NBA 2K23 will be out in September, and there’s no doubt that it is a heavily anticipated release. Every year, the NBA world gets excited about the release of the best basketball game on the market, even if it does have its flaws.
We have started a series of predictions for 2K23 ratings, and we have already done our predictions about the rating for the 10 best point guards in the league. Now, we will predict what the ratings look like for the shooting guards in the NBA.
10. Jordan Poole – 85
Credit: Cary Edmondson/USA Today Sports
2021-22 Regular Season Stats: 18.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Jordan Poole has a very good run with the Golden State Warriors this year, being the No. 2 option offensively while Klay Thompson was out. There is no doubt that Poole is a very solid offensive player who hit key shots for the Golden State Warriors on their way to the 2022 NBA championship.
81 seems like a very low rating for Jordan Poole, and in our predictions from 2K23, we increase his rating to an 85. That seems like a fair rating for a burgeoning offensive shot creator who still has lapses on the defensive end.
Overall, the goal for the Golden State Warriors will be to win another championship. However, Jordan Poole should try and aim for the Sixth Man of the Year award, and based on what he did this year, he has a very good shot of winning it.
9. Tyler Herro – 85
Credit: Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports
2021-22 Regular Season Stats: 20.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Tyler Herro is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, and he was the secondary scoring option on the Miami Heat for the majority of the regular season. Herro is generally regarded as a fantastic bucket-getter off the bench, who has holes on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, he excels at 3PT shooting and midrange shot creation.
At the end of 2K22, Tyler Herro had an 85 rating, and that remains unchanged for the start of NBA 2K23. He struggled in the playoffs, and his porous defense likely means his attributes on that end will be poor. However, if Tyler Herro makes a jump, then his rating could definitely go up.
The Miami Heat were within one game of making it to the Finals this year, so the obvious goal team-wise is to get to the highest stage. For Tyler Herro on an individual level, the chief objective will be to improve his scoring resiliency and be able to get consistent buckets against even the toughest defenses.
8. Anthony Edwards – 86
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2021-22 Regular Season Stats: 21.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Anthony Edwards is one of the most talented young stars in the league, and there’s no doubt that many believe that he has superstar potential. Edwards is an elite athlete and finisher at the rim, and his 3PT shooting was clearly better this season than it was during his rookie year. Notably, Anthony Edwards had a breakout against the Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs, averaging 25.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.0 APG.
In our predictions, we give Anthony Edwards an 86 rating, which obviously reflects what we saw in the postseason. 83 seems quite low for a player that is clearly All-Star caliber, and it is very likely that his starting rating will be higher than that in NBA 2K23.
The Minnesota Timberwolves made a win-now move for Rudy Gobert this offseason, and the hope is that his acquisition can help the Minnesota Timberwolves become a championship contender. Anthony Edwards himself has said that it’s “championship or bust” for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but a more fair expectation for him and the team would be a series win or perhaps a Western Conference Finals appearance. On an individual level, the goal for Anthony Edwards will be to become an All-Star.
7. CJ McCollum – 86
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
2021-22 Regular Season Stats: 22.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG
CJ McCollum has played some PG for the New Orleans Pelicans, but his primary position is still SG. His positioning may depend on what Willie Green ends up doing with his lineups once Zion Williamson comes back, but as of now, CJ McCollum is still a shooting guard. He is known for his ability as a three-level scorer, excelling in particular from the 3PT range. McCollum’s shooting will be crucial for the team’s spacing once Zion Williamson is on the floor.
Though CJ McCollum finished with an 87 rating in 2K22, we downgrade his rating by 1 point here, leaving him at 86. He struggled mightily in the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns, only shooting a paltry 39.2% from the field. Perhaps he will do better throughout the regular season next year, and maybe we’ll see his rating improve then.
The New Orleans Pelicans managed to make the playoffs this year with just CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, so it’s reasonable to say they should win a series next season. CJ McCollum’s veteran leadership and timely shot-making will be crucial for them, and hopefully, he is able to help the team to win their first playoff series during the Zion Williamson era.
6. Bradley Beal – 87
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2021-22 Regular Season Stats: 23.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Bradley Beal has been the face of the Washington Wizards for quite some time now, and he is well known for his loyalty to the franchise. Beal has been known for volume scoring in the past, but this season, he has clearly focused more on his playmaking, which is evidenced by him averaging a career-high in assists for the Wizards. If Bradley Beal can continue playmaking like this while regaining his top-tier scoring, he can become one of the best offensive players in the league.
In our predictions for NBA 2K23, Bradley Beal gets an 87. His efficiency dipped a little this season, and he also gets a bit of a downgrade for putting up stats on a bad team. However, if the Washington Wizards are competitive while Bradley Beal is putting up good numbers, his rating will likely increase during the year.
The Washington Wizards aren’t championship contenders, so perhaps a fair thing to ask from Bradley Beal is for him to bring the team to the playoffs. If the Wizards make the postseason, that is a successful year for them, as they do not have a true co-star next to Bradley Beal.
