Don't heed the trends too much in NBA 2K22. The rumor, spread by amateurs, is that interior scoring is dead and the three-ball is the way of the future. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the three-point shot, it's a great alternative. But there is a reason teams still pass around, trying to get into the paint before settling for a ranged attempt.
This is because the more reliable way to get points comes from right around the rim. Whether it's a dunk or a layup, the way to win in NBA 2K22 is to have a finisher with badges that give them an edge over opponents. These are the badges that give centers nightmares.
Updated on May 11th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: Character builds that rely on finishing are seldom alike. Big men underneath the rim will have far different priorities than a slashing shooting guard but both of them need finishing badges to score. As a result, not every set of badges is great for every build. "Best" for one build might be worthless to another, it all depends on the playstyle. To help readers identify whether the badge is good for them or not, a subsection has been added for each badge, detailing what kind of player might want to consider burying a few points in the badge. Also, descriptions have been added at the beginning of each section to detail exactly what the badge does.
12 Giant Slayer
- Heightens the effectiveness of layups over taller defenders.
Moving toward the basket at a high speed is a rush, but it's all for nothing if the result is a miss at the hoop. Against big men in the middle, this is a problem that can last for an entire game. Defenders here don't need great stats if everybody who attacks doesn't have the length that they do.
Giant Slayer enables shooting over these taller defenders with greater success around the rim. Finding ways over their heads and around their arms is critical to anybody that is hoping to score over opponents taller than them.
What Kind Of Player Should Get The Giant Slayer Badge
Slashers should consider this a must. All centers will be taller than them, most of the time by significant margins. Many forwards can use this too. Really, the only players that don't need this are tall centers that don't plan on making the layup their primary shot.
11 Mouse In The House
- Gives a boost on layups if the opponent is much smaller.
The partner to the Giant Slayer badge, the Mouse in the House badge helps against opponents who are shorter instead of taller. Some might wonder why such a boost would even be necessary since dunking against short opponents isn't really all that tough.
That's deceptive, though. With the heightened focus on defense in about every build, every smaller opponent will have the speed and jumping ability to swat a ball out of about anyone's hands. The exception is anybody using this badge.
What Kind Of Player Should Get The Mouse In The House Badge
First off, anybody planning on making a big center or forward should see this as a requirement. But it's not entirely out of the question for guards either. When making a player that is on the tall side for the position, consider that man-on-man matchups will still benefit from this badge on every drive.
10 Unstrippable
- Protects the ball while trying to do a layup or dunk.
The game put in lots of new animations for blocking and stealing balls as players drive toward the rim and start to shoot. Many slashers have become mere liabilities for their teams, turning the ball over every time they go up to score.
The Unstrippable badge is also a new one this year and it exists to counter these defensive efforts. The best power forwards might rely on their strength to get close to the basket, but they'll need this badge at a high level to make the shot against the league's interior defenders.
What Kind Of Player Should Get The Unstrippable Badge
Slashers, or anybody else that dribbles while on their way to the hoop, will need this badge at a higher level. Post players might pass up on it, but keep in mind even they will need to contend with outside help gunner for a steal every so often.
9 Slithery Finisher
- Improves a player's ability to avoid contact when attacking the rim.
It happens all too often; there's a hole going toward the rim, the player will get the ball, and then the defender from behind or to the side of the driving player will suddenly stop them from going full speed. It's a built-in mechanic to stop fast breaks from being too easy.
Thankfully, the Slithery FInisher badge puts these breakaways and transition boards back on medium difficulty. Several of the best point guards use their speed to get to the basket and this keeps that speed going full throttle until they get the dunk off.
What Kind Of Player Should Get The Slithery Finisher Badge
Speed demons will get the most out of this badge because it reduces the range where a defender counts as being "in front." Those who want to slip past defenders and leave them in the dust will get lots of completely uncontested dunks with the Slithery Finisher badge.
8 Post Spin Technician
- Improves the ability of a post spin or drive to work effectively.
The post is actually good again this year! With a whole host of new moves as well as a flat percentage increase of its success, players are finally finding builds that actually work well against human and AI opponents alike.
The best center builds will seriously consider using this badge as the most frequently hook toward the rim in the post to finish off the score. The increased effectiveness makes the layup more likely to be on target and reduces the effectiveness of pressure against this particular move.
What Kind Of Player Should Get The Post Spin Technician Badge
This is move should be exclusively used by post players, slashers need not get it. Specifically, this badge is better for those who rotate their spin toward the rim instead of away from they take the shot.
7 Limitless Takeoff
- Favors dunks and layups from a farther take-off range.
Does the Limitless Takeoff badge sound like a badge for showoffs? Good, because it is. However, there is a very real value to using it on the court. The earlier the dunk/layup sequence starts, the less time opponents have to try and stop the shot.
It's flashy with a purpose and unleashes the power of any quick dunk and layup packages that are equipped. Most centers have a tough time coming in to stop a slasher already, this badge gives them no chance to help out once the player gets past their defender.
