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The release of NBA 2K25 was just a few months ago. NBA 2K is a great way for any basketball fan to unwind without the need of playing in a basketball court. Moreover, this allows them to virtually play their idols or even against them.
While the NBA 2K team is often great at making their graphics realistic, that isn't always the case. Here is a look at 10 NBA players who are better in real life than in NBA 2K.
Jimmy Butler
In real life, Jimmy Butler can lead his team into the playoffs, even as deep as the NBA Finals. But for some reason, Butler is quite difficult to use in NBA 2K for most gamers to make the same impact. Butler's jumper has been difficult to time and scoring with him hasn't been as pleasant compared to his NBA superstar counterparts.
Pascal Siakam
There's no question that Pascal Siakam is one of the best modern-day big men thanks to his agility and ability to score in multiple ways. However, in NBA 2K, Siakam has been dreadful to use. In fact, the NBA champion has been the complete opposite in video game play, as he's ultimately slow. It's possibly one of the worst mishaps the game has ever done.
Lauri Markkanen
Another big man who NBA 2K failed to evolve is Lauri Markkanen. When talking about his rookie days, NBA 2K probably got it right. However, Markkanen has blossomed into an All-Star-caliber big man. Unfortunately, it seems like NBA 2K has resorted to using the same build, leaving him as the same player that he was back in his rookie days, a raw stretch four.
Shawn Marion
Despite having an unorthodox jumper, Shawn Marion managed to make those shots at a respectable clip. While he may have the same jumper in NBA 2K, video gamers often found it difficult to show with his unique shooting animation. Failing to adjust often led to a couple of missed shots from the perimeter, leading to a low shooting percentage.
Dirk Nowitzki
There's no doubt that Dirk Nowitzki was a key figure in ushering the era of stretch big men. Thanks to his elite shooting, Nowitzki even led the Dallas Mavericks to the franchise's first NBA title.
However, in video-game play, Nowitzki often showcased a shooting animation that was too slow for anyone's liking to hit at a high clip. As a result, Nowitzki may not be a big favorite for many NBA 2K game players.
Larry Bird
Speaking of weird animations, Basketball Hall of Famer Larry Bird was another NBA star that left NBA 2K fans disappointed. Bird is one of the most decorated athletes in NBA history. However, he has been rendered ineffective in NBA 2K due to players failing to get the timing of his animations right. This ultimately discouraged video gamers to use Bird.
Draymond Green
Draymond Green is a versatile all-around forward, who's task for the Warriors is to facilitate the offense and to anchor the defense. Unfortunately, video game-wise, those aren't exactly what you want to dominate the game.
In NBA 2K, players who can score at will with athleticism and shooting are favored over role players to win the game. Unfortunately, Green's intangibles in real life could hardly be translated in the NBA 2K setting.
Tim Duncan
As the Big Fundamental, Tim Duncan often dominated with his post-up shots and midrange accuracy to anchor the San Antonio Spurs dynasty. However, Duncan is just too slow and unathletic in NBA 2K, prompting video game players to use taller and more imposing big men.
In NBA 2K, size, athleticism, and strength hold more weight to succeed, all of which aren't exactly Duncan's main assets.
Nikola Jokic
As mentioned previously, NBA 2K players usually prefer big men with size, athleticism, and strength to take over the game. Unfortunately, those are qualities that Nikola Jokic doesn't have both in the video game and in real life.
Furthermore, Jokic's ability to make an impact as a point center has been a puzzle to translate for the NBA 2K production team. This has rendered the reigning NBA MVP as hard to use in NBA 2K.
Luka Doncic
Another slow, yet effective player in real life is Luka Doncic. While Luka dominates the NBA in real life, his lack of speed certainly hurts him in this video game when speed is one of the biggest advantages of the game.
Although Doncic does display a wet jumper in NBA 2K, the video game doesn't exactly encourage unathletic players like Doncic to break the game similar to how LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan did in the earlier editions.
