Too many gamers look at the best Dark Matter cards and try to envision how long it will take to get them. Here's NBA 2K23's big secret: Don't save up for these cards without having a complete team in place first. It only makes the process take longer due to taking unnecessary losses and not racking up enough statistical successes.
A better idea is to find the Ruby cards in NBA 2K23 and take a day or two to get them all. By making a plan and knowing which players will fit the team just right, gamers can have a complete team in place before making the journey to snag those legendary cards.
A special thank you to the folks over at 2kdb.net for keeping the database of cards up to date!
10 Trae Young
There are nine Ruby cards with a gold badge. That means Trae Young is the odd man out in this area. His defense has no badges and it's sitting at an admittedly low 69 rating. But that's about it in terms of bad news.
Young has twenty-four silver badges spread out over the other three categories. His scoring from deep, finishing up close, and playmaking all more than make up for any potential issues on defense.
9 LaPhonso Ellis
Power forwards are a hot commodity, needing to back up the centers with some help on defense and then contribute on their own without getting in the way. Veterans know that too many inside scorers clog up the lane and that's why LaPhonso Ellis is so valuable.
Ellis is a slasher, not a traditional post player at the spot. His speed not only helps out on offense, but he'll collapse on the paint on defense. These kinds of players are rarer, giving Ellis a Ruby card that many will prefer over the best Amethyst cards.
8 Kawhi Leonard
If Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers stay healthy for one season, there is little doubt that they'll get a championship. Leonard has been the driving force behind two championships for two teams already, the Clippers would be the third.
Small forwards are tasked with going against the most versatile players on the court. As a result, their defense matters more than most, since they'll need to prepare for slashers, dunkers, mid-range shooters, and three-point specialists. Leonard is ready for all if in, in part due to his gold Menace badge.
7 Rolando Blackman
The best thing about Rolando Blackman doesn't show up in his badges or attributes. Take a look at his hot spots; Blackman is nice and red when taking any shot from any location inside of the three-point arc.
Aside from that, he's well-rounded as many shooting guards and small forwards should be. He's got at least three silver badges in each category aside from shooting, where he makes up for it by having a gold Volume Shooter badge. Blackman is the mid-range shot players will love if they're missing on that area of the court.
6 Scott Skiles
Fans of the NBA know the name Scott Skiles, who set the record for assists in a single game with 30. The record has stood since 1990 with few coming close to that same mark. As expected, his Ruby card is exceptional at playmaking.
On top of having the best playmaking badges, Stiles also has the much-coveted Floor General badge at a gold rank. Floor General boosts the stats of everybody else on the floor. It's not magic when the whole team gets better while Stiles is on the floor, it's baked into the card.
5 Rickey Green
It's hard to shake a man off as well as Rickey Green can do it. The 6'0" point guard has an 89 speed rating, enough to blow by some of the fastest defenders in the game. He'll do this often, too, especially with the help of his gold Quick First Step badge.
This kind of style ruins defensive plans. As soon as an opponent bites on one of his elite dribble moves, hell either slash past them to score himself or find the open man as defenders have to lose their matchup to help.
4 Damian Lillard
None of Damian Lillard's badges are on the defensive side of the ball. But at 6'2" with an 83 speed rating, he's not easy to push over. Even when conceding this weakness of the Ruby card, his offense more than makes up for this oversight.
Lillard is a shooting machine. His gold badge in Volume Shooter encourages gamers to put up a flurry of points and to keep doing it. Gamers who enjoy the three-point shot and having the point card take the lead for this flurry, Lillard is the one to turn to.
3 Ja Morant
The primary strategy of a perfect dunker build is to slash inside and, if somebody comes in to stop the push, pass back out to the newly opened person. It's a tactic that has been working in every mode for years and it's just as effective this with. Especially with Ja Morant doing the slashing.
His two gold medals are both in finishing, good for several easy points in the paint every game. But he's just as good at passing, considering he's got silver or better in every playmaking badge except for two. It's everything players could hope for at the position.
2 Dell Curry
When gamers get a new shooting guard card, they hope, first and foremost, that it can be counted on to put up points. Dell Curry leaves little doubt that he can put up an avalanche of points as each of his shooting attributes is 84 or higher.
This includes all three of his gold badges in that category. When designing the perfect three-point shooter build, players would do well to remember how effective this kind of scorer can be. Curry makes this case on his own.
1 Michael Jordan
There aren't many advantages that Michael Jordan didn't have over his competitors. His highlight reels have blocks, steals, assists, three-point shots, jams, mid-range makes, and rebounds. It's only fitting that his Ruby card has the same advantages.
In each of the four categories, Jordan has five silver or gold badges. Until players get ahold of the best Galaxy Opal cards, Michael Jordan is a satisfying 6'6" shooting guard in every team's lineup.
NBA 2K23 is available now for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.