The Real 2K Insider

The Real NBA 2K13 Roster & Ratings

2013-05-21T20:30:00.000-04:00

Rashidi, the Real 2K Insider brings his NBA 2K13 roster to 2K Share and you can downoad it now for Xbox 360 using the 2K Share feature.

How to do this:
In NBA 2K13's menu go to Features, 2K Share, Download
Press RT button to move off of 2K's official updates menu
Press Y button and search by Gamertag
Gamertag = Real 2K Insider

FILE NAME: The Real NBA 2K13 (2-19-13)
Xbox 360 Gamertag: Real 2K Insider

Don't forget to rate 5 stars (even though 2K's rating/download counter appears to be broken this year).
How to do this: Go back to 2KShare, Press RT until you get to "My Downloads" click file, rate it.

FILE DETAILS
2K Sports' 12-5-12 roster was used as a base. Important notes about that roster are Mike D'Antoni as Lakers coach, no uneditable injuries, most missing players added, and all missing jerseys added.

ATTRIBUTES
Nearly 400 players are part of my weekly cycle of edits.

SIGNATURE SKILLS
I am in the process of adjusting these for all NBA players.

TENDENCIES and HOTSPOTS
Shot and Freelance tendencies as well as Hot Spots are being incorporated for all NBA players.

CONTRACTS
100% accurate contract data with various enhancements to prevent Association and Career modes from becoming a joke.

TEAM ROTATIONS
Updated weekly using each team's previous 10 games as a barometer. There are no missing NBA players in my roster. Players playing overseas (or retirees) have been added to the rosters of retro teams to prevent them from being signed during an Association or Career.

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UPDATE HISTORY

5/21 Update
Edited 100% of NBA players

2/22 Update
Rosters updated to reflect the NBA trade deadline.

2/19 Update
380 Player edits (86.5% of league)
Added max contract extension to Dwight Howard to prevent lottery teams from signing.

2/2 Update
Continued editing tendencies
Rudy Gay trade complete

1/25 Update
Revised COACH PROFILES for all teams based on 2013 production.
Added 10-day contract players who were missing from game
Revised shot tendencies of most major players.

1/3 Update
318 player edits (72.5% of league).
To prevent Chris Paul signing w/ Cavaliers in Association and My Player, I have given him a max extension with the Clippers (5 years, 100.15 million), which he appears extremely likely to sign.

12/25 Update
300 Player edits (68.5% of league), updated contracts, beginning of updated hotspots.

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LIST OF PLAYER RATINGS

My Overall Rating - Player (Difference from 2K's overall rating)

Please note that Overall ratings are 2K's formulas and they are not perfect. The most prominent example is Medium and 3pt shot ratings not counting very much towards PF overall rating even though the league is shifting in this direction due to the effectiveness of stretch four types. Carmelo Anthony will rate much higher at SF even though he has proven to be MVP caliber at PF. Similarly, Dirk Nowitzki carried a team to a championship but his Overall rating won't differ much from lesser traditional PFs like David West or a heavily struggling Pau Gasol. Overall rating does not directly translate to on-court effectiveness.

Ratings as of 5/21/13

446 of 446 NBA Players (100.0%)

POINT GUARDS (84 of 84)
Average Starter = 78
94 - Chris Paul (0) (ALL-NBA 1ST, ALL-STAR, ALL-DEFENSE 1ST)
92 - Derrick Rose (0) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
91 - Rajon Rondo (+3) (ALL-STAR) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
90 - Tony Parker (+3) (ALL-NBA 2ND, ALL-STAR)
90 - Russell Westbrook (0) (ALL-NBA 2ND, ALL-STAR) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
89 - Kyrie Irving (0) (ALL-STAR)
85 - Stephen Curry (-3)
85 - Deron Williams (-3)
85 - John Wall (0)
83 - Michael Conley (0) (ALL-DEFENSE 2ND)
83 - Jrue Holiday (-5) (ALL-STAR)
82 - Damian Lillard (0) (ROOKIE OF YEAR, ALL-ROOKIE 1ST)
82 - Nate Robinson (-1)
82 - Jarrett Jack (+3)
81 - Kyle Lowry (-1)
80 - Ty Lawson (-5)
80 - Goran Dragic (+2)
80 - Kemba Walker (-3)
79 - George Hill (+4)
79 - Jose Calderon (+4)
79 - Brandon Jennings (-4)
79 - Jeff Teague (+4)
79 - Darren Collison (+3)
79 - Isaiah Thomas (+4)
79 - Eric Bledsoe (-2)
79 - Louis Williams (+1) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
78 - Grevis Vasquez (+5)
78 - Will Bynum (+7)
77 - Raymond Felton (-2)
77 - Jeremy Lin (+2)
77 - Ricky Rubio (-1)
76 - Steve Nash (-4)
76 - Andre Miller (+1)
76 - Jameer Nelson (+1)
76 - J.J. Barea (+7)
75 - Ramon Sessions (-1) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
74 - Mo Williams (-4)
74 - Jerryd Bayless (+4)
74 - Beno Udrih (+6)
73 - Jordan Crawford (-2) - Rates 77 @ SG
72 - Brian Roberts (+12)
71 - Kirk Hinrich (-2)
71 - D.J. Augustin (-1)
71 - John Lucas (+8)
71 - Rodrigue Beaubois (-2) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
70 - Pablo Prigioni (+7)
70 - Patrick Beverley (-3)
70 - C.J. Watson (+2)
70 - Toney Douglas (-2)
70 - Jimmer Fredette (+7)
70 - Sebastian Telfair (+2)
70 - Patrick Mills (+1)
70 - Aaron Brooks (-6)
69 - Mario Chalmers (-6)
69 - Reggie Jackson (+2)
69 - Shaun Livingston (+7)
69 - Jamaal Tinsley (0)
69 - A.J. Price (+14)
69 - Shelvin Mack (+4)
69 - Leandro Barbosa (-2) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
68 - Eric Maynor (0)
67 - Norris Cole (-6)
66 - Steve Blake (-2)
66 - Earl Watson (-1)
66 - Charles Jenkins (+4)
66 - Marquis Teague (-2)
65 - Chris Duhon (-4)
65 - Ishmael Smith (-6)
64 - Cory Joseph (+2)
63 - Jannero Pargo (-1)
63 - Nolan Smith (-4) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
63 - Jerel McNeal (N/A)
62 - Kendall Marshall (-3)
62 - Scott Machado (N/A)
61 - Mike James (-4)
61 - Keyon Dooling (-7)
61 - Darius Morris (-4)
61 - Julyan Stone (N/A)
61 - Josh Akognon (N/A)
60 - Maalik Wayns (-3)
60 - Diante Garrett (N/A)
60 - Chris Quinn (+4)
58 - Tyshawn Taylor (-9)
58 - Ben Hansbrough (N/A)

