There is a sweet spot between spending thousands of dollars and being a dedicated gamer that many players find themselves in NBA 2K22. It always feels like just a few hundred dollars will make the game better with better stats and lineups. But this is a misunderstanding of how the game works.

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Spending money in MyTeam does little more than increase the competitiveness of the players. It might grant a few wins, but then players are back to gaming against people whose teams are just as stacked as theirs. The best way to go about it is to save the cash and work hard for the best Ruby cards in NBA 2K22.

Updated on June 25th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: When this list was first released, only a single Ruby card player had a legendary badge. Likely sensing that had no chance of competing with gamers that are paying to win, MyTeam has had loads of Ruby cards added with at least one legendary badge. This list has been completely overhauled to reflect these changes. In addition to this, a chart has been added to accompany each section that tells players some information about the player and helps gamers establish if the card will be worthy of their current lineup.

10 Cory Joseph

When players are looking at ruby cards, they're looking for the best value. They need somebody that does their job well as opposed to a card that tries to do too much and, as a result, does nothing well. Cory Joseph is an excellent playmaker at the point guard spot with solid defensive marks, exactly what gamers should be looking for.

9 Gerald Green

Gerald Green is a speedy small forward that will push the action on every possession. He's got some solid playmaking skills that help him contribute to the offense aside from just his great scoring potential. Like with most ruby cards, Green does have a weakness; his defense is pretty mediocre. But gamers that like to rack up transition points will find the good outweighs the bad.

8 P.J. Tucker

The P.J. Tucker card is a bit of an oddity. Listed as a power forward or center and given the ability to shoot three-pointers, gamers might think he's a stretch big. But he's only 6'5", very short for an interior player. He makes up for this by being faster than most of his counterparts, able to find an open spot to shoot from or get inside on a taller man while he plays defense.

7 Matt Bonner

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Having a stretch big is a classic strategy that veterans of the NBA 2K franchise have been using for years. Matt Bonner typifies this strategy, with all of his best statistics and badges dumped into shooting from range. While other strategies have gained validity as well, this is still one of the most successful, so so Bonner loose at the arc!

6 Juan Toscano

Having a small forward that plays strong defense and prefers to drive to the hoop may sound like an incorrectly positioned power forward. But Juan Toscano excels in these areas and can be tough for a more traditional small forward to stop. Against opponents that don't recognize this mismatch, Toscano can score double-digit points before the other team catches on.

5 Arvydas Sabonis

It's hard to imagine one of the NBA's best point guards being 7'3" but Arvydas Sabonis is just that height! Now, those who want to move him down to center, that's understandable and he'll play well there. But consider that he's got a legendary Dimer badge. Plus, he'll always be towering above his one-on-one matchups. Try it out for a few games, he can make opponents quit.

4 Earl Boykins

A 5'5" player is tough to justify, even if placed on an ideal team to play with as a shooting guard for. This Earl Boykins card is that height and slated to play center (assisted by a legendary Mismatch Expert badge). Here's a recommendation: Move him to point guard, his secondary position. He'll still be shorter than virtually all other point guards, so his legendary badge will work fine. And the other 57 gold badges will be much appreciated.

3 Kevin Porter Jr.

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When Kevin Porter Jr. takes the court, opponents can know what to expect, but not necessarily have any idea how to stop it. Porter is an excellent passer that features some of the best shooting badges in the game, two of which are at a legendary level. Choosing whether to guard him tight and let him pass or guard him loose and let him shoot is not a fun decision to make.

2 Zion Williamson

It's tough to get a more ideal build for a power forward than the one Zion Williamson embodies. The guy can put up so many points in a hurry, possessing all but one finishing badge. Both of his legendary badges are in this category as well. Need an interior scoring machine? Look no further than Williamson.

1 De'Aaron Fox

De'Aaron Fox doesn't have the best defense/rebounding badges, but the feature of this card comes down to offense. He's got a bronze or better on all but one playmaking card. And he's got the most legendary badges (3) of any Ruby player mixed in with some gold badges in shooting and finishing. Given multiple ways to score, this is easily the most feared ruby card around right now.

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

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