Players are dying to know what has become of the center position in NBA 2K22. For years, veterans have been playing stretch bigs and dominating from the arc. Good news for fans of the stretch big, no nerfs have come to the build this year! But is it still the best build for centers?

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Consider the position spoiled as other builds have popped up thanks to new animations, badges, and mechanics. It takes a lot of effort to make a big the "wrong" way. But is there a most right way of all the right ways to make bigs dominate as never before? Try this build and see why experts at this spot are switching up to a new way to ball out from the five spot.

Updated on May 8th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: Centers have always been popular due to their undeniable size advantage. Online, they've been used to set screens and shoot threes for years now. With some changes to three-point shooting and improvements to interior defense, centers are back to the drawing board. That ends up being alright because the drawing board this year allows centers to snag back much of the limelight they've been giving away. The guide has been expanded to add ideal team situations and animations to the mix. Also, each section has been revisited to highlight the most crucial information.

The Case For A Pure Speed Defender

NBA 2K22 Dunking Against The Washington Wizards

The stretch big build is still great this year, but with the new animations, improved shot meter, and badges, point guards and shooting guards are now just as good at hitting the long three. Instead of competing for the role, why not take care of a role that is badly needed against AI and human opponents alike?

On offense, this build will set a screen, then charge the rim. Half of the time, the center gets an easy dunk. The other half of the time, the screen gets another player open for an easy bucket. It's a win-win. And the defense of this build is second to none, capable of running in to help a slashing opponent, and fast enough to get back into place if they pass out of the trap.

NBA 2K22 Jokic With A Game Saving Block

For those who still aren't convinced, remember that there are brand new strip and block animations this year. These defensive stops are now easier to pull off and more effective. It might hurt to no longer be the best in the business of shooting threes, but the build is much more exciting this year.

Go All In On Defense/Rebounding

NBA 2K22 Going For Maximum Defense With The Center

Obviously, a build focused on defense and rebounding will want a great deal of defense and rebounding, so this skill breakdown makes sense. But there is a hidden benefit: This pie chart also allows for the fastest center possible.

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Finishing will be important, but coming off of the screen, dunks will happen as a result of speed.

NBA 2K22 Joel Embiid Grabs A Contested Rebound

Slowing the build down to get more finishing skills is quite counter-intuitive. Most dunks and layups will be close to non-contested.

Max Out Agility

NBA 2K22 Going For Maximum Agility With A Center

Centers need to be able to help out on defense, which means being able to get to the paint even when their man is on the perimeter. Then they need to be able to get out in time if and when the slashing player passes to the open man.

NBA 2K22 Karl-Anthony Towns Wins The Three-Point Shooting Contest

Covering all of this space demands as much velocity as can possibly be packed into the big man's stature. Strength and vertical are nice, but the stature will already take care of enough of that. So take the pie chart with the most agility.

Setting The Potential

NBA 2K22 Best Potential Attributes For The Center

Close Shot

84

Driving Layup

58

Driving Dunk

65

Standing Dunk

86

Post Hook

56

Mid-Range Shot

33

Three-Point Shot

33

Free Throw

74

Post Fade

30

Pass Accuracy

63

Ball Handle

29

Post Control

30

Interior Defense

92

Perimeter Defense

53

Lateral Quickness

59

Steal

69

Block

95

Offensive Rebound

95

Defensive Rebound

95

NBA 2K22 Pulling Off A Reverse Dunk Against The Trailblazers

The Steal attribute might look a little low now, but that will be fixed during the physical attributes. Aside from this, the maximum stats in Block, Offensive Rebounding, and Defensive Rebounding will be appreciated by the entire team. Setting screens means teammates will be taking extra shots. Those shots that miss will likely fall into the arms of a center built like this.

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Free Throw and Pass Accuracy are the only skills needed that aren't considered finishing or defense/rebounding.

NBA 2K22 Rudy Gobert Slaps Away A Shot

Remember that this playstyle will never, ever need to dribble or shoot anything that isn't in the paint. The fifteen badges in finishing are perks that will boost the already sky-high shot percentage.