SHOOTING GUARDS (84 of 84)
Average Starter = 74
92 - Dwyane Wade (+1) (ALL-NBA 3RD, ALL-STAR)
92 - Kobe Bryant (-2) (ALL-NBA 1ST, ALL-STAR) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
89 - James Harden (+1) (ALL-NBA 3RD, ALL-STAR)
86 - Manu Ginobili (0)
85 - Monta Ellis (+2)
83 - Andre Iguodala (-1)
80 - J.R. Smith (-2) (SIXTH MAN OF YEAR)
80 - Jamal Crawford (0)
80 - Tyreke Evans (0)
80 - O.J. Mayo (+1)
80 - Eric Gordon (-4)
79 - Joe Johnson (-4)
79 - Kevin Martin (-1)
78 - Wesley Matthews (+1)
78 - Brandon Knight (+2) - Rates 75 @ PG
76 - Ray Allen (-3)
76 - Gerald Henderson (+4)
76 - Luke Ridnour (+5) - Rates 72 @ PG
76 - Iman Shumpert (-6)
75 - Klay Thompson (0)
75 - Tony Allen (-1) (ALL-DEFENSE 1ST)
75 - Devin Harris (-1) - Rates 71 @ PG
75 - Demar DeRozan (-2)
75 - Marcus Thornton (0)
74 - J.J. Redick (+2)
74 - Avery Bradley (-5) (ALL-DEFENSE 2ND) - Rates 68 @ PG
74 - Jason Terry (-3)
74 - Arron Afflalo (-5) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
74 - Rodney Stuckey (-4)
74 - MarShon Brooks (+2)
73 - Danny Green (+1)
73 - Bradley Beal (-2)
73 - Lance Stephenson (-2)
73 - Courtney Lee (-1)
73 - Shannon Brown (-1)
73 - Alexey Shved (+2)
72 - Jason Kidd (-6) - Rates 68 @ PG
72 - Dion Waiters (-5)
72 - Nick Young (-1)
71 - Chauncey Billups (-10)
71 - Richard Hamilton (-2)
71 - Randy Foye (-1)
71 - Ben Gordon (-6)
71 - Gary Neal (+4)
71 - E'Twaun Moore (+9) - Rates 66 @ SG
71 - Alec Burks (0)
70 - Jason Richardson (-4) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
70 - Thabo Sefolosha (+1)
70 - Brandon Rush (-1) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
69 - Willie Green (+1)
69 - Jodie Meeks (0) (INJURED)
69 - Wayne Ellington (+5)
69 - Anthony Morrow (+3)
69 - Brandon Roy (-11) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
68 - Marco Belinelli (+3)
68 - Francisco Garcia (0)
68 - Tony Wroten (+2)
68 - Kent Bazemore (-1)
68 - Malcolm Lee (+3) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
68 - Elliot Williams (+2) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
67 - Terrence Ross (-3)
67 - Nando De Colo (+5)
66 - P.J. Tucker (+1) - Rates 70 @ SF
66 - Keith Bogans (-4)
66 - Evan Fournier (0)
66 - John Jenkins (+5)
66 - DeShawn Stevenson (-4)
66 - Sam Young (-2)
66 - Garrett Temple (+2)
66 - Jared Cunningham (0) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
65 - Derek Fisher (-4)
65 - Royal Ivey (+12) - Rates 60 @ PG
65 - Orlando Johnson (-4)
64 - Roger Mason (-4)
64 - Daniel Gibson (-1)
63 - Will Barton (+2)
63 - Daequan Cook (0)
63 - Austin Rivers (-8) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
61 - Justin Holliday (N/A)
61 - Kevin Murphy (N/A)
61 - Andrew Goudelock (0)
60 - Doron Lamb (-3)
59 - Kim English (0)
58 - Terrel Harris (N/A)

SMALL FORWARDS (94 of 94)
Average Starter = 75
100 - LeBron James (0) (MVP, ALL-NBA 1ST, ALL-STAR, ALL-DEFENSE 1ST)
96 - Kevin Durant (+1) (ALL-NBA 1ST, ALL-STAR)
84 - Paul Pierce (+2)
82 - Paul George (-1) (ALL-NBA 3RD, ALL-STAR, ALL-DEFENSE 2ND, MOST IMPROVED)
82 - Rudy Gay (-4)
81 - Andrei Kirilenko (+3)
81 - Danny Granger (-2) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
80 - Vince Carter (0)
79 - Kawhi Leonard (-1)
78 - Luol Deng (-5) (ALL-STAR)
77 - Danilo Gallinari (0) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
77 - Nicolas Batum (-2)
77 - Matt Barnes (+4)
77 - Jimmy Butler (+1)
77 - Jeff Green (-1)
76 - Gordon Hayward (+8)
76 - Chandler Parsons (-2)
76 - Tayshaun Prince (0)
76 - Trevor Ariza (0)
75 - Metta World Peace (+4)
74 - Evan Turner (-8)
74 - Jared Dudley (+3) - Rates 73 @ SG
74 - Tracy McGrady (+2)
73 - Corey Brewer (0)
73 - C.J. Miles (+5)
73 - Michael Beasley (-3)
72 - Gerald Wallace (-2)
72 - Carlos Delfino (+3)
72 - Mike Dunleavy (+4)
72 - Dorell Wright (0)
72 - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (-5)
71 - Kyle Korver (+8)
71 - Harrison Barnes (-4)
71 - Chase Budinger (0)
71 - Martell Webster (+2)
71 - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (+1)
71 - Alan Anderson (+1)
71 - Terrence Williams (-2)
71 - Gerald Green (+1)
71 - James Johnson (+5)
70 - Caron Butler (-11)
70 - Al-Farouq Aminu (-2)
70 - Marvin Williams (+4)
70 - Alonzo Gee (0)
70 - Landry Fields (-3)
69 - Shane Battier (-3) - Rates 66 @ PF
69 - Maurice Harkless (-4)
69 - Wesley Johnson (0)
69 - John Salmons (-3)
69 - Ronnie Brewer (-3)
69 - Mickael Gelabale (N/A)
69 - Grant Hill (-8)
68 - Marquis Daniels (+5)
68 - Quincy Pondexter (+7)
68 - Jae Crowder (+2)
68 - Austin Daye (+5)
68 - DeMarre Carroll (+7)
68 - Jordan Hamilton (+3)
67 - Kyle Singler (+5)
67 - Damien Wilkins (+4)
67 - Jeff Taylor (+2)
67 - Reggie Williams (+1)
67 - Linas Kleiza (+3) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
67 - Heko Turkoglu (-5) (INACTIVE, OUT FOR SEASON)
66 - Richard Jefferson (-5)
66 - Dahntay Jones (-7)
66 - Omri Casspi (+4)
66 - Travis Outlaw (-2)
66 - Mickael Pietrus (-6)
66 - Corey Maggette (-8) (INACTIVE, OUT FOR SEASON)
65 - Anthony Tolliver (+5)
65 - James Anderson (0)
65 - Cartier Martin (-2)
65 - Khris Middleton (+5)
64 - Mike Miller (-7)
64 - Steve Novak (+11)
64 - Draymond Green (+3)
64 - James White (-5)
64 - Jeremy Lamb (-7)
64 - Quentin Richardson (-6)
64 - Donte Greene (+1)
63 - Jerry Stackhouse (-4)
63 - DeAndre Liggins (+5)
62 - Xavier Henry (-5)
62 - DaJuan Summers (+2)
61 - Darius Miller (-1)
61 - Quincy Miller (0)
60 - Victor Claver (-2)
60 - DeQuan Jones (-2)
60 - James Jones (+2)
60 - Tornike Shengelia (+4)
60 - Kris Joseph (-3)
58 - Devin Ebanks (-6)
57 - Sasha Pavlovic (0)

