BOSTON CELTICS (16)
83 (-2) Isaiah Thomas (PG): Athletic Playmaker
82 (nc) Avery Bradley (SG/SF): Two-Way Guard
81 (nc) Jae Crowder (SF/PF): Lockdown Defender
80 (-5) Al Horford (C/PF): Inside-Outside Threat
76 (nc) Kelly Olynyk (C/PF): Offensive-Minded Center
76 (nc) Marcus Smart (SG/PG):
76 (nc) Amir Johnson (PF/C): Interior Defender
74 (nc) Tyler Zeller (C): Inside Scorer
74 (nc) Jaylen Brown (SF/PF): Athletic Small Forward
73 (nc) Gerald Green (SF/SG):
73 (nc) Jonas Jerebko (PF/SF): Offensive-Minded Four
71 (nc) Jordan Mickey (PF/C): Quality Rebounder
71 (nc) Terry Rozier (PG): Athletic Point
67 (nc) James Young (SG/SF): Athletic Shooting Guard
X (X) Demetrius Jackson (PG): MISSING TEAM STATISTICS TEAM SALARY
ROTATION (11/3/16)
PG: Isaiah Thomas (35)
SG: Avery Bradley (37)
SF: Jaylen Brown (16)
PF: Amir Johnson (22)
C: Al Horford (29)
BENCH
SG: Marcus Smart (34)
PG: Terry Rozier (21)
C: Tyler Zeller (19)
PF: Jonas Jerebko (17)
SF: Gerald Green (13)
PF: Jordan Mickey (0)
SG: James Young (0)
PG: Demetrius Jackson (0)
RESERVE
SF: Jae Crowder (INJURED, ETA NOVEMBER)
C: Kelly Olynyk (INJURED, ETA NOVEMBER)
9/30/16: Jackson is missing from NBA 2K17 because the Celtics have 16 guaranteed contracts and the team roster space allows for 15. I'll never understand why they don't just move the extra player to the free agent pool, rather than keep him hidden until the roster spot opens up a full month from now. Jackson will make the team - it's Young and Hunter who are on the roster bubble.
INTANGIBLES
80 Pass Perception (+2)
50 Defensive Consistency
70 Pick & Roll Defense (-1)
70 Help Defense (-2)
65 Offensive Consistency (+15)
70 Intangibles (+19)
95 Potential (+1)
NOTES
10/1/16: Simmons fractured his foot and will be out for three months (if not the season, based on Philly's approach to injuries)... just another tough blow for a franchise that seems to only catch the wrong kind of "breaks".
9/28/16: Simmons has drawn comparisons to LeBron James (though I liken him more to Blake Griffin) and will surely see his Overall rating climb throughout the year. Simmons only has one badge (Chase Down Artist / Bronze) which is exceptionally low for a number one overall draft pick. Beyond his ratings, those will be another area worth tracking.
NOTES
11/7/16: Embiid is 6-9 from 3PT which is quite the surprise. Playing further from the basket has reduced his offensive rebound output, but his DRB and BLK rates appear to have translated.
10/2/16: Embiid will start his first preseason game today... he would have easily been the #1 pick over Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker if not for his foot injury. Hopefully Embiid can stay healthy and become the franchise cornerstone he was expected to be, and not go the route of Greg Oden.
NOTES
10/1/16: With Ben Simmons out for an extended period, the Sixers will likely need Rodriguez's playmaking ability in the starting lineup.
9/28/16: Really came into his own in his fourth and final season in the NBA (shooting 48%, compared to 39% over his first three seasons). Not a surprise that he found stardom overseas. Based on what I've read, he should compare to Jose Calderon.
Robert Covington
76 Overall
Position: SF
2nd Pos: PF (from N/A)
Archetype: Shooter
NOTES
9/28/16: Covington played most of his minutes at PF in 2016 as a small-ball four. He should fill a role similar to what will be asked of Dario Saric... which does not bode well for his minutes.
NOTES
9/28/16: While the Sixers would prefer to keep Nerlens Noel, his impending free agency will force them to act sooner rather than later. The Sixers can't reasonably pay Noel what he's worth while they still have two high-lottery centers under contract.
NOTES
9/28/16: Bayless really came into his own as a shooter last season (1.24 Spotup PPP, 95th Percentile). If he keeps that number up, he's a perfect compliment to Ben Simmons.
NOTES
9/28/16: The Sixers have a major glut at center that will need to be addressed. The Sixers would surely prefer to trade Okafor, but Nerlens Noel has more value around the league.
