For about a decade, the NBA 2K franchise has reigned as the undisputed king of basketball video games. This year's installment, NBA 2K20, shows no signs of slowing down and looks to be another stellar installment of the series. Regardless of how the game turns out, though, one topic is hotly debated each year: the player ratings.
The same thing happens when a new Madden is released. Fans find out where their favorite NBA players are rated, on a scale capping out at 99, and it becomes a debate. Some are ranked too high, others come in lower than they should, and some make no sense at all. Below you'll find five players rated too high and five who probably deserved better.
10 Too High: Bam Adebayo (79)
By all accounts, Bam Adebayo is a good NBA player. He's a solid big man who can get you a few baskets and contribute some rebounding. Most teams would really like to have a guy like Adebayo on their roster. As true as that might be, his rating being a 79 is a bit confusing.
Looking at the other guys with the same rating, you'll find Jarrett Allen, Andrew Wiggins, Brook Lopez, and Fred VanVleet, to name a few. Those are players who have carved out a niche in the league and played big roles for their teams. Adebayo simply doesn't match up to them.
9 Too Low: Collin Sexton (77)
It seems like Collin Sexton is always getting overlooked. Last season, Sexton put in an absolutely barnstorming performance. Despite that, he was completely left out of the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend, and now he's just a 77 in NBA 2K20.
A 77 isn't a bad score, but Sexton certainly deserves better. That puts him way outside of the top 100 in terms of rating, behind many he outplayed last year. That also includes this year's rookies who have yet to play an NBA game. He's not even a top-five-rated sophomore this time around.
8 Too High: LeBron James (97)
Now, we know what you're thinking. How can LeBron James be rated too high? He's one of the greatest players in NBA history! That is absolutely the case, yes. However, James is a 97 in this game, which ties him with Kawhi Leonard for the top spot.
As great as LeBron James is, that shouldn't be the case. Though he still puts up big numbers, James had his worst season in quite some time. A guy like Leonard closed the gap and won Finals MVP. He should be in sole possession of the top spot. If Leonard is a 97, James needs to be a 96.
7 Too Low: Spencer Dinwiddie (82)
The Brooklyn Nets were a fantastic surprise last season. Spencer Dinwiddie played as big a role as anyone. Even though D'Angelo Russel got the deserving All-Star nod, Dinwiddie was huge for them. He posted a career-high in scoring (16.8 ppg) and dramatically improved his field goal percentage.
Dinwiddie did these things while playing critical minutes down the stretch for a team that was in the playoff hunt for most of the year. He hit big shots, he held the role of playmaker, and he should find himself rated higher than Marcus Smart or Paul Millsap. Both of those players are very good, but Dinwiddie has blossomed into something special.
6 Too High: Bojan Bogdanovic (83)
Like others rated too highly, Bojan Bogdanovic is a very good basketball player. He proved to be a key contributor for a tough Indiana Pacers team, and a huge help after the team's star, Victor Oladipo, went down with an injury that cost him a good chunk of the season.
That being said, an 83 overall is quite generous. It puts Bojan Bogdanovic on the same level as guys like Kevin Love, Julius Randle, Danilo Gallinari, and Lauri Markkanen. That's a list of people who have accomplished some big things in their careers. Bogdanovic would perhaps seem more fit to have a few points shaved off of his rating.
5 Too Low: Lonzo Ball (79)
There was a lot of hate surrounding Lonzo Ball when he came into the league. His father put a giant target on his back. However, Lonzo is soft-spoken and, despite the hate he gets, a great point guard. Judging by his NBA 2K20 rating of 79, though, you'd see that he doesn't rank alongside many of his peers.
Playing with LeBron James, a guy who handles the ball very often, meant some of Lonzo's numbers dipped. However, he improved his shooting percentages across the board and that was a big weakness of his. He's a solid defender with dynamite court vision and is a good rebounder, yet his rating puts him behind guys who don't contribute nearly as much to their teams.
4 Too High: Mitchell Robinson (79)
Consider Mitchell Robinson to be in the same boat as Bam Adebayo. Both guys are talented young men with loads of potential to become key players in the NBA. However, both find themselves rated at a 79 for reasons we can't fathom.
To be fair, Mitchell Robinson did step up late for the Knicks and nearly averaged a double-double down the stretch, but that's just not enough to justify him being ahead of established veterans like Eric Gordon and Bobby Portis. Maybe after a full season of producing the way he did from February to April, a similar rating next year will seem more logical.
3 Too Low: Derrick Rose (80)
Derrick Rose is such an odd case in NBA history. A few years ago, an 80 rating would've been way too low for the league's youngest MVP in history. Two or so years ago, an 80 would've been ridiculously high for a guy who barely played. Last season was different, though.
It wasn't just the scoring, because he did that for the Knicks in 2017. It was the fact that Rose became the emotional heart of the Timberwolves. He had a 50 point game. He improved his shooting and developed a three point shot. We're not saying to put him at an MVP level again, but he earned a few more points.
2 Too High: Nicolas Batum (77)
There was a time when Nicolas Batum was all the rage in the NBA. He was a small forward who could pretty much do a little bit of everything. He was even an All-Star. Unfortunately, things began to go downhill for him after signing a lucrative deal with the Charlotte Hornets.
The quality of Batum's play has dipped dramatically. His rebounding and assist numbers were a little lackluster last season, as was his defense. Batum didn't bring much to the table, but the Hornets can't move him due to his contract. While 77 may not seem all that high of a rating, it kind of is at the moment. Still, who knows what the future holds?
1 Too Low: Caris LeVert (78)
As mentioned earlier, the Brooklyn Nets were one of the NBA's best surprises last season. Throughout the first two months, a major reason was Caris LeVert. He was playing at an All-Star level and formed a formidable backcourt duo with D'Angelo Russell. When he went down with an injury, the Nets went into a long losing streak.
Caris LeVert eventually returned, but took a while to get back into the groove. That injury may be a cause for his disappointing rating of 78. Even so, it's still too low. With it, he ends up below guys like Tristan Thompson and Mitchell Robinson. Nothing against them, but that just doesn't seem right.