POWER FORWARDS (95 of 95)
Average Starter = 77
89 - Blake Griffin (+3) (ALL-NBA 2ND, ALL-STAR)
88 - Kevin Love (-1) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
85 - Carmelo Anthony (-8) (ALL-NBA 2ND, ALL-STAR) - Rates 88 @ SF
85 - Serge Ibaka (+1) (ALL-DEFENSE 1ST)
85 - LaMarcus Aldridge (-1) (ALL-STAR)
84 - Dirk Nowitzki (0)
84 - David Lee (0) (INJURED) (ALL-NBA 3RD, ALL-STAR)
84 - Zach Randolph (+1) (ALL-STAR)
84 - Josh Smith (-3)
83 - Paul Millsap (0)
82 - David West (+1)
80 - Carlos Boozer (+1)
80 - Thaddeus Young (+6)
80 - Nene (+1)
80 - Pau Gasol (-1)
80 - Anthony Davis (+1) (ALL-ROOKIE 1ST)
80 - Carl Landry (+5)
80 - Amare Stoudemire (-3)
79 - Shawn Marion (0) - Rates 80 @ SF
79 - Derrick Favors (+4)
78 - Kenneth Faried (-2)
78 - Amir Johnson (+8)
78 - Tyler Hansbrough (+7)
77 - Tristan Thompson (+5)
77 - Glen Davis (+4) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
76 - Ryan Anderson (+7)
76 - Wilson Chandler (-4) - Rates 78 @ SF
76 - Tobias Harris (+1) - Rates 78 @ SF
76 - Luis Scola (+3)
75 - Taj Gibson (-1)
75 - Patrick Patterson (0)
75 - Kris Humphries (0)
74 - Ersan Ilyasova (-1)
74 - Jason Thompson (+4)
74 - Trevor Booker (+7)
73 - DeJuan Blair (+2)
73 - Ivan Johnson (+5)
72 - Brandon Bass (+1)
72 - Jason Maxiell (+1)
72 - Andrea Bargnani (-1) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
72 - Nick Collison (+7)
72 - Antawn Jamison (-5)
72 - Lamar Odom (+3)
71 - Derrick Williams (+2)
71 - Jared Sullinger (-1) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
71 - John Henson (+9)
71 - Boris Diaw (+6)
71 - Andrew Nicholson (+2)
71 - Jeremy Evans (+15)
70 - Reggie Evans (+4)
70 - Jonas Jerebko (+4)
70 - Anthony Randolph (-1)
70 - Arnett Moultrie (+9)
69 - Earl Clark (+1)
69 - Byron Mullens (0)
69 - Darrell Arthur (-3)
69 - Lavoy Allen (+6)
69 - Dante Cunningham (+5)
69 - Charlie Villanueva (0)
69 - Gustavo Ayon (+6)
69 - Terrence Jones (+10)
69 - Jon Leuer (+6)
69 - Jeff Pendergraph (+7)
68 - Chris Copeland (+8) - Rates 70 @ SF
68 - Marcus Morris (0)
68 - Donatas Motiejunas (+10)
68 - Thomas Robinson (-7)
67 - Udonis Haslem (-3)
67 - Josh McRoberts (+3)
67 - Markieff Morris (-2)
67 - Quincy Acy (+5)
67 - D.J. White (+4)
67 - Jeff Adrien (+6)
67 - Royce White (0) (INACTIVE, OUT FOR SEASON)
66 - Matt Bonner (+15)
66 - Chris Singleton (-1)
65 - Rashard Lewis (-1)
64 - Lance Thomas (0)
63 - Jan Vesely (0)
63 - Perry Jones (+3)
63 - Mike Scott (0)
62 - Luke Walton (-4)
62 - Joel Freeland (0)
62 - Shavlik Randolph (N/A)
62 - Malcolm Thomas (N/A)
61 - Mirza Teletovic (-3)
61 - Tyrus Thomas (-9)
60 - Luke Babbitt (+4)
60 - Jared Jeffries (-2)
59 - Vladimir Radmanovic (+8)
59 - Kevin Jones (N/A)
58 - Juwan Howard (+1)
57 - Jarvis Varnado (N/A)
57 - Willie Reed (N/A)

CENTERS (89 of 89)
Average Starter = 77
90 - Tim Duncan (+3) (ALL-NBA 1ST, ALL-STAR, ALL-DEFENSE 2ND)
89 - Dwight Howard (-1) (ALL-NBA 3RD, ALL-STAR)
86 - Andrew Bynum (-1) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
85 - Al Horford (+1)
85 - Kevin Garnett (+1) (ALL-STAR)
84 - Marc Gasol (+1) (DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR, ALL-NBA 2ND, ALL-DEFENSE 2ND)
84 - Chris Bosh (0) (ALL-STAR)
84 - Brook Lopez (+3) (ALL-STAR)
83 - Tyson Chandler (+6) (ALL-STAR, ALL-DEFENSE 1ST)
82 - Joakim Noah (-1) (ALL-STAR, ALL-DEFENSE 1ST)
82 - Anderson Varejao (+6) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
82 - Al Jefferson (-2)
81 - Roy Hibbert (+2)
81 - DeMarcus Cousins (-1)
80 - Greg Monroe (-1)
80 - Andrew Bogut (+1)
80 - Larry Sanders (+7)
80 - J.J. Hickson (+4)
80 - Andray Blatche (+6)
79 - DeAndre Jordan (+5)
79 - Andre Drummond (+9) (ALL-ROOKIE 2ND)
78 - Nikola Pekovic (0) (INJURED)
78 - Emeka Okafor (0)
78 - Enes Kanter (+13) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
77 - Robin Lopez (+8)
77 - Marcin Gortat (-4) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
77 - Nikola Vucevic (+4)
77 - Javale McGee (+3)
77 - Elton Brand (0)
76 - Tiago Splitter (+6)
76 - Chris Kaman (0)
75 - Omer Asik (+5)
75 - Kosta Koufos (+11)
75 - Ed Davis (+4) - Rates 76 @ PF
75 - Brandan Wright (+6)
74 - Samuel Dalembert (+1)
74 - Jordan Hill (+4)
74 - Jermaine O'Neal (+3)
73 - Marreese Speights (+3)
72 - Chris Andersen (+6)
72 - Jonas Valanciunas (+4) (ALL-ROOKIE 2ND)
72 - Spencer Hawes (+1)
72 - Jason Smith (+12)
72 - Ian Mahinmi (+1)
71 - Greg Smith (+15)
71 - Kevin Seraphin (-2)
71 - Timofey Mozgov (+8)
71 - Al Harrington (0) - Rates 73 @ PF (INACTIVE, OUT FOR SEASON)
69 - Kenyon Martin (-7)
69 - Kyle O'Quinn (+11)
69 - Chris Johnson (N/A)
68 - Kendrick Perkins (-5)
68 - Zaza Pachulia (+5) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
68 - Epke Udoh (-2)
68 - Chris Wilcox (+4)
68 - Chuck Hayes (-4)
68 - Greg Stiemsma (+8)
68 - Ronny Turiaf (+5)
67 - Bismack Biyombo (+6)
67 - Aaron Gray (+9)
66 - Brendan Haywood (-1) (INJURED, OUT FOR SEASON)
66 - Marcus Camby (-7)
66 - Drew Gooden (-4)
65 - Joel Anthony (+6)
65 - Cole Aldrich (+6)
64 - Hasheem Thabeet (+10)
64 - Ryan Hollins (+9)
64 - Lou Amundson (0)
64 - Kwame Brown (+4)
63 - Tyler Zeller (-2) (ALL-ROOKIE 2ND)
63 - Meyers Leonard (+4)
63 - Johan Petro (+9)
63 - Andris Biedrins (+2)
62 - Nazr Mohammed (+1)
62 - Festus Ezeli (+10)
62 - Bernard James (+9)
62 - Daniel Orton (+6)
61 - Viacheslav Kravtsov (+5)
60 - Aron Baynes (N/A)
60 - Dwayne Jones (N/A)
59 - Hamed Haddadi (+10)
58 - Jason Collins (+10)
58 - Robert Sacre (-2)
56 - Earl Barron (+4)
56 - Miles Plumlee (0)
56 - Tim Ohlbrecht (N/A)
55 - Fab Melo (+4)
54 - Joel Przybilla (-7)
52 - DeSagana Diop (-5)

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TEAM RATINGS

Sorted by Overall Rating (Def/Off in parenthasize). Injured players also listed. Please note that I do not use hard-coded "Injuries" in my roster like 2K Sports and that you will be able to re-add these players to their rotations at any time by simply giving them minutes.

