Predicting all Detroit Pistons 2K Player Ratings
The Detroit Pistons are looking to make it back to the playoffs this coming season. How are the Pistons going to fare in NBA 2K18?
Almost every NBA fan plays NBA 2K, and if they don’t, they should. It is always fun to take over the reigns of an NBA team or create your own player from scratch. It can sometimes be hard to play as the Detroit Pistons on 2K. What should we expect for their ratings this time around?
Andre Drummond started off last year as an 87. Some considered that overrated, which Drummond proved was true after an underwhelming season. Where will he be this time around?
Reggie Jackson: 77 Overall
Reggie Jackson struggled throughout the past season due to injuries. If he can return to his healthy production level he can be one of the top points in the league. But that is a big if surrounding Jackson. While Jackson ranked in above 80 overall in 2K17, there is no such scenario where he does this time, at least to begin the season.
It is probable that his rating could rise to even above 80 by season end if healthy. But it is also possible that he could struggle once more and see his rating plummet even lower. It is up in the air how Reggie Jackson will perform this season. A 77 rating makes the most sense for Reggie, especially after hearing D’Angelo Russell is rated an absurd 80 overall.
Avery Bradley: 85 Overall
Avery Bradley was shipped over to Detroit for Marcus Morris, going from the second or third best player for the Celtics to arguably the best player on the Pistons. As such, Bradley should easily earn at least an 85 overall. He is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and can knock it down religiously from deep. That makes for a quality player in 2K.
Related Story: Avery Bradley will be Detroit's Unsung Hero
While he should start at 85, expect him to over-perform for the Pistons in an upgraded role. Which will earn him an even higher overall, creeping around the high 80’s. Especially considering Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz are starting out at 80 overall each. Bradley at 85 is the lowest rating that makes sense for him, anything lower is highway robbery.
Tobias Harris: 83 Overall
Tobias Harris, statistically-speaking, was the best player for Detroit last season. He led the team in scoring, averaging 16.1 points a game. Considering he was the best player for Detroit, it it easy to understand a low 80’s rating for the talented forward.
Harris is one of the players whose rating could actually get lower as the season unfolds. Bradley will assume the leader position this season, taking away a lot of the opportunities Harris once had. Tobias should still have a good season, but not good enough to uphold an 83 rating.
Jon Leuer: 74 Overall
Stan Van Gundy brought Jon Leuer aboard last off-season to add some depth to the forward spot. While Van Gundy utilized Leuer as a starter for a good chunk of the season, he is no where near the type of player who should be starting for any of the 30 NBA teams. Leuer put up decent stats, but not for the amount of minutes he got.
Related Story: Jon Leuer is not starter-material
74 overall seems fair for Jon Leuer. It is hard to say whether or not his rating will rise or fall throughout the season, but if he has success playing more minutes at the five like Stan Van Gundy suggested, it can be reasonable to see it rise to somewhere around 76.
Andre Drummond: 84 Overall
The perfect player for 2K games: Andre Drummond. He is one of, if not the best rebounder in the league today. While extremely under-performing last year, Drummond should still find a decently high rating. Last year, rating in at 87 was way too high for Drummond, but it is hard to keep a player of Drummond’s skill set rating low.
This is why Drummond should see a rating no lower than 82 at any point during this season. It is more than likely that he will continually increase his rating throughout the year, capping out around 87 overall. If Andre Drummond has a better work ethic this go around, Detroit will be quite scary on 2K, and in real life.
Ish Smith: 76 Overall
Since Reggie Jackson missed some time last year due to injuries, Ish Smith assumed the starting point responsibilities. Smith did well in Jackson’s place, playing like a starting guard for a lower-tier NBA team. This is why Smith earns a 76 overall this go around on 2K. It would not make sense to have Ish rated higher than Jackson, but hopefully they both improve off of each other.
The lowest Smith should go this year on 2K would be a 75 overall rating. There is no world in which Jon Leuer is a better player than Ish Smith. Smith would most likely top out at 78 or 79 overall, not reaching that 80 overall though.
Stanley Johnson: 72 Overall
Since coming off a solid rookie campaign, Stanley Johnson overwhelmingly performed this past season. This overall does not mean Leuer is a better player than Johnson, not even in the slightest. Stanley has loads of potential inside of him, he is just struggling to unleash it. This should be Johnson’s breakout year.