5. Donovan Mitchell – 88
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2021-22 Regular Season Stats: 25.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Donovan Mitchell has been linked with a number of potential trades that would send him away from the rebuilding Jazz this offseason. There’s no doubt that Donovan Mitchell is an elite volume scorer, capable of getting his own buckets from beyond the arc or slashing to the rim. He was the No. 1 option on the Utah Jazz for the last few years, and his offense was a huge reason for them making the playoffs every year.
Even though he struggled at times in the playoffs, our prediction for Donovan Mitchell’s rating has him at 88, the same rating that he finished the year with. It is clear that the Mavericks’ defense was zoning in on him, and due to the lack of other elite offensive threats on the Jazz, Mitchell was often forced into an enormous role offensively.
Obviously, the goal for Donovan Mitchell will be to get individual awards such as All-NBA if he remains on the Utah Jazz, as they will likely not be a competitive team without Rudy Gobert’s presence. However, if he gets traded to a contending team, the expectations will likely change.
4. Zach LaVine – 88
Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
2021-22 Regular Season Stats: 24.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Zach LaVine is well-known for his elite athletic ability and his 3PT shooting. He has won two dunk contests in his career and made two All-Star teams. Today, he is a premier slasher and shot creator from the perimeter, and he will likely be the No. 1 offensive option on the Chicago Bulls starting next season. He is the face of the franchise, and hopefully, Zach LaVine can reach another level as a player next season.
Our prediction for Zach LaVine in 2K23 involves him getting an 88 rating, the same as his final rating in 2K22. There is no doubt that this is an accurate rating for a player that is transcendent offensively but has issues on the defensive end. If he makes a defensive leap, he will likely get an overall rating boost due to his defensive attributes increasing.
For Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls, a fair target would be winning a playoff series at the end of the year and making it to the second round. They were a good regular-season team this year, and perhaps they can translate their success into the playoffs next year.
3. Paul George – 89
Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
2021-22 Regular Season Stats: 24.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.7 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Paul George is still a two-way force that can carry an offense, even if he is the No. 2 option on the Los Angeles Clippers with Kawhi Leonard healthy. The Los Angeles Clippers were a solid team with him at the helm this year, but unfortunately, they were unable to make the playoffs due to George being absent from their pivotal play-in tournament game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Though Paul George is generally considered an SF, he is listed as an SG, as that was his primary position in NBA 2K22. He will also likely play the starting SG position for the Clippers next season, as Norman Powell will likely be in a bench-scoring role for the team. Paul George’s rating is an 89 to reflect his two-way ability, and he’ll likely be one of the most balanced players in the game in terms of being good on both ends of the floor due to his badges and ratings.
For the Los Angeles Clippers next year, it’s championship or bust, and Paul George will be expected to perform at an All-NBA level. He will likely take on a huge offensive load for the Los Angeles Clippers next year alongside Kawhi Leonard, and they will be one of the best star duos in the league.
2. Devin Booker – 91
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
2021-22 Regular Season Stats: 26.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Devin Booker reached the NBA Finals in 2021, and even though he and the Phoenix Suns were upset by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, Booker remains a top-tier shooting guard in the NBA. Devin Booker is a true three-level scorer, and his midrange ability is nearly unmatched in the entire NBA. There have even been some suggestions that Devin Booker should have been in the running for the 2021-22 MVP because of his contributions to winning.
At the end of NBA 2K22, Devin Booker’s rating was 91, and it remains unchanged to start 2K23 in our predictions. While he struggled at times in the playoffs, that is likely due to the injury he sustained during the Suns’ series against the Pelicans. He is still an elite shooting guard who can be the No. 1 option on an NBA Finals team, and his rating reflects that.
Next season’s objective for Devin Booker will be to bring the Phoenix Suns back to the NBA Finals. At this point, the ideal scenario for him is to reach another both individually and in terms of team success. An MVP award and another Finals appearance seem to be fair expectations for Booker, and perhaps next year he can further improve his case for being the top shooting guard in the game.
1. James Harden – 91
Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
2021-22 Regular Season Stats: 22.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 10.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG
James Harden is still the best shooting guard in the NBA, even though it looked as though he had a down season this past year. During Harden’s time with the Philadelphia 76ers in the regular season, he still managed to average a double-double. His production was obviously still solid, but James Harden’s goal will be to get back to the form he was in during the 2020-21 season. Harden previously disclosed that he was struggling with a hamstring injury, so perhaps he can do better next year when that injury is healed.
The final rating given to James Harden in NBA 2K22 was 92. In our scenario, we decrease his rating by 1 because of his struggles in the playoffs, but he is still the best shooting guard in the league. There is a high likelihood of Harden’s rating going up a little more if he can replicate the level he played at during the 2020-21 season.
The goal for James Harden will be to help the Philadelphia 76ers make it to the NBA Finals for the first time during Joel Embiid’s tenure with the team. He will need to be a bit more of a scoring threat to help them do so, and we’ll see if James Harden is able to get back the scoring he showed earlier in his career.
