NetsDaily Guide to using the Nets in NBA 2K19

We’re back with another edition of the Nets 2K guide. For those who remember, we provided you with an in-depth analysis and how to navigate the virtual Brooklyn squad last season, and this year may be even more relevant since the Nets are one of the new teams heading into 2K League for the 2018-19 season.

And, remember, it’s September. Customarily, there ain’t a lot to do around this time … although, Kenny Atkinson and Sean Marks – the real ones – are due to address the media this coming Tuesday.

So anyway, my fellow gamers, this one’s for you.

Instant Takeaways:

The defacto starting line-up this season when you open the game consists of the following Nets 1 through 5, accompanied by the all-important overall (OVR) rating:

PG D’Angelo Russell

SG Allen Crabbe

SF DeMarre Carroll

PF Kenneth Faried

C Jarrett Allen

The bench order is:

SF Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (who is, yup, still listed as a small forward)

PG Spencer Dinwiddie

SG Caris LeVert

C Ed Davis

SG Joe Harris

PG Shabazz Napier

PF Jared Dudley

SG Treveon Graham

SF Dzanan Musa

SF Rodions Kurucs

Yeah, nah …

I changed things immediately, as many of you might. My starting team went as follows:

PG Dinwiddie

SG Russell

SF LeVert

PF Hollis-Jefferson

C Allen

The bench order...

SF Carroll

C Davis

SG Crabbe

PF Faried

PG Napier

SG Harris

PF Dudley

SG Graham

SF Musa

SF Kurucs

The rationale behind those original line-ups may be the game’s overall (OVR) structure. Similar to last season, the team is not great, but balanced and deep. Russell’s 83 overall is easily the highest on the team – the only Net to eclipse the coveted 80 mark, three points higher than where he was at this point last season, according to 2K.

Here’s the full team’s individual overall and “potential” ratings below, the latter critical for My Career (if you end up a Net) and GM Modes.

Russell: 83 overall, 86 potential

Dinwiddie: 79, 79 (so, according to 2K, Dinwiddie has maxed out)

Hollis-Jefferson: 78, 79

Allen: 78, 78 (Really, 2K!?)

Carroll: 77, 78

LeVert: 76, 79

Crabbe: 76, 78

Faried: 76, 77

Davis: 76, 77

Napier: 76, 76

Harris: 75, 76

Dudley: 72, 76

Musa: 71, 83

Kurucs: 69, 79

Rating takeaways:

There’s a lot to unpack of the above bull ... so let’s just do it.

—Top three ratings are fine:

I could see all of that, even though I disagree with Dinwiddie already hitting his ceiling. Some of you seem to feel that he has.

—Allen already hit his ceiling:

This requires minimal explanation if any. All I’ll say is, Allen’s potential should probably be higher than every Net outside of Russell and maybe this next guy.

—LeVert, only a 76 with a 79 potential:

With someone so versatile, it was shocking to see CL Smooth at a 76 – considering he began as a 75 last year before improving to the upper 70’s with updates – and it was even more surprising to see his potential not at least at 80, where it was last year. Furthermore, Dinwiddie is really three points better than LeVert? In fact, Napier, Crabbe, LeVert, Faried and Davis are on the same level? All of them? C’mon, fam … that’s straight up lazy.

—Kurucs can be as good as LeVert, RHJ and Dinwiddie:

All of their respective potential ratings top out at 79. This is good for Kurucs, who is a second-round pick, but again, do we really believe that’s where the other three, at least one or two of them, should be?

—Dudley still has room to grow:

And if he maxes out, he can be as good as LeVert is right now, according to 2K … interesting.

—Musa has the second most potential:

I mean, it’s possible … right? An 83, by the way, can be met if developed correctly in GM Mode after about three seasons or so.

Shooting:

There are three different ratings for three-point shooting in this order: Open three’s, contested three’s and three’s on the move (i.e. leaners and fadeaways).

Your best shooter is Harris whose ratings are 87, 86 and 81 (but his release is annoying to time, as many Nets are.)

LeVert’s quick trigger is a headache to time – and his pull-up is even worse – but he’s one of many reliable shooters on the roster whose release you’ll likely hate.

Crabbe and Carroll have very smooth, easy releases on their jumper, which carry over from last year. Unfortunately, regarding carry over, so does Dinwiddie and Russell, although D’Lo’s just very quick with his shot, like LeVert.

Dinwiddie’s jump shot is especially annoying on two fronts: It does not look like that in real life – Russell’s at least does – and it’s very slow!

