NBA 2K22 ratings list of the top 10 players at every position

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The NBA 2K22 ratings list sees a four-way tie for first place, with LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durand and Stephen Curry all sharing a hefty 96 OVR according to the game's default rosters. But who is the best center in NBA 2K22, and where does cover star Luka Doncic appear on the list of elite point guards? Both those questions are answered below as we run through the top ten players at every position, in your NBA 2K22 ratings guide.

NBA 2K22 C ratings

1=. Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) – 95
1=. Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) – 95
3. Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz) – 88
4. Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves) – 87
5=. Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns) – 86
5=. Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat) – 86
5=. Clint Capela (Atlanta Hawks) – 86
5=. Nikola Vukevic (Chicago Bulls) – 86
9. Kristaps Porzingis (Dallas Mavericks) – 84
10=. Christian Wood (Houston Rockets) – 83
10=. Jonas Valanciunas (New Orleans Pelicans) – 83

An eclectic blend of nationalities make up the top centers list, with Cameroon (Embiid), Serbia (Jokic), France (Gobert), Dominican Republic (Towns), Bahamas (Ayton), Switzerland (Capela), Montenegro (Vukevic), Latvia (Porzingis) and Lithuania (Valanciunas) all scoring individual representation, alongside USA pair Adebayo and Wood. No other position offers such a wonderfully cosmopolitan mix.

NBA 2K22 PG ratings

1. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) – 96
2=. Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) – 94
2=. Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) – 94
4. Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets) – 91
5. Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns) – 90
6. Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks) – 89
7=. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) – 86
7=. Russell Westbrook (Los Angeles Lakers) – 86
9=. Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies) – 85
9=. De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings) – 85
9=. Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets) – 85
9=. Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks) – 85

2021 Rookie of the Year winner LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets) falls agonisingly short of this top ten, with an overall rating of 84. In an additional trivia note, it’s worth noting that the highest-rated rookie in NBA 2K22 happens to be a point guard: Detroit Pistons’ first overall draft pick Cade Cunningham. The Oklahoma State graduate earn an 80 OVR in his debut NBA season. No other league newcomer surpasses 79.

NBA 2K22 SG ratings

1. James Harden (Brooklyn Nets) – 94
2. Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) – 90
3. Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) – 89
4=. Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz) – 88
4=. Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers) – 88
6=. Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls) – 87
6=. Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors) – 87
8 .CJ McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers) – 85
9. D’Angelo Russell (Minnesota Timberwolves) – 83
10=. Collin Sexton (Cleveland Cavaliers) – 82
10=. Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors) – 82
10=. Chris LeVert (Indiana Pacers) – 82
10=. Terry Rozier III (Charlotte Hornets) – 82

4th-placed shooting guard Paul George fronted one of four covers way back on NBA 2K17, alongside Kobe Bryant (Legends Edition), Danilo Gallinari (Italy Edition) and Pau Gasol (Spain Edition). While the legendary Gasol may have moved away from the NBA in real life (to Barcelona), he’s still available to sign in NBA 2K22 as a 75-rated free agent. Naturally the six-time all-star makes the All-Time Memphis Grizzles squad too.

NBA 2K22 SF ratings

1. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) – 96
2. Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers) – 95
3. Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat) – 91
4. Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks) – 88
5. Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics) – 86
6. DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls) – 85
7=. Michael Porter Jr (Denver Nuggets) – 84
7=. Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans) – 84
9=. RJ Barrett (New York Knicks) – 83
9=. Gordon Hayward (Charlotte Hornets) – 83

James shares the best current-day player honours with Curry, Antetokounmpo and Durant – and his classic version is even better. He’s one of four legends given the maximum possible rating of 99 in NBA 2K22, along with Michael Jordan (SG, Chicago Bulls), Magic Johnson (PG, Los Angeles Lakers) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (C, Milwaukee Bucks). Shaquille O’Neal, Koby Bryant and Larry Bird all sit a single point lower, on 98.

NBA 2K22 PF ratings

1=. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) – 96
1=. Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) – 96
3. Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers) – 93
4. Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics) – 90
5. Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans) – 89
6. Julius Randle (New York Knicks) – 87
7. Domantas Sabonis (Indiana Pacers) – 86
8. Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers) – 85
9=. John Collins (Atlanta Hawks) – 84
10=. Jaren Jackson Jr (Memphis Grizzlies) – 83
10=. Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors) – 83

There’s almost nothing to split the dominant pairing of Antetokounmpo and Durant – although bear in mind that both can be switched to different positions: the Greek Freak also plays center, while Durant is highly effective at small forward. Antetokounmpo scores the honour of being NBA 2K22’s highest-rated international player, just ahead of Philadelphia center Joel Embiid (Cameroon) and Denver’s Nikola Jokic (Serbia).

NBA 2K22 WNBA ratings

1. Elena Delle Donne (PF, Washington Mystics) – 96
2. Breanna Stewart (PF, Seattle Storm) – 95
3. A’ja Wilson (PF, Las Vegas Aces) – 94
4. Candace Parker (PF, Chicago Sky) – 93
5. Jonquel Jones (PF, Connecticut Sun) – 94
6=. Diana Taurasi (SG, Phoenix Mercury) – 91
6=. Liz Cambage (C, Las Vegas Aces) – 91
6=. Nneka Ogwumike (SF, Los Angeles Sparks)
6=. Brittney Griner (C, Phoenix Mercury) – 92
10=. Natasha Howard (PF, New York Liberty) – 90
10=. Sylvia Fowles (C, Minnesota Lynx) – 91

Two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne tops the female charts in NBA 2K22, and USA compatriots inevitably dominate the rest of the big ten. There are two exceptions: Bahamian-Bosnian power forward Jonquel Jones, and LA Aces’ Australian import Liz Cambage. Belgium’s Emma Meeseman – a free agent in-game, as she plays for Russian side UMMC Ekaterinburg in real life – just misses out on a top ten spot with an OVR of 88. That magic number is just one shy of 89-rated Courtney Vandersloot (PG, Chicago Sky) and DeWanna Bonner (PF, Connecticut Sun).