Some gamers of NBA 2K22 make the fatal mistake of saving up for that one high-level card and not upgrading any positions until then. This might seem like a smart strategy, but there are a couple of major problems with it. The first of these issues is that opposing teams will just double cover the only good player.

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The second mistake is that these teams will be losing a lot of games while waiting for that one special player. By filling up a team with emerald-level talent, NBA 2K22's MyTeam mode becomes a fun and stable experience while waiting for superior talent. These are the best cards that make the foundation for an up-and-coming team.

Updated on June 26th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: The emerald cards have become the new standard for casual gamers in MyTeam and thank goodness for that. Not everybody has bottomless pockets but gamers still want to be able to put forth a competent squad full of potential. Since the game's release, these emerald cards have seen much more action, and some players even have legendary badges! Aside from this overhaul, a chart has been added in each section to help gamers identify which cards might fit well in their lineups.

10 Yuta Tabuse

Yuta Tabuse is something of the gold standard for other emerald cards, doing everything expected of his position and not an ounce more. Defensively, he's got no badges at all. But he makes up some of this ground on the other end, with a couple of badges in shooting and finishing, then pouring it on as a playmaker. That's the primary job of a point guard and Tabuse will check those minimum requirement boxes.

9 Jamal Crawford

Those who remember Jamal Crawford as a shoot-first player may be shocked by this card. Instead of defense or shooting, all of his gold badges are placed into playmaking and finishing. It's a bit like having a second slashing point guard on the team, which can appeal to gamers executing on a style that drives inside.

8 Alperen Sengun

When most gamers think of balanced players, they don't consider the center to be on that list. But metrics show that big men who can pass from the interior are winning games for their team. Alperen Sengun is a perfectly balanced 83 on both offense and defense and his badges are split between all four categories. It's a kind of versatility that allows him to do anything with satisfactory results.

7 DeMar DeRozan

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Driving toward the hoop has regained its popularity in recent years. With DeMar DeRozan in at shooting guard, his fantastic finishing badges and scores should make any player a believer in this tactic. If the shot isn't there, feel free to cut loose from the arc, DeRozan is plenty capable of scoring at any distance.

6 Nah'Shon Hyland

A shooting guard needs to be in the right position to succeed. At 6'2" and without any badges on defense, it's probably best to move Nah'Shon Hyland to point guard. Once in that spot, he's got almost every playmaking badge so he should fit right in.

5 Patrick Williams

At 6'5", Patrick Willia,s is a little on the short side to be a template for one of the best power forward builds, but his secondary position, small forward, is a perfect match. Often, this makes the play out of position, yet Williams seems better suited to the spot with a nice and even distribution of gold badges in all four categories.

4 Lonzo Ball

It's hard to find a better value than Lonzo Ball for the point guard spot. He's got a sweet sweet dunk package and gold in all but four playmaking badges. Yet this card chooses to highlight his defense, even above these other talents. COnsidering how opponents often make their point guard to focus on offense, a shutdown counter to that will go a long way.

3 Luka Doncic

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The only cards better than Luka Doncic in the general tier have legendary badges. Even then, some could easily prefer Doncic with the best playmaking badges in the game and almost every shooting badge as well. Lethal when passing or shooting, defenders won't really have a good idea of what to do against him.

2 Herbert Jones

A strong power forward needs to be able to take on the best centers in the game without outside help. Herbert Jones has three legendary badges (among others) in defense/rebounding, so he's more than up to the task. Height-wise, he's also well suited to play as a small forward, so don't hesitate to move him around if his defense is needed elsewhere.

1 Matisse Thybulle

Many players will justifiably wonder why a lowest-ranking emerald card with an offensive rating of only 65 tops this list. It comes down to this: nobody has more legendary badges than Matisse Thybulle and they are all on defense. Small forwards are typically where elite players are. Thybulle, therefore, is the only emerald card at this spot that has any prayer of shutting down cards ranked way highest than other emerald players.

NBA 2K22 is available now for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

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