NOTES
10/1/16: Saric will step into the starting PF role with Ben Simmons sidelined for an extended period. This immediately thrusts him into contention for the NBA's Rookie of the Year award (and I think he is the overwhelming favorite now).
9/28/16: Given his talent, it would not be surprising to see Saric earn a starting job in Philadelphia. The Sixers will likely want to surround Ben Simmons with the best shooters on the team, and the battle between Covington and Saric will likely come down to that.
NOTES
9/28/16: The Sixers needed a stabilizing veteran presence, but unlike Jerryd Bayless I don't think Henderson fits particularly well. Spacing will be an issue anytime he shares the court with Ben Simmons, and I can see a world where the Sixers go bigger with Hollis Thompson starting at SG, or smaller with Jerryd Bayless starting next to Sergio Rodriguez (the latter would surely put butts in the seats).
NOTES
9/28/16: Should still carve a role out with Jerryd Bayless expected to play most of the reserve SG minutes, though it will be tougher with Sergio Rodriguez around.
Richuan Holmes
69 Overall (-1)
Position: C (from PF)
2nd Pos: PF (from N/A)
Archetype: Athletic Center (from Athletic Power Forward)
NOTES
9/28/16: The only "traditional PF" on the Sixers roster. Holmes actually saw most of his time at center last season, and can be considered the 3rd center when Philadelphia rests one of their "Big Three".
NOTES
9/28/16: Stauskas' poor play last season likely has him on the roster bubble despite his guaranteed contract. The Sixers will include him in any trade involving Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel.
With NBA 2K17 just over the horizon, I've decided to dust myself off and offer my take on the state of NBA 2K's player ratings.
About a year and a half ago, I fell out of not just the roster scene but video games altogether. I took a job that prevented me from watching basketball anywhere near as much as I'd like to. When I wasn't working, I found myself out of the house, spending my days and nights playing Magic: The Gathering in various card/comic shops across NYC. Almost overnight, I found myself more and more removed from the game of basketball, a sport I loved and followed for 20 years.
I also found my presence in the community to be mostly unnecessary. Mike Stauffer took the NBA 2K roster editing position I had been angling/pining for the better part of a decade, and he didn't look back. He's done of a heck of a job making the need for my voice largely irrelevant. The 2K rosters are significantly cleaner and there is a clear ideology set in place. The rosters aren't perfect (they never will be irrespective of who is in charge), but the various nitpicks are mostly due to a lack of time/labor hours given what 2K Sports is asking of him.
In a lot of respects, I have a unique take on the roster process. Some have called me the grandfather of roster editing. I'm the original NBA 2K roster editor, and it took years for anyone to get up to my level. I sold my roster files on memory cards to make a buck in college - there are very few people who can say they pulled a profit from this particular hobby. My historical and technical knowledge of 2K's rating/attribute history over the last 15 years is unparalleled by any amateur, and there are people who started tinkering with this game long after I did who now have jobs within the company. It's not all roses though - while I've been doing this longer than anyone else, my editing process is largely outdated and I'm too stubborn to learn the modern editing tools that might make my life easier (and actually produce a roster file). Just like Grandpa, except 40 years younger.
Overall, I'm largely content to let others get their time in the limelight. The torch passed a few years ago and I have no desire to take it back. I have fond memories of the people I met and the opportunities I generated from just sitting in front of a computer screen, forgetting about my day-to-day life, and just focusing in-depth on basketball... So much so, that having found some free-time, I decided to give it a go, for old-time's sake. For the younger generation, this is what Vintage Rashidi was all about.
I edited the ratings for all 30 projected starting point guards for the 2016-17 season. The listed difference is from the final NBA 2K16 roster. They will be sorted by Overall in this checklist's order.
Questions about attribute decisions are welcome, and I will do my best to explain the reasoning. There are certainly some that may not make sense but do have statistical basis (for example, a player's defensive effectiveness can vary from year-to-year based on a number of factors). As usual, I use 2K's own formulas and scales wherever possible, and am extremely limited in my bias thanks to the cold, hard nature of numbers.
Collectively, these 30 players dropped 37 points in Overall rating. This is mainly due to the 2K formula weighting "Draw Foul" too heavily. Most PGs are simply rated too highly here.
95 Potential (+3) 2017 OUTLOOK
Paul ranks 2nd among active players in career PER (behind LeBron James), and 6th all-time. He has the 2nd best assist rate in history behind John Stockton. It goes without saying that he's going to run a championship caliber offense until the wheels fall off.
