Modern basketball analytics have changed the game in numerous ways. The three-point ball is more popular than ever due to the findings that perimeter shooting helps teams win more than interior presence. This has been well publicized. Less publicized but equally present is the ability to pass and its contribution toward winning games. This is very much the case in NBA 2K23.
Of course, playmaking doesn't only mean passing. Dribble moves, speed, and shooting are all parts of what it means to be a great playmaker. Those who get the ideal playmaking badges in NBA 2K23 will find their teams tend to perform better when they are on the court.
Best Badges For All Players
Floor General
- Teammates receive a boost to their offensive attributes when this player is in the game.
- Requirement for Hall of Fame: 86 Pass Accuracy
Making other players look good on the floor has nothing to do with giving out new Dr. Disrespect cosmetics. It's about improving their statistics. Floor General is an unbelievably great badge that boosts everybody else's badges and every team should have one player with this badge at Hall of Fame level.
Needle Threader
- When passing through a tight window between defenders, a boost is given to a player's passing ability.
- Requirement for Hall of Fame: 92 Pass Accuracy
If things look busy in the new and improved city, imagine how tight these windows look on the court. Throwing up a tipped ball is never fun and every player can benefit from making this mistake happen less often. Turnovers can wreck games, everybody who passes with regularity needs a few badge points here.
Break Starter
- After grabbing a defensive board, deep outlet passes made up the court are more accurate. Passes must be made quickly following the defensive rebound.
- Requirement for Hall of Fame: 86 Pass Accuracy
Every player should be crashing the boards for rebounds outside of one guard who can get a break started. Since most players will find themselves with these rebounds between five and ten times per game, why not turn it into immediate points by hitting somebody up the court and wide open?
Best Badges For Guards
Ankle Breaker
- When performing stepbacks and other certain moves, the defender stumbles or falls more frequently when biting the wrong way.
- Requirement for Hall of Fame: 81 Ball Handle
Dribbling doesn't often get players to be the next special edition cover athlete unless it results in sending another player to the floor. If a defender stumbles, even for a second, slashers and three-point shooters can immediately make their move without any resistance at all.
Dimer
- When in the half-court, passes by Dimers to open shooters yield a shot percentage boost.
- Requirement for Hall of Fame: 85 Pass Accuracy
Whether showing off the best finishing badges after slashing toward the bucket or draining long bombs from beyond the arc, it's only a matter of time before defenses double cover the player. When this happens, pass to the open man and get a near-guaranteed assist with the Dimer badge.
Killer Combos
- Improves a player's ability to chain together efficient triple moves when sizing up their opponent.
- Requirement for Hall of Fame: 97 Ball Handle
By chaining together dribble moves, opponents are more likely to bite for a fake and leave the player open to drive or shoot. Piecing these moves together in a fluid way will trick more human and computer opponents, giving playmakers a free look at the basket.
Handles For Days
- A player takes less of an energy hit when performing consecutive dribble moves, allowing them to chain together combos quicker and for longer periods of time.
- Requirement for Hall of Fame: 99 Ball Handle
Nothing drains stamina as quickly as performing dribble moves. Even a full sprint up and down the court can't touch on this kind of stamina loss. To compensate, grab Handles For Days and perform triple moves without needing to hit the bench every two minutes.
Best Badges For Slashers
Unpluckable
- Defenders have a tougher time poking the ball free with their steal attempts.
- Requirement for Hall of Fame: 95 Post Control or 95 Ball Handle
Those who look at the best shooting badges and try to take threes in addition to slashing will also gain functionality from the Unpluckable badge. Opponents are going to be trying to knock the ball free. Without Unpluckable, this happens on an alarming number of drives to the hoop.
Clamp Breaker
- Improves a player's ability to fight off contact, protect the ball, and drive by opponents as the ball-handler.
- Requirement for Hall of Fame: 96 Ball Handle
All veterans of this series are more than familiar with that awful animation that locks in defenders onto the hips of driving ball handlers who are faster than them. It feels like a cheap way for slow defenders to somehow magically closer the gap and stay even. Clamp Breakershakes them off from this animation, allowing quick players to finally leave these opponents in the dust.
Quick First Step
- When driving out of triple threat or after a size-up, ball handlers have access to quicker, and more effective, launches.
- Requirement for Hall of Fame: 99 Post Control or 89 Ball Handle or 88 Speed With Ball
As soon as a defender bites, even the smallest bit, for a dribble move, players with Quick First Step can waste them by immediately taking advantage. Normally, dribbles take a second or two to accelerate. Get rid of this time for defenders to recover.
NBA 2K23 is available now for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.