Three seasons ago, Ben Simmons responded to his 87 overall rating on NBA 2K22 MT Xbox One with the words "I'm coming for y'all" in a tweet that has since been deleted. He continued to receive similar ratings in his second and third seasons after that, but now the three-time All-Star is on the decline. This season, Simmons' 2K rating has dropped to 84, which is the lowest it has been since his rookie campaign in 2017-18. He is still regarded as an elite defender and playmaker, but his three-point rating of 58 is lower than that of Deandre Ayton, Boban Marjanovic, Dwight Howard, and JaVale McGee, to name a few notables.
When a new video game is released, the ratings of players and teams are given a second look, and this is no different with the Philadelphia 76ers' ratings. After finishing the 2020-21 season with the third-best record in the NBA and a trip to the second round of the playoffs, the Sixers were one of ten teams ranked in the top tier of the game's classification system. Philadelphia received the lowest overall rating (81 out of 100) of the ten teams in tier one.
Despite that rating, it appears that Sixers fans who participate in games with their team will not be at a competitive disadvantage. Seth Curry is listed as one of the top-10 three-point shooters in the game, Joel Embiid has the seventh-highest overall rating among all players, and the Tyrese Maxey craze has caught the attention of 2K creators. Ben Simmons' rating did slip a notch, but it is only a minor blemish on the Sixers' otherwise stellar season.
In the NBA center debate, Embiid and Nikola Jokic finished as runner-up and first-place, respectively, in the MVP voting, ensuring that the debate will continue for another season. On 2K, the difference was as fine as a hair's breadth, as both players received a 95 overall rating. Jokic had a significant advantage in inside scoring (92 points), outside scoring (94) and playmaking (83 points), among other categories. Embiid outperformed his opponent in both rebounding (91) and defense (76 points per game). True or not, both players received a score of 79 in the category of athleticism. In terms of current standings, the reigning MVP has a slight advantage over the Sixers' standout player.
This may come as no surprise, but 2K has been caught on occasion rewarding players' reputations over their performance in the game. In this particular instance, this is not the case. In terms of defense, Matisse Thybulle received an 84 rating, which was higher than the ratings received by wing defenders like Ben Simmons, Jrue Holiday, Marcus Smart and Paul George. Thybulle, who is ranked 25th in perimeter defense, had a higher perimeter defense rating than the players mentioned above.
On Cheap MT 2K22, Thybulle is listed as a small forward and a power forward, which may have played a role in his placement on the perimeter defense defense. Kevin Durant, Jonathan Isaac, and Jayson Tatum are the only players with similar position rankings who have higher perimeter grades than the rest of the team. Only a few players, including Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, had higher complete defensive numbers than Thybulle, according to the data.
The Sixers finished in the top ten in three-point shooting last season, and they were rewarded for their efforts. In three-point shooting, seven Sixers received scores of 80 or higher on the night. Mike Scott (77) and Shake Milton (78) were the only players to make the cut. For much of the season, the Sixers' bench struggled, and this was especially true when it mattered the most, such as against the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA playoffs. It appears that 2K is placing their bets on a more capable unit. Among the players, Andre Drummond (79) received a marginally higher rating than Dwight Howard (78). Both Maxey and Milton received a score of 76. The Sixers gained their second-best shooter as a result of the underappreciated acquisition of Georges Niang.