The importance of the off-guard (or shooting guard) in NBA 2K23 is undeniable. From acting as the secondary ball handler next to the point guard, to scoring points in a variety of ways. Above all else, shooting guards are expected to provide a spark for the team with their hot shooting, particularly from three-point range.
So, since shooting guards are so important to the success of an NBA franchise and with NBA 2K23 ratings just around the corner. It’s time to make some predictions for who the top 10 shooting guards will be in NBA 2K23.
NBA 2K23 – Top 10 Shooting Guard Predictions
10) Tyler Herro (Miami Heat) – NBA 2K22 OVR 79
Tyler Herro is coming off a year in which he took home the Sixth Man of the Year award and nearly won the Most Improved Player of the Year as well. Averaging over 32 minutes per game (off the bench), Herro set career-highs in points (20.7), rebounds (5.0), assists (4.0) and steals per game (0.7). All while hitting on 45% of his shots from the field and 40% from long range. As a result of his continuous improvement, I suspect he will receive a big bump up with his NBA 2K23 rating.
Prediction – 85 OVR (+6)
9) Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) – NBA 2K22 OVR 81
“Ant-Man” is another young superstar who saw his stock rise dramatically last season. Despite not taking home any major accolades, it’s hard to deny that he’s one of the best players in basketball. He’s also just entering his third NBA season. Last year, Edwards set career-highs across the board in points (21.3), rebounds (4.8), assists (3.8) and steals (1.5) per game to go along with magnificent .441/.357/.786 shooting splits. He also only missed 10 regular season games, which is rare in this modern NBA.
Prediction – 86 OVR (+5)
8) Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics) – NBA 2K22 OVR 86
Jaylen Brown played a pivotal role in the Celtics reaching the 2022 NBA Finals, so, I find it hard to believe that he won’t receive a boost with his NBA 2K23 rating. His regular season numbers might not jump off the page, as he essentially matched his exact totals from the year prior. However, his performance in the playoffs should be more than enough to justify an improved rating. Where he averaged over 23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal per game with .470/.373/.764 shooting splits in 24 post season contests.
Prediction – 87 OVR (+1)
7) Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls) – NBA 2K22 OVR 87
Zach LaVine is a back-to-back NBA All-Star and played in a career-high 67 games last year. Which is a major accomplishment given his recent injury history. Unfortunately, his numbers weren’t all that different from the year prior. In fact, he averaged three fewer points, half a rebound less, half an assist less and shot worse from everywhere on the court. Regardless, he still put up solid numbers compared to his counterparts and should remain at the top of the list for shooting guard ratings in NBA 2K23.
Prediction – 87 OVR (+0)
6) CJ McCollum (New Orleans Pelicans) – NBA 2K22 OVR 85
Unlike LaVine, CJ McCollum saw a major spike in productivity last season, particularly once he got traded to New Orleans. He averaged career-highs in points (24.3), rebounds (4.5), assists (5.8) and steals per game (1.3). All while maintaining an elite shooting stroke knocking down over 49% of his shots from the field and 39% from deep. Had he not been traded two weeks before the big event in Cleveland, McCollum likely would’ve been an All-Star. Expect him to receive a boosted rating in NBA 2K23.
Prediction – 88 OVR (+3)
Related: NBA 2K23 – Top 10 Point Guard Predictions
5) Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) – NBA 2K22 OVR 89
Now, this one was tough. On the one hand, Beal’s scoring and efficiency numbers dropped down quite a bit last season compared to the year prior, when he was in the running for league MVP. On the other hand, this probably had more to do with the fact that Washington lost Russell Westbrook and Beal was therefore relied on to be the lead facilitator. Nevertheless, his points (23.2), rebounds (4.7) and assists (6.7) per game still rank near the top of the league, so, he too should have a high NBA 2K23 rating.
Prediction – 88 OVR (-1)
4) Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers) – NBA 2K22 OVR 88
Paul George was limited to just 31 games last season due to injury. However, with Kawhi Leonard missing the entire season for the Clippers, George was also relied up to be the go-to guy night-in and night-out. He also averaged over 24 points and 6 rebounds per game along with career-highs in assists (5.7) and steals (2.2) per game. Above all else, he’s still in the prime of his career and is expected to come back at full strength next season. Expect PG-13 to have one of the better shooting guard ratings in NBA 2K23.
Prediction – 89 OVR (+1)
3) DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls) – NBA 2K22 OVR 85
There’s arguably no shooting guard in the NBA who raised their level of performance like DeMar DeRozan did last year. In this 13th season in the league and first with the Bulls, DeRozan set career-highs in points per game (27.9), which ranked in the top five in the NBA, and three-point shooting (35%). He also made over 50% of his shots from the field, made the NBA All-Star team and Second Team All-NBA for the first time since 2018. If there’s any SG who deserves a boosted rating in NBA 2K23, it’s DeRozan.
Prediction – 90 OVR (+5)
2) James Harden (Philadelphia 76ers) – NBA 2K22 OVR 94
James Harden has long been considered the class of the shooting guard position. However, his numbers have declined significantly over the last few years. In the 2021-22 season alone, Harden averaged 21 points per game, shooting just over 40% from the field and 32% from deep. Which are the lowest point and efficiency totals he’s had since his days in OKC over a decade ago. That being said, he still averaged more than 7 rebounds and 10 assists per game, so, his rating in NBA 2K23 shouldn’t drop too much.
Prediction – 92 OVR (-2)
1) Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) – NBA 2K22 OVR 90
Outside of the fact that he’s the cover athlete for NBA 2K23, Devin Booker is also coming off the best year of his NBA career. Setting career-highs in points (26.8), rebounds (5.0) and steals (1.1) per game to go along with exceptional .466/.383/.868 shooting splits. All of which was enough for him to earn his third-straight NBA All-Star game, first-ever First Team All-NBA team and nearly took home the league MVP as well. As the face of NBA 2K23, I expect Booker will carry the best shooting guard rating in the game.
Prediction – 94 OVR (+4)
That concludes our early predictions for the NBA 2K23 top 10 shooting guards in the game. Before you go, be sure to check out some of our other NBA 2K23 content here at Gamer Journalist. Like all Michael Jordan challenges in NBA 2K23, explained or the cost for each edition of NBA 2K23.
Published: Aug 2, 2022 10:38 am