Once upon a time, long before NBA 2K22, the franchise was all about the shooting guard. The player could average over one hundred points every game for an entire season, draining three-pointers left and right without much contest. It was truly the golden age of shooting from deep in video games.
Then, suddenly, the series clamped down so hard against shooting threes that doing so against even Rookie-level AI opponents was almost always a failure. Some creative players have been making stretch bigs with the center position because the shooting guard was so bad at it. But NBA 2K22 has eased off a bit this year, making shooting guards feel like they have a place in the league again. Here's how to best take advantage of these new upgrades.
Updated on May 8th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: This is a great year for shooting guards who, for a long time, have been point guards that can't dribble for years. Finally, they have an identity and are hotly desired in online play. This guide was working out for many players, so much so that it felt like it was time to revisit it and provide gamers with even more assistance. A section was added to help out with the team selection process and then another heading addresses the shot animations. This should about complete every decision that gamers will be confronted with when making a shooting guard.
The Case For A Three-Point Shooter
A host of dribble moves that convert into three-point shots were added this year, which screams point guard. Indeed, in MyCareer, the point guard can become a deadly shooter. However, in online play, human opponents don't fall for the fancy tricks.
Because the bigs have been given incentives to play interior defense this year, this brings the best three-point shooting build back to the shooting guard. Finally, catch and shoot is once again a valid way to run up the score against bots and players alike.
Split Between Shooting And Defense
One of the best parts of this build is that it doesn't have a complicated job. On defense, force turnovers through steals. On offense, catch and either immediately shoot or immediately pass. This limits the scope to shooting and defense, which is the ideal skill breakdown pie chart.
This is slightly more complex than last year, where shooting guards were generally assigned solely to 100% defense.
This build will keep the best parts of that defense while also taking advantage of the improved three-point shooting this year.
Max Out Agility
There will be some who are disappointed that this build won't hit the 95 maximum on three-point shooting like a pure shooter skill breakdown chart can. But the catch here is that three-point shooting could be ranked at 150, it won't matter if the player can't get open.
By splitting with defense, the build gets a lot faster; fast enough to be wide open on three-point shots. This is compounded with the agile physical profile. Strength and vertical are sacrificed, but these are completely useless stats for a perimeter shooter and defender.
Setting The Potential
|
Close Shot |
64 |
|
Driving Layup |
50 |
|
Driving Dunk |
40 |
|
Standing Dunk |
26 |
|
Post Hook |
30 |
|
Mid-Range Shot |
83 |
|
Three-Point Shot |
80 |
|
Free Throw |
88 |
|
Post Fade |
80 |
|
Pass Accuracy |
78 |
|
Ball Handle |
75 |
|
Post Control |
57 |
|
Interior Defense |
56 |
|
Perimeter Defense |
85 |
|
Lateral Quickness |
85 |
|
Steal |
91 |
|
Block |
57 |
|
Offensive Rebound |
64 |
|
Defensive Rebound |
73 |
Setting potential in this build is extremely linear. Most of the time there is a balance to consider and minimum badge quantities to get. But in this case, every point can be spent to max out the potential in every category except for finishing. FInishing will be completely useless, so this is not an issue.
The shooting and defense will both improve with some physical adjustments, but even now, there will be 20+ badges in both shooting and defense.
This will allow the MyPlayer to be dominant in several facets at both ends of the court, instead of being one-dimensional like they would be in a purely offensive or defensive role.
Adjusting Physicals
Leaving the height at the default 6'5" is ideal here. The shooting, stealing, and speed all grow as the height goes down, but the wingspan on this build is so small that most opponents will be able to shoot right over the MyPlayer's head. Still, for those who enjoy the linear build, feel free to shrink it down.
Turning down the weight to 178 pounds increases the speed and acceleration of the player without sacrificing any important stats, so go ahead and lighten him up.
Shrinking the wingspan down will bring the defense down a few points, but the shorter arms release the ball faster and improve the accuracy of the three-point shooting.
The default length is alright, though the defense is substantially better than the shooting. This shrinking wingspan brings the defense and distance shooting into balance.
Be A Spot Up Shooter
Because this build is so well-rounded, a total of four takeover choices are available. By far, the best selection for this build is the Spot Up Shooter takeover. The defensive, passing, and dribbling takeovers all have their place on other builds, but as the team's dedicated three-point shooter, this is a crucial component to achieving victory.
The takeover will increase three-point shooting, which is already high, but even more importantly, catch-and-shoot shots are improved. When activated, players will essentially be able to toss up threes even with a defender close by.
Critical Badges
- Glue Hands
- Stop & Go
- Bullet Passer
- Needle Threader
Bullet Passer and Needle Threader are overall beneficial badges for passing and help players using this build get some assists without turnovers. Passing is secondary to shooting, of course, but if taking a pass when covered, pass as soon as possible.
Glue Hands and Stop & Go imply that they help with dribbling, which is true, but both badges pop up when catching a ball on the run and putting up a shot. They speed up the shooting animation and coming to a stop, respectively.
- Catch & Shoot
- Deadeye
- Limitless Spot-Up
- Slippery Off-Ball
- Volume Shooter
Most of these are self-explanatory as they boost the act of shooting threes and shooting them often; there's a reason this lineup is among the best shooting badges in the game. Slippery Off-Ball is core to the build as it shakes defenders loose, allowing players to get totally open shots. Contested shots, like in years past, are not going to work, even with the best statistical abilities and perfect timing.
- Defensive Leader
- Clamps
- Interceptor
- Pick Pocket
- Intimidator
The shooting guard keeps up the tradition of forcing turnovers with Pick Pocket and Intimidator. Thanks to Clamps, matchups are kept on the perimeter, preventing opponents from getting inside. One player on every team should have Defensive Leader and the shooting guard is a prime candidate. This build has plenty of defense/rebounding badges to spare and does not need to block shots or rebound, freeing it up to get the best defensive badges in the game.
Best Team To Play For
There is a selection of teams that will work for a shooting guard this year, but the best of those would be the Bucks, Knicks, Pelicans, Raptors, or Nuggets, who have a need at the position. When filled, every other position has a player rated at an 80 or above. It's a complete team and a chance to bring basketball excitement back to their respective hometowns.
Most importantly, make sure the team does not have a superstar playing shooting guard. The game weights overall rating above everything, including performance, so if the MyPlayer ends up on a team with a high-rated two guard, he'll essentially never stop being a bench player.
Important Animations
The rest of this guide is helpful, but all of it hinges on being able to shoot the ball consistently. It's strongly recommended that each player design the best custom jump shot for themselves. Every player is different, so tinker and see which shots worked and which ones didn't.
For those who are overwhelmed by the process, it's generally accepted that Stephen Curry's jump shot is the best among the non-custom designs. It stands to reason that the best three-point shooter in NBA history would probably have a great animation.
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.