Adjusting The Physicals

NBA 2K22 The Minimum Height A Center Can Be

It's scary to be an undersized "big man" but the extra speed is too good to pass up. Set the height to 6'9" and look at the statistical bonuses to Speed (+9), Acceleration (+11), Steals (+9), Driving Layup (+10), and Driving Dunk (+18)! Blocking and rebounding go down slightly, but those will be brought back up to maximum in just a moment.

NBA 2K22 Ideal Weight For A Center

At 193 pounds, speed and acceleration get as high as centers are capable of doing, meaning this build will win a footrace against any other center in the league.

NBA 2K22 Maximum Wingspan For A Center

There is no reason not to go with the maximum 91" wingspan. The only stats that go down are Strength, Mid-Range Shot, and Three-Point Shot, each only decreasing by one.

NBA 2K22 Bam Adebayo Reaches Out To Block A Shot

And this brings those critical defensive statistics back to their maximum. Although this build is short, this long wingspan will make it so they can still block the shots of the tallest players in the NBA.

Be A Rim Protector

NBA 2K22 Selecting The Rim Protector With The Center

Both takeover options are worthy selections, but the Rim Protector takeover is consistently helpful. The most important part of the Rim Protector is that it gives the MyPlayer access to a suite of exclusive block animations.

NBA 2K22 Deandre Ayton With A Key Steal In The Paint

These are not animations for the sake of being cute or stylish. Remember that this build has to block any player making a move towards the net. These extra blocks allow this build to hit the ball away at angles that seem like the bucket is almost guaranteed.

Critical Badges

NBA 2K22 Best Finishing Badges For A Center
  • Fearless Finisher
  • Limitless Takeoff
  • Lob City Finisher
  • Putback Boss
  • Slithery FInisher

Normally Lob City Finisher isn't considered an incredible finishing badge, but this build will frequently find itself open when attacking the rim after setting a screen.

NBA 2K22 Jarrett Allen Slams Home A Dunk

Calling for a pass can take time, but calling for a lob guarantees the bucket unless the passer is wayward with his accuracy.

NBA 2K22 Best Defensive Badges For A Center
  • Chase Down Artist
  • Ball Stripper
  • Interceptor
  • Intimidator
  • Pick Pocket
  • Rim Protector
  • Rebound Chaser

This build saves the best for last. With a total of thirty badges to invest in defensive abilities, there's really nothing this center can't do. The Ball Stripper badge is new this year and fantastic at ripping the ball away from slashing opponents. Within a few games on Pro difficulty, this build was able to pull off a quintuple double, a feat never before accomplished in the NBA, made possible thanks to having the best defensive badges in the game.

Best Team To Play For

NBA 2K22 Best Players On The Roster For The Golden State Warriors

There are many good team options for new centers this year, but the best for this particular build might be the Golden State Warriors. The idea behind this build is to screen somebody open for a three or take a pass for a dunk and the guard combination of Curry and Thompson will play well to this strategy.

NBA 2K22 Steph Curry And Klay Thompson Discussing Strategy During A Game

Whatever team is chosen, always avoid a team with a superstar in at center. The game values overall rating much higher than actual talent or statistical prowess. This means that the player can get stuck on the bench and still be the league's MVP until their rating overtakes the starter.

Ideal Animations

NBA 2K22 Shawn Kemp Dunk Package In Store

Every position should be selecting its own animations, from dribbling to shooting. The most important animations for this build are the awesome dunk packages. The big man default dunks are uninspired and, worst of all, rather each to block.

NBA 2K22 Capela With A Block At The Rim

Use every single dunk package slot available for the best variety and be sure to select big man dunk packages that have lots of speed. Many packages for bigs are under-the-rim jams. Select a couple of these for when the situation comes up, but remember that the majority of the jams for this build will be completed on the run.

NBA 2K22 was released on September 9th, 2021, and is available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

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