award this season. Only time will tell.
1. Stephen Curry
We all know that Stephen Curry is an All-Star, and the league took notice of that once he was overlooked for the 2013 game. Well 2K knew that he deserved it, and it doesn’t take Curry long to get that Star next to his name in the game, developing his game to new heights across a short few seasons.
His outside shot is deadly in the game, as it is in real life, able to hit almost anything from the perimeter. Spot up Shooter, Shot Creator and Heat Retention make for some uncannily similar games to his 54-point performance in New York during the 2012-2013 season. It doesn’t take much to have a good game with Steph.
He has a great passing ability and ball-handling, and lesser defenders will find themselves on the back end of some nasty step-back J’s and drives to the rim, which improve with time in the game.
His defence is lacking, which the creators of 2K14 have also noted, giving him a fairly low ball 88 ranking for the upcoming release. His Pickpocket skill makes him useful, but faster and stronger players can burn by him quickly. This is the trade-off off for having one of the best offensive threats in the game.
I for one can deal with that. Let me know what you think, and spark the debate on Twitter with me (@goldenstatenz) or in the comments below!
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