Video Game, NBA 2k, has certainly been controversial when it comes to how they rate the players. Some believe that these ratings are spot on while others think that they shouldn’t be decided by people that don’t play the sport. Bottom line, it’s not uncommon for these ratings to be completely different from the actual play on the floor and how the fans view the players.
Who Decides NBA 2k Ratings? There are teams of people that contribute to NBA 2k Player ratings, but the simplest answer to this question is Michael Stauffer. Stauffer is listed as the ratings expert on the game and has a major say in how players ratings are calculated and moderated. It is incredibly difficult for ratings experts to get everything right each year, even with the vast array of statistics the sport now generates for every possession of action. It’s definitely not Ronnie2k.
NBA stars themselves grew up playing NBA 2K and probably dreamed of one day loading up the game and selecting the NBA franchise they play for. Which is why this has become such a hot topic in the community, they aren’t afraid to speak out if their ratings don’t meet their expectations.
Those “mistakes” that Stauffer and the rest of the team make don’t usually sit well with the community. There was even a story regarding Wesley Matthews demanding an explanation from Ronnie Singh over why he was a 78 overall.
Singh, known as Ronnie 2K, is the digital marketing director at EA’s NBA 2K and serves as the link between the 2K community, the players, and the developers. When the new edition drops each season, Singh’s Twitter mentions go wild. When a player has issues with his rating, Singh is the EA employee most directly in the cross hairs.
Why Do These Ratings Matter?
Okay, well the truth is that these ratings don’t matter in the slightest. They don’t impact their finances at all nor do they impact their play on the basketball court. The only thing they impact is their image in the game. Most of the time, especially with the older generation of basketball players, they don’t care about their ratings much. The majority of them didn’t play 2k growing up so they don’t hold their ratings close to their heart. However, the younger group of players coming into the league today grew up on the game and have a goal to be ranked highly. So, in real life, these ratings don’t affect any of these guys at all. It does impact the players who want to play the game though. For example, if you are a massive De’Aaron Fox fan and think he’s one of the best in the league. You’d be disappointed to realize that he’s rated lower than a good chunk of point guards and therefore doesn’t perform as well as some of those other guys. It all just boils down to a matter of opinion.
How Do Players Feel About Them?
Let’s just say that there is a very small group of players that actually appreciate their rating. Over the years, we’ve seen every star imaginable speak out about why they were rated lower than they should be. Let’s cover some examples. There was a video that was shared of Kyrie Irving finding out that he was just a 90 overall when he was a cover athlete for the game. That reaction was not what the team at 2k was hoping for. A similarly disappointed and frustrated reaction came from Paul George when he heard that he was an 89 in the year that he was the cover athlete. Then we have some stories that Ronnie Singh shared. For those that don’t know him, Ronnie is a key member of the 2k team and has amassed a massive following on social media. You will often hear people complain to Ronnie when it comes to game issues. Anyways, Ronnie said that Dion Waiters lost his mind on the team when he figured out that he was a 73 overall. Another story involved John Wall, when he called Ronnie “a joke” when he found out about his 90 overall rating. Other players tend to be more relaxed about their ratings and use it as motivation. Myles Turner for example had some nice comments to say, “I’m into it a little bit because all my boys back home will talk sh*t if I have a bad rating. The ratings are always too low for everyone, in my opinion. But they rise and fall as the season progresses based on how you perform, so I just let my play do the talking.” Then we have Damian Lillard, who said, “Honestly, I really don’t care. I’ve become less and less consumed with the credit that I’m given. I think 89 is a solid rating. But I should be up there with the best at my position.” Obviously, this quote was taken from a few years ago around the time of 2k18. I believe that Dame has been rated higher since then. At the end of the day though, there is just an overwhelming majority of players that get consumed by this rating compared to the guys that don’t care much at all.
When Do They Usually Come Out And How Are They Made?
Sometimes, it’s hard to predict when ratings will come out. We all get to see the official ratings for every player on the day that the game is released. However, the marketing team will sprinkle in some ratings for the top players to try and hype the game up before it releases to the masses. As for the players, they used to find out their ratings at the same time as everybody else. Now, 2k makes sure to give players a chance to receive their ratings earlier if they want. A few years ago, there were over 150 players that requested to get their ratings early. It’s pretty clear that these guys care. As for how they are made, Stauffer made some comments about that process. He said that he doesn’t just pick a random rating and that’s final for each player. He has to individually go in and adjust 50 plus attributes which combine to create the final rating we see in the game. Sometimes, this leads to some poor ratings. Stauffer also said that they make sure to rate them as accurately as possible, which is why they watch hours of clips and film from these players to get that done correctly. Plus, these ratings get adjusted throughout the year. So, if Steph Curry has a really low rating for his standard, say a 90. If he turns out an MVP caliber year, there’s no doubt that he’d be raised to a 93 or even higher by the end of the regular season. The ratings system has its flaws, but they work tirelessly to keep it updated.