2017 OUTLOOK
Curry had the best regular season of any point guard, ever. Injuries affected him in the playoffs, but he should be at full strength entering the season. While the presence of Kevin Durant should lighten his load, it's reasonable to expect a dent in Curry's offensive efficiency as they figure things out.
2017 OUTLOOK
With Durant in the rear view mirror, Westbrook is poised for an absurd statistical season, akin to 2015 when he had the highest Usage rate in NBA history. He is the overwhelming favorite to lead the league in scoring - whether that translates to a playoff berth for the Oklahoma City Thunder is another story.
2017 OUTLOOK
Quietly a two-time All-Star, Lowry isn't the flashiest name but he is the reason the Raptors have been a stable organization and rising playoff team since the day they acquired him. There are a few bigger names on this list who can't say the same. Expect more of the same for Lowry and the Raptors, who anxiously await a rematch with Cleveland.
2017 OUTLOOK
Long considered a flaw in his game, Wall improved his 3pt shot considerably. His mid-range game still needs work, as evidenced by Wall's poor numbers in the Pick & Roll (0.73 PPP, 38th Percentile). His inconsistent production here has capped his individual growth and the team's overall progression.
2017 OUTLOOK
Lillard carried a bunch of no-names to the second round of the playoffs. While his season-long performance was at times "Curry-esque", the same could not be said of his putrid defense. This isn't all on Lillard though, who has had to carry the team. The Blazers need another player (besides C.J. McCollum) to step up and lighten Lillard's offensive load, providing him the breather he needs to give an acceptable defensive effort.
2017 OUTLOOK
Bledsoe has missed 91 games in three years with the Suns, including 51 last season. The Suns were 12-19 with Bledsoe last season, and 9-40 without him; he is clearly a valued piece of their core. He'll simply look to remain healthy as the team rebuilds around him.
2017 OUTLOOK
Thomas is one of my favorite players to watch in the league. If Al Horford's pick & roll prowess can help Thomas re-capture the touch he had on his mid-range shot with the Sacramento Kings, the Celtics are going to be scary.
2017 OUTLOOK
Kemba is coming off a breakout season, but he may be poised for another one after the team parted ways with lumbering Al Jefferson (2nd on the team in Usage rate). The Hornets will look to run even more, while the growth of Frank Kaminsky as a stretch-big should open up the court even more for Walker to operate.
2017 OUTLOOK
Jackson quickly assimilated from sixth man combo guard to full-time point guard. He could stand to improve his defensive effort as the Pistons look to make it to the next level.
2017 OUTLOOK
Kyrie started the season slowly as he recovered from injury, and really hit his stride late in the year. That said, as is the case with many guards in this tier, his defense leaves a lot to be desired and is the biggest obstacle he'll need to overcome if he hopes to reach the MVP-caliber ranks of a Steph Curry or Chris Paul.
2017 OUTLOOK
Conley landed the biggest contract in NBA history this off-season (5 years, 150 million), making him the posterboy for the NBA's new cap structure. I don't have a problem with the dollars, and neither should you. Starting pitchers in MLB make 30 million dollars per year, and they only play in 20% of their team's games. Conley is going to lock down the PG position (arguably the most important position in the NBA) for the foreseeable future in Memphis, a city/team which isn't exactly a hotbed for free agents to begin with. Conley will continue to produce at a borderline All-Star level and lead a team that hasn't missed the playoffs in five seasons.
2017 OUTLOOK
With Minnesota drafting Kris Dunn, some expect Rubio to be traded, but that would probably be a mistake as he enters his prime. Rubio's inability to score in the Pick and Roll (0.69 PPP, 30th Percentile) damage his overall effectiveness, but no other guard in the league short of Chris Paul possesses his elite passing and defensive skill.
2017 OUTLOOK
Collison was easily the best backup PG in basketball last season, and will get his opportunity to start again with only the corpse of Ty Lawson around to contend for minutes..
2017 OUTLOOK
Holiday is expected to miss the start of the season as his pregnant wife deals with a brain tumor. It's been a rough go for Holiday, who has played well in New Orleans but has struggled to stay on the court. Once his family situation has sorted out, he could be in line for a big year with Eric Gordon gone and Tyreke Evans sidelined indefinitely.
2017 OUTLOOK
Rajon Rondo quietly shot 62-170 (37%) from three-point range last season, after shooting 128-487 (26%) over the first nine seasons of his career. He NEEDS this to not be a fluke if he is going to have any modicum of success next to Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler in Chicago.