What Kind Of Player Should Get The Limitless Takeoff Badge
Entering a dunk animation more quickly drastically decreases the odds of being blocked, so any player that would like to start dunking from just inside the three-point like should get it. Also, be sure to have at least one of the best dunk packages that start from the location in question, otherwise the character will attempt to shoot from deep mid-range.
6 Hook Specialist
- Increases post hook shot percentage.
It's already been mentioned that the post is back to dominating again this year. The big advantage of the post is that the player can shoot almost any kind of shot. They can spin and layup, fade, fake and step-back, hit a quick jumper, or hook it in.
Of all of these, the hook is the safest best against tight defense. The Hook Specialist is simple; it makes it even more likely that baskets go in. Considering that hooks can't be conventionally blocked, this is a badge that borders upon being overpowered.
What Kind Of Player Should Get The Hook Specialist Badge
As a new player from the post, the only way to compete with the best rookies in the game is to have a solid hook shot. Specifically, the hook shot goes directly above opponents, so players who spin or take mid-range jumpers from the post can pass.
5 Fearless Finisher
- Improves the ability to convert contact layups.
Unless players are regularly using floaters, almost every layup in NBA 2K22 is going to be a contact layup. This is even more true for finishers; if there's no contact to be made, every finishing build worth anything is just going to dunk the ball instead.
Increasing the ability to convert contact layups is a bonus to basically all layups. This going beyond just being accurate. This badge also works when the contact draws a foul, increasing the opportunity for three-point players, which is a great perk for players who don't spend much time beyond the arc.
What Kind Of Player Should Get The Fearless Finisher Badge
The only players who should not get this are ones with an ideal custom jump shot that intend to shoot from far away. Other than that, both big men under the rim and sprinters than have to contest against interior defenders will get important boosts from the Fearless FInisher badge.
4 Dropstepper
- Improves a player's ability to effectively use dropsteps in the post.
Most players have been wrecked by the dropstep without realizing what it is. It's that move in the post where the player puts their leg behind the defender, spins toward the basket, and then gets a completely open look. These shots are bunnies and players will make them nearly 100% of the time if they can get the move down.
The Dropstepper badge makes this move faster, easier to execute, and reduces the chance that defenders pick up on it. Catching them off guard in the post is the name of the game, and this makes that move work like a charm.
What Kind Of Player Should Get The Dropstepper Badge
As implied, this has everything to do with the dropstep from the post. Pump fake masters and interior defenders with great speed should be taking this shot often, but make sure to pair it with a nice shot animation.
3 Backdown Punisher
- Increases the chances of a player successfully backing down their opponent.
Backing down an opponent is a simple strength and stamina check. If a stronger player has stamina against a weaker player, they will push toward the rim while backing down. But there are a lot of strong players in the NBA and they don't move back easily.
With four points into the BackdownPunisher badge, a maximum-strength player cannot be denied from a trip to the rim regardless of who defends them. This guarantees a dunk at the end unless an opponent gives up their coverage to help out.
What Kind Of Player Should Get The Backdown Punisher Badge
The obvious answer here is that strong post players who want to improve their accuracy with closer shots will need this. The right team for a center will give players extra space to execute the move. Also, make sure to stock up on stamina, since this move does drain the bar somewhat quickly.
2 Acrobat
- Boosts the ability to make layups that have a high degree of difficulty.
The description for the Acrobat badge reads that it "boosts the ability to make layups that have a high degree of difficulty." Layups that have a low degree of difficulty frankly don't need badges, the shot meter pretty much doesn't even matter.
The acrobat helps with all of those contested layups. As previously stated, most layups for finishers will be contested. Of all the badges on this list, this one will be the most frequent one to pop up, helping out on most shots in the vicinity of the backboard.
What Kind Of Player Should Get The Acrobat Badge
Things can get pretty busy underneath the rim, especially for players that make offensive rebounds. Also, slashers that don't like to pass out every time they charge in will want the Acrobat badge to fight through the defense.
1 Fast Twitch
- Speeds up standing layups or dunks around the rim.
Standing shots happen more frequently than players realize. On every offensive rebound, a standing dunk or layup is likely to occur. And, when receiving a pass while driving to the rim, an average or worse passer will force the driving player to slow down to pull the pass in, converting the driving attempt into a standing one.
In both cases, getting the dunk off faster is important. For rebounds, an opponent will be breathing down the player's neck. For bad passes, defenders will be rapidly closing in. The Fast Twitch badge was added this year and it is almost required to counteract the new block and steal animations for defenders around the rim.
What Kind Of Player Should Get The Fast Twitch Badge
Since this is specifically for standing dunks, slashers and guards should probably stay away from it. But those who live in the paint will find that their response time on offensive rebounds is too quick to face any serious threat of blockers with the Fast Twitch badge.
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.