Coach ratings affect team overall rating, and they are not editable, so if you think a team should be higher or lower that is the reason why. Player ratings and rotations still play a big role here, and injured players can decimate a team's rating if the replacement isn't up to snuff.

Ratings/Injuries as of 5/21/13

EASTERN CONFERENCE
87 Heat (99/78)
84 Knicks (85/99)
83 Pacers (96/71) - Danny Granger
79 Bulls (94/65) - Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich
78 Nets (83/60)
77 Hawks (75/84) - Louis Williams, Zaza Pachulia
76 Celtics (88/71) - Rajon Rondo, Jared Sullinger
76 Sixers (85/66) - Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson
75 Cavaliers (75/65) - Anderson Varejao
74 Bucks (85/60)
74 Raptors (81/60) - Andrea Bargnani, Linas Kleiza, Mickael Pietrus
72 Pistons (62/79) - Jose Calderon, Jason Maxiell, Corey Maggette
70 Wizards (65/60) - Bradley Beal, Leandro Barbosa
68 Bobcats (68/60) - Ramon Sessions, Brendan Haywood
68 Magic (65/60) - Glen Davis, Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Hedo Turkoglu

WESTERN CONFERENCE
86 Spurs (85/99)
82 Clippers (78/79)
81 Thunder (85/85) - Russell Westbrook
81 Nuggets (67/99) - Danilo Gallinari
80 Grizzlies (82/69)
80 Mavericks (79/80) - Rodrigue Beaubois, Jared Cunningham
76 Warriors (70/86) - David Lee, Brandon Rush
76 Jazz (70/75) - Enes Kanter
75 Lakers (71/91) - Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Jodie Meeks, Steve Blake
73 Timberwolves (74/78) - Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic, Brandon Roy, Malcolm Lee
73 Kings (64/70)
73 Hornets (74/67) - Anthony Davis, Jason Smith, Austin Rivers
70 Rockets (68/64) - Jeremy Lin, Royce White
69 Trail Blazers (63/64) - Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews, Elliot Williams, Nolan Smith, Jared Jeffries
69 Suns (67/75) - Marcin Gortat, Channing Frye

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SIMULATION RESULTS

Results from 2/19 roster. Tested with player roles, chemistry, CPU trades, and injuries turned off. No association simulations are exactly the same.

Archive of Sim Results can be found here.

AWARDS
MVP: Kobe Bryant
ROY: Anthony Davis
6TH: Andray Blatche
DPY: Andre Drummond
MIP: Robin Lopez
COY: Mike D'Antoni

ALL-NBA TEAMS
First Team: Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Tim Duncan
Second Team: Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, Josh Smith, DeMarcus Cousins
Third Team: Dwyane Wade, Kemba Walker, Kevin Love, Paul Pierce, Greg Monroe

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAMS
First Team: Kemba Walker, Tony Allen, Anthony Davis, Josh Smith, Andre Drummond
Second Team: Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic, Serge Ibaka, Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan

ALL-ROOKIE TEAMS
First Team: Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Andre Drummond, Dion Waiters, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Second Team: Alexey Shved, Bradley Beal, Andrew Nicholson, Brian Roberts, Tony Wroten

PLAYOFF RESULTS

First Round
Lakers (1) defeat Grizzlies (8) in 6 games.
Warriors (5) defeat Spurs (4) in 6 games.
Clippers (3) defeat Rockets (6) in 5 games.
Thunder (2) defeat Nuggets (7) in 6 games.
Bulls (1) defeat Wizards (8) in 6 games.
76ers (4) defeat Knicks (5) in 7 games.
Nets (3) defeat Hawks (6) in 4 games.
Heat (2) defeat Cavaliers (7) in 7 games.

Second Round
Lakers (1) defeat Warriors (5) in 4 games.
Clippers (3) defeat Thunder (2) in 4 games.
Bulls (1) defeat 76ers (4) in 7 games.
Heat (2) defeat Nets (3) in 7 games.

Conference Finals
Lakers (1) defeat Clippers (3) in 4 games.
Heat (2) defeat Bulls (1) in 5 games

NBA Finals
Heat (2) defeat Lakers (1) in 5 games.

RETIREMENTS
Players: Richard Hamilton, Nazr Mohammed, Jason Collins, Chauncey Billups, Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas, Mike James, Jerry Stackhouse, Tim Duncan, Stephen Jackson
Coaches: Alvin Gentry
HOF: Jason Kidd, Tim Duncan

OFFSEASON SIGNINGS
Bucks: Tiago Splitter (76/C)
Bulls: Elton Brand (74/C)
Cavaliers: Paul Millsap (83/PF)
Grizzlies: Jarrett Jack (78/PG)
Hawks: Jerryd Bayless (76/PG)
Jazz: Carl Landry (77/PF)
Knicks: Jamaal Tinsley (68/PG), Kenyon Martin (67/PF), Hamed Haddadi (59/C)
Pistons: J.R. Smith (78/SG)
Spurs: Andray Blatche (80/C), J.J. Hickson (80/C)

GLITCH: David West and Nikola Pekovic went un-signed and have disappeared from the rosters.

Top Unsigned FAs
PG: Will Bynum (75), Delonte West (73), Jeremy Pargo (72)
SG: Ray Allen (73), Tony Allen (72), Chris Douglas-Roberts (72)
SF: Corey Brewer (72), Anthony Morrow (72)
PF: David West (82?)
C: Nikola Pekovic (78?), Chris Kaman (74), Samuel Dalembert (74), Jermaine O'Neal (72)

The reason all these players go un-signed are 2K's generated draft classes are ATROCIOUS with many players rated in the 70s (which leads to teams not needing to sign players). In order to get realistic results you NEED to download a draft class with lower overall ratings than 2K's. I will make a draft class file eventually, but not for some time. I also do not know which currently available files to recommend. Test in advance!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOURCES/CREDITS
Basketball-Reference - The most accessible source of "standard" Advanced Statistics, a staple site for any true basketball fan. 2K uses all of the stats found here in their rating and tendency formulas. I was also once featured in the blog section of the site :)

Hoopdata - Most roster editors use this site for shooting ratings, but Basketball-Reference also has that data. What Hoopdata does give me is the ability to view and sort that data by team and per minute, which makes editing tendencies far less time consuming.

82games - This site used to be a staple of every rating change I made back in my early days of roster editing. The site was a true pioneer in application of real basketball to statistics, and they were allegedly partnered with 2K Sports during NBA 2K10 (to combat Live's alliance with Synergy Sports.

Synergy Sports - Holy cow what would I do without this site? Video of any play from any game over the last 4 years, incredulously comprehensive statistics, play type breakdowns that 2K Sports uses for their Freelance tendencies, play types, and every other nitpicky tendency you could possibly imagine. As such, a subscription is mandatory for any would-be roster editor vying for the Iron Throne of Rosteros.

Draft Express - The premier basketball scouting site, period. They are rarely wrong about draft picks, and their list of measurements from the pre-draft combine is used by 2K Sports in their athleticism ratings (Strength, Vertical, Speed, Quickness).

ShamSports - Mark Deeks is brilliant, insightful, and bloody funny. His blog hosts the most accurate and comprehensive contract data on the net. Please note that while his blog is currently down due to a server issue (not his fault), you can follow him on Twitter @MarkDeeksNBA

2K Sports - I mean, they do make the damn game.