Related Story: Time for Stanley Johnson to unleash the beast within
Stanley Johnson could see his rating plummet as low as 68 and as high as 75. If he continues his struggling ways, it is easy to see him falling under 70 overall. But if he can unleash his inner potential this year, he should see some love from the 2K rating department.
Luke Kennard: 71 Overall
After selecting Luke Kennard with the 12th pick this year in the draft, Stan Van Gundy will look to utilize the sharpshooter in the second unit. 71 makes sense for Kennard due to the first two picks being rated 80 overall. Especially with his three point threat, Kennard should have no problem fitting in with the 2K atmosphere.
It is hard to see Kennard falling lower than a 70 overall since he has yet to step foot on the court and show his talent. Based on his college performance, anything lower than 70 would be disrespectful. Anything higher than a 74-75 overall would be highly overrated.
Boban Marjanovic: 70 Overall
The 7’3″ Serbian powerhouse should rank in at around 70 overall. Boban Marjanovic found himself listed third string center a season ago, but now that Aaron Baynes bolted to the Boston Celtics, the backup center spot is wide open. Considering what Stan Van Gundy said about Jon Leuer spending some time at the center, he will be Boban’s biggest competition for the back up spot.
Putting Marjanovic at 70 seems reasonable for the raw big man, but anything as low as 65 and as high as 75 would make the most sense. If he wins the back up spot in the rotation, Marjanovic’s rating should see a nice boost.
Henry Ellenson: 68 Overall
After a successful outing this year in the Summer League, Henry Ellenson should find more time on the court in his sophomore year. While he spent a majority of the season down in Grand Rapids playing for the Drive, that should not be the case this year. He has proven that he is capable of being on an NBA roster, but not if he is capable of playing ample minutes.
Related Story: Henry Ellenson impresses with his play during Summer League
At 68 overall, Ellenson is starting out at a decent rating with a lot of room to improve. With Baynes off the roster now, there will be plenty more opportunities for Ellenson to prove his worth. Playing with him on 2K is a bit risky, considering his skill set does not suit 2K as well as the other player archetypes out there.
Langston Galloway: 69 Overall
The Detroit Pistons signed Langston Galloway this off-season to a three-year deal, hoping he can provide some depth at the guard spot off the bench. 69 overall sounds about right for Galloway, but it should easily increase as the season goes on if he gets the chance to play. It is hard to tell where Galloway will fit in the rotation.
Galloway is a player on 2K that can be successful for users, even with a low rating. It can be expected that his rating will get lower as the season goes on due to the amount of minutes he gets, or lack-thereof.
Anthony Tolliver: 67 Overall
Anthony Tolliver is back this coming season! A fan favorite, Tolliver is always fun to play with on 2K. He is not a flashy player by any means, but he can provide some quality minutes off the bench while giving rest to the starters. It will be hard for Tolliver to find ample amounts of playing time with all of the bigs currently on the roster.
Tolliver was mainly signed to provide a veteran leadership for the Pistons young core of players. Although, Stan Van Gundy has grown to like Tolliver, so it is not out of the question that Tolliver will see the floor.
Reggie Bullock: 64 Overall
Reggie Bullock will find himself inactive for the first five games after being suspended. He will also find himself on the bench for the majority of this season, as well as down in Grand Rapids. He is just not ready to have an impact in the NBA, but he has the talent and skills to get there someday.
Bullock could see his rating drop as low as 60 overall throughout the season. He will see little to no action for anyone playing 2K, except for 2K players who are Reggie Bullock stans. Which are few and far between.
Eric Moreland: 61 Overall
The Detroit Pistons also added Eric Moreland to the roster, adding more practice competition for the other bigs. Moreland will see the court for garbage time, if at all this season. He is just not a player capable of being on the floor.
Moreland will also likely find himself as a reserve on 2K for most people playing the game. With the new minimum of 14 players on a 2K roster, Moreland should still find himself on a roster rather than lurking in the free agent pool.
Next: Detroit will find themselves in a new arena on 2K and in real life
It is almost impossible to correctly guess the ratings of players on 2K, as the algorithms used are very precise and impact every player differently. It is safe to assume that there won’t be much surprises for the Pistons ratings this year. Everyone will have to wait until the ratings are announced for NBA 2k18.