Perhaps the most fatal flaw seen in MyPlayer builds in NBA 2K24 is the lack of investment in defense. Half of the game is spent on defense; those who don't have decent attribute scores in defense and rebounding will ultimately get torched on that side of the ball for the entire game.
10 Forgotten Unusual Sports Games
These sports games featured weird and unusual gameplay mechanics, and were soon forgotten after their release.
Online players sniff this out quickly and so does the AI. It's much better to be all in on defense and then hope to get lucky on offense. Thankfully, NBA 2K24 allows players to be well-rounded on offense and defense. Target a few defensive badges and be something special on both ends of the floor.
Best Defense & Rebounding Badges
Badge | Benefit | Bronze Requirements | Silver Requirements | Gold Requirements | Hall of Fame Requirements |
Anchor | Increases a player's ability to block shots and protect the rim at a high level. | 61 Interior Defense and 77 Block | 72 Interior Defense and 87 Block | 77 Interior Defense and 92 Block | 85 Interior Defense and 99 Block |
Post Lockdown | Strengthens a player's ability to effectively defend moves in the post, with an increased chance of stripping the opponent. | 74 Interior Defense and 70 Strength | 82 Interior Defense and 78 Strength | 88 Interior Defense and 84 Strength | 96 Interior Defense and 89 Strength |
Fast Feet | Sees up launches and cuts defensively to assist in staying in front of a ball handler. | 72 Perimeter Defense and 70 Acceleration | 83 Perimeter Defense and 73 Acceleration | 92 Perimeter Defense and 77 Acceleration | 97 Perimeter Defense and 82 Acceleration |
Pick Dodger | Improves a player's ability to navigate through and around screens on defense. All the Hall of Fame level, can blow up screens in the park or blacktop. | 74 Perimeter Defense | 84 Perimeter Defense | 91 Perimeter Defense | 98 Perimeter Defense |
Challenger | Improves effectiveness of well-timed contests against perimeter shooters. | 71 Perimeter Defense | 82 Perimeter Defense | 87 Perimeter Defense | 94 Perimeter Defense |
Clamps | Defenders are more successful when bumping or hip riding the hall handler. | 75 Perimeter Defense and 45 Strength | 785 Perimeter Defense and 50 Strength | 93 Perimeter Defense and 55 Strength | 99 Perimeter Defense and 60 Strength |
Off-Ball Pest | Makes players more difficult to get past when playing off-ball, as they can grab and hold their matchup and don't get their ankles broken as often. | 58 Perimeter Defense | 68 Perimeter Defense | 80 Perimeter Defense | 90 Perimeter Defense |
Boxout Beast | Improves a player's ability to box out and fight for good rebounding position. | 70 Strength, and 59 Offensive Rebound or 60 Defensive Rebound | 72 Strength, and 77 Offensive Rebound or 77 Defensive Rebound | 84 Strength, and 85 Offensive Rebound or 85 Defensive Rebound | 90 Strength, and 93 Offensive Rebound or 93 Defensive Rebound |
Rebound Chaser | Improves a player's ability to track down rebounds from farther distances than normal. | 60 Offensive Rebound or 60 Defensive Rebound | 83 Offensive Rebound or 83 Defensive Rebound | 92 Offensive Rebound or 92 Defensive Rebound | 99 Offensive Rebound or 99 Defensive Rebound |
10 Great Arcade Sports Games That Have Aged Well
Arcade sports games can be a hit-and-miss but a select few have aged incredibly well.
It's worth noting that stealing badges didn't quite make the list this year. Even against the worst ball handlers and using the precision controls, the odds of stealing are horrendous. It's not impossible and when the easiest difficulty is activated it can happen frequently but these just generally aren't very successful in most modes this year. The best point guard build can potentially invest in these.
The badges are the icing on the cake but the cake itself is understanding how to defend. Being in place and aggressive is where it starts. Navigate screens and communicate switches since the pick and roll tactic still dominates at the higher levels of play.
NBA 2K24 is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.