GameFAQs - The story of how I became a roster editor is this: I was posting on the NBA 2K3 forums, engaged in various basketball discussions. I start making player edits, people like them, and the suggestion comes that I made a guide listing all my rating changes so they can make them too. I start making guides, people start using them.

My changes get so vast and detailed that people start sending me their memory cards so I can simply add my file to it. As I was the only person doing this, my rosters/ratings were the most well-known on the net from 2003-2008, and I would like to think I inspired a number of the modern roster community, who are in much greater number than when I first started this endeavor.

With the addition of 2K Share in NBA 2K9, I no longer needed to make guides or transfer files via memory card + postal service, as they could be uploaded and downloaded from 2K's server at the click of a button. Becoming a blogger and tweeter was a natural progression.

Da Czar - The voice of the NBA 2K community, president of the Sim Nation, and host of the Sim Nation Radio Show of which I am a frequent guest.

Rashidi - Somebody has to sift through and interpret all this data. You can follow me on Twitter @Real2KInsider

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 4/20/13

2013-04-20T14:40:00.003-04:00

In today's roster update we received what are likely the final rating edits of the 2013 season. The regular season ended with a whimper as the vast majority of teams were left predominately untouched the entire season.

Regardless, it's time for day one of the 1st round, one of my favorite days of the year! Four back to back games of NBA playoff basketball to ease the suffering 2K Sports has caused all year long. My thoughts on this roster will come later, but for now it's time to glue myself to the TV.

Player Edits: 7
Missing Players: 20
Missing Coaches: 1 (Lindsey Hunter has been missing for 3 months)
Incorrect Lineups: 5 (76ers, Bulls, Bobcats, Rockets, Suns)
Inaccurate Injuries: 4 (The only thing 2K cares about and they still can't keep up)

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PLAYER EDITS

Nate Robinson

82 Overall (+4)
81 Inside (+2)
82 Medium (+3)
82 3pt (+3)
80 FT (-3)
73 Traffic (+3)
72 Pass (+12)
75 Steal (-5)
92 Hands (+5)
84 OBDef (+2)
78 OffAwr (+8)
67 DefAwr (+5)
70 Consistency (+5)
91 Hustle (+14)
97 Durability (+4)
83 Potential (+2)

Carmelo Anthony

93 Overall (+3)
84 3pt (-2)
83 FT (+3)
82 Layup (+3)
87 Fade (+5)
64 Hook (+12)
88 SOD (+3)
75 Security (+2)
60 Steal (-8)
73 OBDef (+2)
80 OffReb (+8)
88 OffPost (+5)
62 DefPost (+2)
98 OffAwr (+2)
74 DefAwr (+2)
95 Consistency (+15)
98 Stamina (+2)
77 Hustle (+11)

Evan Fournier

66 Overall (+8)
81 Inside (+11)
75 Medium (+4)
84 3pt (+12)
77 FT (+2)
69 Traffic (+11)
50 Pass (+5)
75 Steal (+16)
40 DefReb (+9)
64 OffAwr (+4)
52 DefAwr (+9)
50 Consistency (+10)
82 Speed (+11)
80 Quickness (+7)
76 Hustle (+8)

Roy Hibbert

79 Overall (+3)
89 Inside (-2)
67 Medium (+5)
74 FT (+3)
76 Fade (+1)
90 Block (+2)
95 OffReb (+2)
78 OffPost (+2)
83 DefPost (+2)
72 OffAwr (+4)
84 DefAwr (+2)
65 Consistency (+10)
84 Potential (+3)

Aaron Brooks

76 Overall (-2)
79 Inside (+2)
72 Close (-4)
75 Medium (+8)
83 3pt (+1)
80 FT (-5)
76 SOD (-4)
71 Pass (-4)
65 Steal (+1)
74 OffAwr (-5)
63 DefAwr (-3)

Shannon Brown

74 Overall (-2)
78 Medium (-8)
72 3pt (-9)
78 FT (-3)
66 Steal (-8)
75 OBDef (-2)
72 DefAwr (-1)
50 Consistency (-5)

Stephen Curry

87 Overall (+2)
81 Inside (+3)
79 Close (+2)
94 3pt (+2)
90 FT (-1)
78 Traffic (+3)
90 Security (+4)
85 Pass (+2)
91 Hands (+6)
38 OffReb (+9)
96 OffAwr (+3)
74 DefAwr (+3)
85 Consistency (+5)
98 Stamina (+3)
79 Hustle (+5)
77 Durability (+12)
93 Potential (+3)

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PLAYER MOVEMENT

GRIZZLIES
Donte Greene (63/SF) from Free Agents

KNICKS
Quentin Richardson (70/SF) from Free Agents
Earl Barron (52/C) from Free Agents

SPURS
Tracy McGrady (72/SG) from Free Agents (Re-added to game)

RETIRED
Rasheed Wallace (71/PF) from Knicks (Removed from game)

------------------------------------------------------

INJURED PLAYERS

MISSING
Byron Mullens (69/PF) Bobcats - Has not played since 4/6
Jared Cunningham (66/SG) Mavericks - Out for season, has not played since 1/7
Joakim Noah (83/C) Bulls - Doubtful to play in first round of playoffs.

INCORRECT
Raja Bell (71/SG) Free Agents - Was only "injured" because of buyout dispute. Waived on 3/10.

NEW
Pablo Prigioni (63/PG) Knicks

RECOVERED
Steve Nash (82/PG) Lakers
Kenyon Martin (76/PF) Knicks
Manu Ginobili (86/SG) Spurs

Red denotes player cannot play through injury.

INJURED LIST (46 total)
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C), Jason Richardson (74/SG)
Bobcats: Ramon Sessions (74/PG), Brendan Haywood (68/C)
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (76/C), C.J. Miles (68/SF)
Celtics: Rajon Rondo (89/PG), Jared Sullinger (71/PF)
Clippers: N/A
Grizzlies: N/A
Hawks: Louis Williams (78/SG), Zaza Pachulia (63/C)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: Anthony Davis (79/PF), Austin Rivers (71/SG), Jason Smith (60/C)
Jazz: Enes Kanter (65/C)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Amare Stoudemire (83/PF), Pablo Prigioni (63/PG)
Lakers: Kobe Bryant (95/SG), Jordan Hill (70/C)
Magic: Arron Afflalo (79/SG), Glen Davis (73/PF)
Mavericks: Rodrigue Beaubois (73/PG)
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: Kenneth Faried (80/PF), Danilo Gallinari (77/SF)
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF)
Pistons: Jason Maxiell (71/PF)
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Linas Kleiza (64/SF)
Rockets: N/A
Spurs: Boris Diaw (65/PF)
Suns: Marcin Gortat (81/C), Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Wesley Matthews (77/SG), Nolan Smith (67/PG), Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: Nene (79/PF), Trevor Ariza (76/SF), Bradley Beal (75/SG), Leandro Barbosa (71/PG), Martell Webster (69/SF)
Free Agents: Kurt Thomas (65/PF), Raja Bell (71/SG), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)

