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Happy NBA day everyone. The NBA season kicks off tonight with two action-packed games between the Lakers and Nuggets, and the Suns and Warriors. There's plenty of early speculation as to which teams are the frontrunners to win the Finals, but when discussing that, it's important to note which players may grow and improve, and which may regress. Let's continue the series of NBA players whose 2K ratings may increase, but also add in a few players who might see their rating fall this season.
This article won't be covering players that may jump into the 90 overall club.
Decrease: James Harden (89 overall)
James Harden has slowly turned into one of the NBA's “villains” in the latter half of his career. Once an MVP with the Rockets, Harden's play on the floor has fallen quite a bit. However, what's more worrisome is that Harden was a no-show at the 76ers training camp. Many questions surround Harden's availability and even desire to play. If Harden does end up suiting up this season, it most likely won't be for the Sixers. This would mean he would have to find his role with yet another team, which has all signs pointing to Harden taking a step back (no pun intended) in his age-34 season.
Increase: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (93 overall)
While SGA's 93 overall is already quite high, the Thunder superstar has all the right tools and potential to take another jump. Oklahoma City is incredibly young, and Gilgeous Alexander is the clear leader of the group. He's an absolute superstar and is still just 25 years old. If the Thunder can put all their young pieces together this season, don't be surprised if SGA cracks a 95 overall rating.
Decrease: Jrue Holiday (87 overall)
This is not a knock on Jrue Holiday and what he brings to the table for the Celtics. He's one of the NBA's best defenders and can still score and facilitate as well. Holiday might see his rating drop based on just how talented the Celtics are. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis are all-star scoring options who are sure to see the ball more than Holiday. While he may be the one distributing it to them, Jrue's role within the Celtics squad may not be as prominent as we think.
Increase: Bradley Beal (86 overall)
Beal was the centerpiece in one of the biggest blockbuster trades of the year. He's now paired with the superstar duo of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in Phoenix. NBA2K gave Durant and Booker deservedly high ratings, but Beal seems to have gotten the short end of the stick. With defenses focusing the majority of their attention on Durant and Booker, Beal should have the green light offensively. Beal has averaged 30+ points per game twice in his career, and with all the help in the world on his team, expect big things from the Suns guard.
Decrease: Chris Paul (85 overall)
Father time may finally catch up to Chris Paul this year. The 38-year-old point guard is coming off of career lows in points and steals per game. Paul should adjust nicely to the Warriors system, but it's unclear as to how many minutes he'll get and with which unit. If Paul is a starter, he'll be able to do what he does best: pass the ball. However, CP3 could come off the bench and be needed to provide scoring after the loss of Jordan Poole. Paul's age, size, and potential circumstances he'll be playing under could have him set to fall off a bit this season.
Increase: Karl-Anthony Towns (85 overall)
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KAT is still one of the NBA's premier big men, he just hasn't been healthy enough to show it recently. The Timberwolves center played just 29 games last season, which allowed for the rise of Anthony Edwards in Minnesota. When healthy, Towns is a double-double machine and has averaged 20+ PPG since his 2nd season. The Timberwolves underachieved last season, so expect KAT to come out ready to show the league he's still here.
Decrease: Klay Thompson (85 overall)
Thompson had a nice season last year, but the loss of Jordan Poole means much more defensive pressure will be applied to Klay. Chris Paul should help him get open to knock down shots, but outside of his catch-and-shoot game, Thompson hasn't been quite the same since his injuries. Still expect Klay to knock down his fair share of three-point shots and play good defense, but an 85 overall is setting the bar too high, too early. NBA2K has often been quite generous to Thompson's ratings, but this one may be one or two points too high.
Increase: Paolo Banchero (84 overall)
Banchero is the reigning rookie of the year after a solid campaign with the Magic. He averaged 20 PPG and led a young Magic squad that slowly began to find their identity. Banchero is a do-it-all all type of player, which fits the modern NBA mold perfectly. He can shoot, dribble, drive, and rebound. While his defense needs some work, that should come with more time in the league. The Magic are a team with play-in aspirations this season. If they achieve that goal, Paolo Banchero will be sure to take a jump up from an 84 overall.
Decrease: CJ McCollum (84 overall)
NBA2K often does CJ McCollum right whereas the NBA does not. McCollum has averaged 20+ PPG for the past ten seasons and has never been named an all-star. NBA2K has rewarded him though, as CJ's rating has hovered around the mid to high 80s for quite some time. This year, it looks like it may drop. Zion Williamson is back and looking to play his first full season in a couple of years. Brandon Ingram had a down year last season and will look to up his production as well. While McCollum still has what it takes to be productive, he's likely to take a back seat to the Pelican's young guns. If he plays more of the point guard position rather than shooting guard, McCollum's rating could drop.
Increase: Cade Cunningham (84 overall)
Cunningham was granted an 84 overall so early in his career because of the potential he flashed pre-injury. In just twelve games last season he averaged 19.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 6.0 APG. While he's a bit sloppy with turnovers, Cunningham is still just 22 years old entering his third season in the NBA. He's set to be the leader of a young Pistons team simply trying to build upon their young core. NBA2K sees something in Cunningham, which could have him poised for a breakout season.
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