With the dust settling on the 2023 NBA Draft, fans, players, and teams across NBA now look to a turbulent trade season. With the likes of Chris Paul, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jordan Poole already preparing to don new colors in season 2023/24, there will be plenty in store before the tip-off of a new chapter in the Association's storied history.
One guarantee on the NBA calendar is the release of a new video game, with rumors flying that NBA 2K24 will likely hit shelves in September 2023. One of the pivotal decisions the team at 2K will have to make is the rating of each team, taking into consideration the ratings of star players, the performance of the team last season, and how the teams are projected to perform next season. After showing some promise in season 2022/23, these are teams expected to have a better rating in NBA 2K24.
5 Oklahoma City Thunder
Perhaps one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder are developing a unit of raw talent that could become a genuine threat as their stars realize their full potential. OKC has the youngest team in the Association, with an average age of 23.14 years, and includes superstars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and the 2022 number 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren.
OKC finished in 10th place in the standings and narrowly missed a post-season berth, which was an underdog story only bested by the heroics of the Sacramento Kings. With a plethora of young, skilled athletes in their ranks, a first-time All-Star in Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Australian national Giddey, the shining lights in the Thunder should get further recognition for the energy they bring to their games and receive a better rating for their efforts.
4 San Antonio Spurs
Resting on the shoulders of a young rookie are the post-season hopes and dreams of the entire city of San Antonio. With the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Spurs selected French superstar Victor Wembanyama, who will join Keldon Johnson and co. under the tutelage of coaching icon Gregg Popovich.
After a lackluster season which saw them finish with a 22-60 record, the second worst across the entire Association, the Spurs will be looking to turn a new leaf and begin the process of building something special around the highly-regarded international talent. There is no question that the pieces are gradually falling into place for San Antonio to improve on last year's performance, particularly with the coach of the United States National Team at the helm.
From a gaming perspective, the prospect of having a young star with so much hype around him will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the team's overall rating. With their team holding a game-low overall rating of 80 at the time of NBA 2K23's release, an improvement should be anticipated to coincide with Wembanyama, depending on how high 2K regards his talents in video game format.
3 New York Knicks
After missing the playoffs in the 21/22 season, the New York Knicks took a step further in the right direction, improving on the stellar form that saw them reach the post-season in 20/21. The X factor that took the Knickerbockers to new heights and the second round of the post-season was the acquisition of former Dallas Mavericks guard, Jalen Brunson.
With Brunson, New York gained a scoring wizard and floor general that can take the reins from their All-Star forward Julius Randle. By giving the ball-handling responsibilities to Brunson, Randle and the rest of the Knicks were able to play their more natural game, which paid dividends with their 5th-place finish in the East.
The future is looking brighter than ever in the Big Apple as the Knicks begin to look like a team that could attract some big names and make a push toward a championship opportunity that has long eluded them. Regardless, with the addition of Brunson as the starting guard and the stand-out performances of fellow recruits Isaiah Hartenstein and Josh Hart, the Knicks anticipate a better rating than the 86 they were given at the release of NBA 2K23.
2 Sacramento Kings
The energy in Sacramento was something that hadn't been seen in some time, fueled by their fan base genuinely believing that, for the first time in a long time, the Kings had a team that demanded respect on the court. After trading away sharp shooter Tyrese Haliburton for big man Domantis Sabonis, the infectious "Light the Beam" mentality in Sacramento saw them catapulted to the top of their division rankings at the end of the season.
With the trade season very much alive, we could see some further moves to attempt to improve on the Kings' historic season. However, even with the current team they have, they make a strong case for a better rating in NBA 2K24. With multiple players having break-out seasons, individual ratings should improve for Sacramento and catapult the "Beam Team" to a rating worthy of a franchise on the brink of becoming serious contenders.
1 Denver Nuggets
Despite being ranked as high as 92 with the release of NBA 2K23, there is no doubt that the Denver Nuggets have earned themselves a rating that pits them above the rest of the pack. After a dominant season that saw them finish on top of the Western Conference and go on to win their first-ever NBA Championship, Nikola Jokic and his team have officially arrived as the team achieved the potential they always believed to be capable of.
The two-time Most Valuable Player and one-time Finals MVP Jokic was able to capitalize on having his running buddy Jamal Murray back to full health, who played the best basketball fans have seen from him in a long time. With the Mile-High City finally reaching the top of the mountain in a post-season campaign that saw them sweep the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0, fans are reasonable to expect this team to be the highest-ranked squad in NBA 2K24.
NBA 2K24 is currently in development and is anticipated to be released in September 2023.