------------------------------------------------------

MISSING PLAYER LIST - 20 TOTAL
Justin Holiday (SG/SF) - 76ers (9 games, 15.8 mpg)
Malcolm Thomas (PF/SF) - Bulls (12 games, 4.8 mpg, played 3 games prior to 2013)
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (32 games, 10.4 mpg)
Shavlik Randolph (PF) - Celtics (16 games, 12.4 mpg, played 95 games prior to 2013)
Willie Reed (PF/C) - Grizzlies (0 games)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (13 games, 4.5 mpg)
Terrel Harris (SG) - Hornets (20 games, 6.9 mpg, played 22 games prior to 2013)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (17 games, 3.1 mpg)
Jerel McNeal (PG) - Jazz (0 games)
Josh Akognon (PG) - Mavericks (3 games, 3.0 mpg)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (4 games, 7.0 mpg, played 22 games prior to 2013)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (28 games, 7.1 mpg)
Tim Ohlbrecht (C) Rockets (3 games, 4.0 mpg)
Aron Baynes (C) - Spurs (16 games, 8.8 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (19 games, 7.8 mpg)
Mickael Gelabale (SF) Timberwolves (36 games, 17.9 mpg, played 109 games prior to 2013)
Chris Johnson (C/PF) - Timberwolves (30 games, 9.5 mpg, played 41 games prior to 2013)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (61 games, 4.4 mpg)
Scott Machado (PG) - Warriors (6 games, 3.5 mpg)
Dwayne Jones (C) - Warriors (0 games, played 82 games prior to 2013)

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Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 4/19/13

2013-04-19T13:52:00.000-04:00

Summary of today's roster update.

Despite returning from injury, RETIRING, and being replaced by Earl Barron, Rasheed Wallace is still injured and on Knicks NBA 2K13 roster
— Rashidi (@Real2KInsider) April 19, 2013

Tracy Mcgrady has NOT been restored to NBA 2K13 rosters despite signing with the Spurs.
— Rashidi (@Real2KInsider) April 19, 2013

Check them out in-game on JARED JEFFRIES! Who was cut! And apparently deseves +5 Speed! #NBA2K13 LOL Insider workin twitter.com/Real2KInsider/…
— Rashidi (@Real2KInsider) April 19, 2013

Donte Greene is also missing from the Grizzlies in latest NBA 2K13 roster "update."
— Rashidi (@Real2KInsider) April 19, 2013

As far as I can tell, only roster change was moving Jimmy Butler to Bulls starting lineup.NBA 2K13 @nba2kinsider working hard. #LikeABoss
— Rashidi (@Real2KInsider) April 19, 2013

Player Edits: 0 (Get ready for my article that rips into detail how piss-poor 2K's ratings are this year)
Missing Players: 21 (Now including Tracy McGrady, Willie Reed, and Dwayne Jones)
Missing Coaches: 1 (Lindsey Hunter has been missing for 3 months)
Players on Wrong Teams: 5 (Rasheed Wallace, Earl Barron, Quentin Richardson, Donte Greene, Jared Jeffries)
Incorrect Lineups: 4 (76ers, Bobcats, Rockets, Suns)
Inaccurate Injuries: 6 (The only thing 2K cares about and they still can't keep up)

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Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 4/16/13

2013-04-16T13:24:00.000-04:00

Yet another pointless NBA 2K13 roster update by 2K Sports that accomplishes next to nothing. The only news of merit is that Kobe Bryant is injured and won't be usable until Injuries are presumably removed in the final roster after the NBA Finals.

Player Edits: 0 (Get ready for my article that rips into detail how piss-poor 2K's ratings are this year)
Missing Players: 18 (Including Mickael Gelabale, Chris Johnson, Shavlik Randolph who play 10+ mpg)
Missing Coaches: 1 (Lindsey Hunter has been missing for 3 months)
Incorrect Lineups: 3 (76ers, Bobcats, Suns have been inaccurate for 6 weeks)
Inaccurate Injuries: 5 (The only thing 2K cares about and they still can't keep up)

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PLAYER MOVEMENT

LAKERS
Andrew Goudelock (61/PG) from Free Agents

FREE AGENTS
Dexter Pittman (55/C) from Grizzlies
Kurt Thomas (65/PF) from Knicks
Stephen Jackson (78/SF) from Spurs

------------------------------------------------------

INJURED PLAYERS

MISSING
Byron Mullens (69/PF) Bobcats - Has not played since 4/6
Tyson Chandler (77/C) Knicks - Has not played since 4/7
Jared Cunningham (66/SG) Mavericks - Out for season, has not played since 1/7

INCORRECT
Rasheed Wallace (71) Knicks - Played on 4/15
Raja Bell (71/SG) Free Agents - Was only "injured" because of buyout dispute. Waived on 3/10.

NEW
Anthony Davis (79/PF) Hornets
Kobe Bryant (95/SG) Lakers
Steve Nash (82/PG) Lakers
Kenneth Faried (80/PF) Nuggets
Nolan Smith (67/PG) Trail Blazers
Nene (79/PF) Wizards
Martell Webster (69/SF) Wizards
Trevor Ariza (76/SF) Wizards

RECOVERED
Richard Hamilton (73/SG) Bulls
Chauncey Billups (81/PG) Clippers
Jared Cunningham (66/SG) Mavericks
Ty Lawson (85/PG) Nuggets

Red denotes player cannot play through injury.

INJURED LIST (49 total)
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C), Jason Richardson (74/SG)
Bobcats: Ramon Sessions (74/PG), Brendan Haywood (68/C)
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (76/C), C.J. Miles (68/SF)
Celtics: Rajon Rondo (89/PG), Jared Sullinger (71/PF)
Clippers: N/A
Grizzlies: N/A
Hawks: Louis Williams (78/SG), Zaza Pachulia (63/C)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: Anthony Davis (79/PF), Austin Rivers (71/SG), Jason Smith (60/C)
Jazz: Enes Kanter (65/C)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Amare Stoudemire (83/PF), Kenyon Martin (76/PF), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Kobe Bryant (95/SG), Steve Nash (82/PG), Jordan Hill (70/C)
Magic: Arron Afflalo (79/SG), Glen Davis (73/PF)
Mavericks: Rodrigue Beaubois (73/PG)
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: Kenneth Faried (80/PF), Danilo Gallinari (77/SF)
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF)
Pistons: Jason Maxiell (71/PF)
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Linas Kleiza (64/SF)
Rockets:
Spurs: Manu Ginobili (86/SG), Boris Diaw (65/PF)
Suns: Marcin Gortat (81/C), Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Wesley Matthews (77/SG), Nolan Smith (67/PG), Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: Nene (79/PF), Trevor Ariza (76/SF), Bradley Beal (75/SG), Leandro Barbosa (71/PG), Martell Webster (69/SF)
Free Agents: Kurt Thomas (65/PF), Raja Bell (71/SG), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)

------------------------------------------------------

Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 4/12/13

2013-04-12T10:02:00.004-04:00

Yet another injury update for 2K Sports. I guess nothing else happened in the NBA this week/month/year. With the regular season concluding in five days, any hope of the disproportionately ignored non-playoff teams getting rating edits this year is out the window. Better luck in NBA 2K16.

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PLAYER EDITS

Kevin Love
88 Overall (-1)
71 Durability (-15)

------------------------------------------------------

INJURED PLAYERS

MISSING
Taj Gibson (76/PF) Bulls - Has not played since 4/2
Anthony Davis (79/PF) Hornets - Will miss rest of the season

INCORRECT
Richard Hamilton (73/SG) Bulls - Returned 4/9
Raja Bell (71/SG) Free Agents - Was never hurt. Was "injured" because of buyout dispute.