2017 OUTLOOK
Parker is obviously on the decline given his age, but the entire team could struggle a bit in their first season without Tim Duncan. Given what Duncan has meant to the team's defense throughout the years, and that Pau Gasol is now manning the middle, it could mean the defensive deficiencies of Spurs like Parker get exposed more frequently.
2017 OUTLOOK
Teague regressed from his All-Star 2015 season, and may have felt Dennis Schroder creeping down his back. I'm not sure how well he pairs with Monta Ellis in the backcourt, but he should be a much needed-jolt for a deep, veteran Pacers team.
2017 OUTLOOK
With Dwyane Wade out of the picture in Miami, nearly all of the team's ball-handling responsibility falls to Dragic. He'll look to recapture the magic he had in 2014 when he earned All-NBA Third Team and lead a team of no-names to the western playoffs.
2017 OUTLOOK
While Williams might be the starter in Dallas, it's questionable whether he is more effective than his backup, J.J. Barea. Five years removed from his last All-Star selection, it's safe to say we're never seeing consistent elite play from D-Will ever again.
2017 OUTLOOK
MCW may very well lose his starting job to Matthew Dellavedova. The team needs a shooter who can play next to the Greek Freak, who is expected to run the offense on the heels of his own breakout season.
2017 SEASON
Hill had a superb 2015 season when Paul George was sidelined, but went back to being a fourth option in a spot-up role last season. Now playing for the Utah Jazz, will Hill be able to re-capture that level of play for a team that has desperately needed a PG? Or will they utilize him entirely off the ball and run things through Gordan Hayward? Time will tell, but make no mistake, Hill is a major sleeper for the upcoming season.
2017 OUTLOOK
Rose had a much better second half of the season after a dismal first half, but he still carries with him a number of flaws that he hasn't been able to evade in his return from injuries. His long-range shooting is poor, his decision-making still questionable, and his defense nothing short of atrocious. Given his inability to play off-ball I have no idea how he is going to (productively) fit on a team that features Carmelo Anthony. If last season is any barometer, Rose will put up inefficient numbers on a team that fails to make the playoffs. I would love to be wrong; it's up to Rose to make the necessary adjustments and do it.
2017 OUTLOOK
Payton is basically a young Rajon Rondo. Minus the Hall-of-Fame supporting cast that masked Rondo's deficiencies. I expect this season won't be any different, and the Magic may pursue an upgrade here before too long.
2017 OUTLOOK
Well, at the very least, we'll finally get to see if Linsanity was a fluke or not. Lin was one of the better backup PGs in the league and has often played SG in order to get minutes (accounting for his lackluster 18 AST% last season) since leaving the Knicks. He's an upgrade over Jarrett Jack, and has been hungry for this opportunity. If his Usage rate is anywhere near what it was with the Knicks during Linsanity, it wouldn't be surprising to see Lin averaging 16-18 PPG and 7 APG, especially given how much he has improved his overall game since that time.
2017 OUTLOOK
Playing next to James Harden, Beverley doesn't really run the offense like most point guards do. Defense has been his calling card. It remains to be seen how much he is appreciated by incumbent coach Mike D'Antoni. It's not outside the realm of possibility that Beverley loses his starting job to the offensively-gifted Eric Gordon, who is making way too much money to simply be backing up James Harden.
2017 OUTLOOK
Mudiay can't shoot to save his life, and that's the main thing holding him back from being a starting caliber guard. He should continue to steadily improve over the next five years, though it'll be a major red flag if he ever stumbles in his development.
2017 OUTLOOK
Last season's 2nd overall pick has a tumultous rookie season, which could be expected for a young PG forced to endure Kobe's farewell tour. While Russell's offensive numbers should improve across the board, his defense was garbage last season, and this was supposed to be his calling card. The opportunity is there for him to be one of the league's most improved players, but the Lakers could also hand-cuff him to the still effective Jose Calderon.
2017 OUTLOOK
The once promising Bayless has been a journeyman throughout his career, and has never started more than 19 games in a season. He projects to be Philadelphia's starting PG even though he is arguably much better off the ball as a SG (heavily reflected in his 44% 3pt shooting). That's where 1st Overall draft pick Ben Simmons comes in. With Simmons expected to run much of the offense in Philadelphia as a point-forward, this could be the perfect situation for Bayless, who saw quite a bit of success last season playing next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. While Bayless might be the least talented starting PG in the NBA, his value on the court very well may outweigh his overall production.
Thanks all for reading. I may do another one of these leading up to the 2K17 release, if I have time. If not, you can be sure I'll be on those 2K17 streets for a bit, as my schedule allows.