Dudley also has one of the Nets’ best releases. When you do play him, his catch-and-shoot and corner specialist badges will come in handy. Unlike LeVert, who inexplicably has zero badges, not even for being laid back. (Even Musa has that one.)

Here are the rest of the ratings, as far as shooting is concerned.

Fun fact: Allen has a 69 rating on open three’s, meaning he *can* knock them down. Two years ago, Brook Lopez was still in the 20’s when the season began, then was adjusted after he had a career year from deep. He rose up to the 70’s. This time, 2K isn’t waiting.

Basically everyone outside of Hollis-Jefferson, Faried and Davis can knock down three’s in the game. At 55 while open, “The Hyphen” may get you one on occasion, but you should steer clear until the rating improves.

Movement:

Lateral quickness, speed and acceleration – key components for the 99.9% of 2K players who want to run and gun all the time. You would think the Nets would be faster, you know, like their real-life counterparts, but no. It’s actually quite frustrating to run and gun with them sometimes.

But other times, you can get this.

And this …

Here’s a look at how they stack up.

Some notes...

—Dudley’s lateral quickness is higher than Napier. Do with that what you will.

—LeVert is not in the 80’s in any of these either, again, inexplicably.

—And why is DeMarre so damn slow!? As in, just about the slowest player on the team?

Other Observations:

- Offensive sets? Not great:

This probably just needs getting used to, but running smart plays with this team is a bit of a nuisance.

- Be like coach Atkinson:

And do not score with your back-to-the-basket. The Net with the most “post control” is Hollis-Jefferson, with 69. Davis and Faried have decent hook shots (74 and 70, respectively) but no Net is a huge threat in that old way of scoring, much to Atkinson’s delight it seems. In fact, the best post fadeaway on the team is from Crabbe, who is at a 63 in that department. (Allen next with a 60.)

- Carroll is too slow to play the three:

In the game, that is. Having played a few games, guys like Terrence Ross, Kevin Knox and Taurean Prince are too damn fast. What do you think is going to happen when you have Carroll and his 56 speed are up against Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Giannis Antetokounmpo. He can defend well in the game, but is best suited as a stretch four despite being listed otherwise.

- Rebounding starts with the bench:

Unless you start with Davis and or Faried, that is. Faried’s classified as a “rebounding specialist” while Davis is a “tenacious rebounder.” Faried’s rebound ratings are a 93 on offense and 78 on defense, while the more-balanced Davis is 88 and 90. The Fro follows at 78 and 77, which precedes a big drop-off before Hollis-Jefferson arrives at 52 and 76, then Carroll at 50 and 71. It gets ugly after that.

- Your only dynamic offensive standout:

It’s Russell, who is labeled an “offensive star” with a team-best 13 badges, including Legendary Work Ethic, Extremely Confident, a silver Pick & Maestro, followed by Ankle Breaker, Flashy Passer and Tireless Scorer, all in bronze.

However, Dinwiddie, isn’t a bad 1A – especially and specifically if you could knock down his jumper. Last year in 2K, the 6’6” floor general had an unstoppable behind-the-back dribble that could break down any defender while cutting into the lane. This year, it’s not as unstoppable, but he’s got other tools.

- Your best shot blocker? Who else:

Blocking shots in 2K is fun as hell. The Fro has an 82 rating, one of the better shot-blockers in the game and the only Net above 68.

And if you’re old-school, 2K does have something for you as well.

This year, the franchise implemented All-Time teams for every organization, even Charlotte, and more historical teams. For the Nets, that would be their 2001-02 squad which broke through for their first Finals appearance.

Below are both rosters, along with their age (which gives you an indication what version of the player was utilized for the all-time team) and their overall.

All-time team:

- Julius Erving, 26, 97

- Jason Kidd, 30, 96

- Drazen Petrovic, 27, 90

- Vince Carter, 30, 89

- Buck Williams, 25, 88

- Richard Jefferson, 28, 88

- Brook Lopez, 22, 87

- Derrick Coleman, 27, 87

- Joe Johnson, 34, 87

- Rick Barry, 28, 87

- Kenyon Martin, 25, 87

- Devin Harris, 26, 87

- Kenny Anderson, 23, 86

- Kendall Gill, 29, 86

- Keith Van Horn, 24, 86

2001-02 Team:

- Jason Kidd, 92

- Kenyon Martin, 83

- Kerry Kittles, 82

- Keith Van Horn, 82

- Richard Jefferson, 77

- Alan Williams, 72

- Todd MacCullough, 71

- Brian Scalabrine, 70

So if you want, you can pit the two teams next to one another, or the current Nets can get involved, which may look something like this.

Questions, concerns, PSN request? Comment below or tweet me @BryanFonsecaNY.