NEW
C.J. Miles (68/SF) Cavaliers
Enes Kanter (65/C) Jazz
Kenyon Martin (76/PF) Knicks
Danilo Gallinari (77/SF) Nuggets
Boris Diaw (65/PF) Spurs
Wesley Matthews (77/SG) Trail Blazers
Bradley Beal (75/SG) Wizards

RECOVERED
Dion Waiters (77/SG) Cavaliers
Kevin Garnett (84/PF) Celtics
James Johnson (66/SF) Kings
Metta World Peace (71/SF) Lakers
Will Bynum (67/PG) Pistons
Royce White (67/PF) Rockets
Sasha Pavlovic (57/SF) Trail Blazers

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 4/3/13

2013-04-03T09:39:00.002-04:00

2K Sports edited 14 players in today's roster update, exceeding their output for the entire month of March (12). Unfortunately many of the changes were minor, and some of the major changes make no sense.

As the season draws to a close, it seems many players will go unrated for another year. Small market teams have been continually ignored while today's update saw the big market Knicks get three players edited. With a few weeks left I think it is safe to say the roster support has been the weakest feature in NBA 2K13 and one can only hope for changes and a more transparent process in NBA 2K14 from the mysterious 2K Sports and their so-called 2K "Insider".

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
4/3: 14
4/2: 0
3/23: 0
3/16: 6
3/12: 0
3/2: 6
2/23: 0
2/22: 5
2/15: 9
2/12: 3
2/2: 2
1/30: 7
1/24: 0
1/21: 0
1/17: 18
1/12: 2
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

Monthly Edits
Apr: 14
Mar: 12
Feb: 19
Jan: 44
Dec: 39
Nov: 16 (not including pre 11/17 rosters)

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Mike Conley - Grizzlies
83 Overall (+1) - PG Rank 14th
82 3pt (-4)
85 FT (+2)
85 Layup (+7)
85 Security (+2)
92 Steal (+2)
85 OffAwr (+3)
80 Consistency (+5)

Tony Allen - Grizzlies
75 Overall (-1)- SG Rank 32nd
85 Steal (-9)
70 Consistency (-5)

J.R. Smith - Knicks
84 Overall (+2) - SG Rank 6th
78 FT (-2)
72 Traffic (+1)
72 Steal (-3)
74 Hands (+6)
75 OBDef (+2)
44 OffReb (+6)
62 DefReb (+4)
86 OffAwr (+2)
71 DefAwr (+3)
75 Consistency (+15)
98 Stamina (+3)
76 Hustle (+3)

Iman Shumpert - Knicks
81 Overall (+1) - SG Rank 11th
45 Consistency (+10)

Jason Kidd - Knicks
79 Overall (-1) - PG Rank 22nd
86 Steal (+3)
70 Consistency (-15)
76 Speed (-4)
86 Durability (-9)

Steve Nash - Lakers
82 Overall (-1) - PG Rank 17th
78 Speed (-3)
79 Quickness (-4)
77 Durability (-7)

Jodie Meeks - Lakers
69 Overall (+1) - SG Rank 61st
86 Speed (+6)
87 Quick (+5)

Tobias Harris - Magic
75 Overall (+7) - SF Rank 26th
84 Close (+3)
78 Med (+12)
77 3pt (+13)
67 Layup (+5)
70 Traffic (+5)
46 Pass (+8)
69 Block (+19)
73 Hands (+12)
61 OBDef (+3)
71 DefReb (+13)
70 OffAwr (+7)
65 Consistency (+20)
86 Stamina (+4)
73 Hustle (+5)
79 Potential (+10)

Nikola Vucevic - Magic
73 Overall (+5) - C Rank 29th
77 Close (+6)
77 Med (+1)
72 Hook (+4)
71 Block (+2)
70 Hands (-3)
92 OffReb (+8)
85 DefReb (+10)
74 OffPost (+5)
67 OffAwr (+3)
62 DefAwr (+11)
70 Consistency (+10)
63 Strength (+6)
66 Hustle (+10)
78 Potential (+5)

Gerald Wallace - Nets
74 Overall (-3) - SF Rank 28th
74 Inside (-13)
71 3pt (-3)
66 FT (-2)
76 Layup (-7)
78 Dunk (-8)
69 Fade (-6)
64 Hook (-3)
48 Pass (+3)
77 Steal (+1)
74 OBDef (-3)
61 OffReb (+4)
58 DefReb (-12)
68 OffPost (-7)
60 OffAwr (-6)
74 DefAwr (-3)
45 Consistency (-5)

Reggie Evans - Nets
66 Overall (+3) - PF Rank 68th
54 OBDef (+4)
96 OffReb (+5)
92 DefReb (+2)
39 OffAwr (+14)
65 Consistency (+5)
80 Stamina (+3)
92 Hustle (+8)
76 Durability (+13)
69 Potential (+5)

Chandler Parsons - Rockets
78 Overall (0) - SF Rank 15th
60 Consistency (+15)
75 Speed (+5)
78 Quickness (+5)

LaMarcus Aldridge - Trail Blazers
86 Overall (0) - PF Rank 4th
95 Inside (+1)
48 3pt (-2)

John Wall - Wizards
85 Overall (+3) - PG Rank 10th
89 Close (+9)
72 3pt (+12)
81 FT (+2)
63 Traffic (+5)
73 SOD (+2)
86 Pass (+2)
74 Steal (+2)
88 OffAwr (+3)
70 Consistency (+10)
98 Stamina (+1)
94 Potential (-3)

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER MOVEMENT

Keyon Dooling (68/PG) Grizzlies (from Purgatory)
Shelvin Mack (65/PG) Hawks (from Free Agents)
Kris Joseph (63/SF) Nets (from Free Agents)
Travis Leslie (63/SG) Free Agents (from Jazz)
Jeremy Pargo (60/PG) Free Agents (from 76ers)

-------------------------------

MISSING PLAYER LIST - 16 TOTAL
Malcolm Thomas (PF/SF) - Bulls (6 games, 3.5 mpg, played 3 games prior to 2013)
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (23 games, 8.4 mpg)
*Shavlik Randolph (PF) - Celtics (9 games, 12.8 mpg, played 95 games prior to 2013)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (10 games, 3.7 mpg)
Terrel Harris (SG) - Hornets (16 games, 7.8 mpg, played 22 games prior to 2013)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (16 games, 3.1 mpg)
Jerel McNeal (PG) - Jazz (0 games)
Josh Akognon (PG) - Mavericks (0 games)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (4 games, 7.0 mpg, played 22 games prior to 2013)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (26 games, 7.0 mpg)
Tim Ohlbrecht (C) Rockets (2 games, 4.5 mpg)
Aron Baynes (C) - Spurs (11 games, 6.6 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (17 games, 7.4 mpg)
*Mickael Gelabale (SF) Timberwolves (32 games, 19.6 mpg, played 109 games prior to 2013)
Chris Johnson (C/PF) - Timberwolves (25 games, 10.3 mpg, played 41 games prior to 2013)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (54 games, 4.4 mpg)

*Denotes previously in an NBA 2K game (which means 2K Sports already has files for these players).

------------------------------------------------------

INJURED PLAYERS

NEW
Brendan Haywood (68/C) Bobcats
Kevin Garnett (84/PF) Celtics
Chauncey Billups (81/PG) Clippers
Metta World Peace (71/SF) Lakers
Arron Afflalo (79/SG) Magic
Ty Lawson (85/PG) Nuggets
Jason Maxiell (71/PF) Pistons
Will Bynum (67/PG) Pistons
Manu Ginobili (86/SG) Spurs

RECOVERED
Ersan Ilyasova (75/PF) Bucks
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (69/SF) Bucks
Kyrie Irving (89/PG) Cavaliers
Eric Bledsoe (81/PG) Clippers
Darrell Arthur (72/PF) Grizzlies
Tyson Chandler (77/C) Knicks
Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF) Magic
Wilson Chandler (80/SF) Nuggets
David West (81/PF) Pacers
Andre Drummond (70/C) Pistons
Victor Claver (62/SF) Trail Blazers
Bradley Beal (75/SG) Wizards

Red denotes player cannot play through injury.

