NBA 2K21 hasn't received its first proper ratings update yet given how COVID-19 impacted the start and end of the '19-'20 season, but that's about to change when the game launches on next-gen platforms this November. Revealed via official NBA 2K social media channels Thursday morning, we now know the official ratings for Lakers starters LeBron James, Danny Green, Anthony Davis and more. Do the new stats for the champs match your expectations?
LeBron James Rating: James was already the king of NBA 2K, but, especially given his dominating performances against the Nuggets and Heat in the playoffs, it's no surprise he's getting a boost to 98. The best can't get much better.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Rating: Caldwell-Pope went great lengths to win Game 4 for the Lakers, and that effort is showcased in his adjusted rating for NBA 2K21. When the next-gen game arrives, he'll start with a 76 overall.
Danny Green Rating: Green has been a Laker for about a year, and in that time he's managed to impress with high shot percentages and an increasing number of blocks per game. When the official NBA 2K21 season begins, he'll have a 76.
Anthony Davis Rating: While it's unclear which uniform he'll be wearing as the 2K21 season begins, Davis outperformed almost every aspect of his game compared to his final season with the Pelicans. As such, the adjusted 96 rating makes sense.
Alex Caruso Rating: Caruso started in the clinching game of the finals and managed to rack up some season-high and career-high stats over the course of the season. As a result, he'll come to 2K21 starting at 75 overall. Luckily there's still plenty of room to grow.
Jimmy Butler Rating: 93 overall.
Jamal Murray Rating: 87 overall.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Rating: 97 overall.
Luka Dončić Rating: 94 overall.
Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert: 88 and 87 overall.
Devin Booker: 88 overall.
Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum: 86 overall, 86 overall and 90 overall.
Trae Young: 88 overall.
James Harden: 96 overall.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant: 90 overall and 95 overall.
Klay Thompson and Steph Curry: 89 overall and 95 overall.
Zion Williamson: 86 overall.
Damian Lillard: 95 overall.
The ratings reveal for the Lakers starting five is no surprise given the team's astounding playoff performance, but it's just the beginning for what intends to be a full day of ratings reveals on social media channels. Now that the final games have been played, the number crunchers at Visual Concepts are ready to solidify those next-gen stats. Free agency and drafts may move some of the league's top players to different teams in the weeks and months ahead, but this is where those adjustments begin.
Back in September, representatives for 2K confirmed via App Trigger that the traditional yearly ratings celebration would be saved for the next-gen launch. "It's a tough question and it also answers itself," 2K officials said. "We can't really do next season's roster until player movement has happened — until the rookie draft classes come in. How we can see the make up of the rosters, who's going to be starting on the rosters, what their performances are like. Any external information we can get and what they did in the offseason. That's just going to dictate everything like it does every single year. It's not unlike any other year, it's just our timelines are askew because of the delayed NBA season."
NBA 2K21 is available now on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC and Stadia. The next-gen version comes to Xbox Series X/S November 10 and PS5 November 12.
What are your thoughts on the first official ratings updates for NBA 2K21? Are the Lakers starting five strong enough following their big win? Tell us in the comments section!
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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