INJURED LIST (45 total)
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C), Jason Richardson (74/SG)
Bobcats: Ramon Sessions (74/PG), Brendan Haywood (68/C)
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG), Richard Hamilton (74/SG)
Cavaliers: Dion Waiters (77/SG), Anderson Varejao (76/C)
Celtics: Rajon Rondo (89/PG), Kevin Garnett (84/PF), Jared Sullinger (71/PF)
Clippers: Chauncey Billups (81/PG)
Grizzlies: N/A
Hawks: Louis Williams (78/SG), Zaza Pachulia (63/C)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: Austin Rivers (71/SG), Jason Smith (60/C)
Jazz: N/A
Kings: James Johnson (66/SF)
Knicks: Amare Stoudemire (83/PF), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF), Kurt Thomas (65/PF)
Lakers: Metta World Peace (71/SF), Jordan Hill (70/C)
Magic: Arron Afflalo (79/SG), Glen Davis (73/PF)
Mavericks: Rodrigue Beaubois (73/PG), Jared Cunningham (66/SG)
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: Ty Lawson (85/PG)
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF)
Pistons: Jason Maxiell (71/PF), Will Bynum (67/PG)
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Linas Kleiza (64/SF)
Rockets: Royce White (67/PF)
Spurs: Manu Ginobili (86/SG)
Suns: Marcin Gortat (81/C), Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG), Sasha Pavlovic (57/SF)
Warriors: Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: Leandro Barbosa (71/PG)
Free Agents: Raja Bell (71/SG), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)

------------------------------------------------------

INCORRECT LINEUPS

76ERS: Jrue Holiday (PG), Nick Young (SG), Evan Turner (SF), Thaddeus Young (PF), Spencer Hawes (C)
Young isn't even in the rotation, having played TWICE since 2/28. Damien Wilkins has been starting since 3/10.

BOBCATS: Kemba Walker (PG), Gerald Henderson (SG), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF), Byron Mullens (PF), Bismack Biyombo (C)
Mullens lost his starting job to Josh McRoberts on 3/9.

SUNS: Goran Dragic (PG), Jared Dudley (SG), P.J. Tucker (SF), Luis Scola (PF), Jermaine O'Neal (C)
Wesley Johnson and Markieff Morris have been starting since 3/8 (shifting Scola to center).

------------------------------------------------------

Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 3/23/13

2013-03-23T07:36:00.002-04:00

It's the same old story this week as 2K Sports once again releases an injury update roster with few other changes.

Player Edits: 0
Missing Players: 15
Missing Coaches: 1
Players on Wrong Teams: 2
Incorrect Lineups: 4

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS

JAZZ
Travis Leslie (63/SG) - contract was not renewed on 3/20.

FREE AGENTS
Shelvin Mack (65/PG) - signed with Hawks on 3/6. This was 17 days ago. You have got to be joking.

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER MOVEMENT

Jannero Pargo (64/PG) Bobcats (from Free Agents)
Chris Quinn (56/PG) Cavaliers (from Free Agents)
DaJuan Summers (60/SF) Clippers (from Free Agents)
Louis Amundson (65/PF) Hornets (from Bulls)
Raja Bell (71/SG) Free Agents (from Jazz)
Trey Thompkins (63/PF) Free Agents (from Clippers)

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER EDITS

Not a single player in the NBA improved or regressed at their craft in the past week (apparently). 2K has edited a grand total of 12 players over the past 30 days, which marks their laziest stretch of the season.

Player attribute edits per roster
3/23: 0
3/16: 6
3/12: 0
3/2: 6
2/23: 0
2/22: 5
2/15: 9
2/12: 3
2/2: 2
1/30: 7
1/24: 0
1/21: 0
1/17: 18
1/12: 2
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

Monthly Edits
Mar: 12
Feb: 19
Jan: 44
Dec: 39
Nov: 16 (not including pre 11/17 rosters)

-------------------------------

UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST (13 TOTAL)
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (21 games, 9.0 mpg)
*Shavlik Randolph (PF) - Celtics (3 games, 12.0 mpg, played 95 games prior to 2013)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (10 games, 3.7 mpg)
Terrel Harris (SG) - Hornets (12 games, 8.6 mpg, played 22 games prior to 2013)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (15 games, 3.2 mpg)
Chris Wright (PG) - Mavericks (3 games, 1.3 mpg)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (2 games, 5.5 mpg, played 22 games prior to 2013)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (25 games, 6.8 mpg)
Tim Ohlbrecht (C) Rockets (1 game, 6.0 mpg)
Aron Baynes (C) - Spurs (11 games, 6.6 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (15 games, 6.5 mpg)
*Mickael Gelabale (SF) Timberwolves (29 games, 21.4 mpg, played 109 games prior to 2013)
Chris Johnson (C/PF) - Timberwolves (22 games, 11.5 mpg, played 41 games prior to 2013)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (50 games, 4.5 mpg)
Malcolm Thomas (PF/SF) - Bulls (5 games, 4.2 mpg, played 3 games prior to 2013)

*Denotes previously in an NBA 2K game (which means 2K Sports already has files for these players).

Terrel Harris, Chris Wright, and Malcolm Thomas all signed 10-day contracts last week. There isn't a chance in hell any of them get added to the game since we've been waiting TWO MONTHS now for Gelabale and Chris Johnson who actually play.

------------------------------------------------------

INJURED PLAYERS

As usual, this is the only area of the rosters that 2K seems to care about (even though most fans loathe it).

Given that I did not write an article for last week's roster that was solely an injury update, this includes changes from both rosters.

NEW
Ersan Ilyasova (75/PF) Bucks
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (69/SF) Bucks
Dion Waiters (77/SG) Cavaliers
Tyson Chandler (77/C) Knicks
Kurt Thomas (65/PF) Knicks
Rodrigue Beaubois (73/PG) Mavericks
Wilson Chandler (80/SF) Nuggets
David West (81/PF) Pacers
Royce White (67/PF) Rockets
Victor Claver (62/SF) Trail Blazers

RECOVERED
Taj Gibson (76/PF) Bulls
Kirk Hinrich (73/PG) Bulls
Caron Butler (81/SF) Clippers
Pau Gasol (81/PF) Lakers
Shawn Marion (79/SF) Mavericks
Brandon Knight (76/SG) Pistons
Mickael Pietrus (72/SF) Raptors
Tony Parker (87/PG) Spurs
Nikola Pekovic (78/C) Timberwolves
Chase Budinger (71/SF) Timberwolves
Cartier Martin (67/SF) Wizards

Red denotes player cannot play through injury.

INJURED LIST (48 total)
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C), Jason Richardson (74/SG)
Bobcats: Ramon Sessions (74/PG)
Bucks: Ersan Ilyasova (75/PF), Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (69/SF)
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG), Richard Hamilton (74/SG)
Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving (89/PG), Dion Waiters (77/SG), Anderson Varejao (76/C)
Celtics: Rajon Rondo (89/PG), Jared Sullinger (71/PF)
Clippers: Eric Bledsoe (81/PG)
Grizzlies: Darrell Arthur (72/PF)
Hawks: Louis Williams (78/SG), Zaza Pachulia (63/C)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: Austin Rivers (71/SG), Jason Smith (60/C)
Jazz: N/A
Kings: James Johnson (66/SF)
Knicks: Amare Stoudemire (83/PF), Tyson Chandler (77/C), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF), Kurt Thomas (65/PF)
Lakers: Jordan Hill (70/C)
Magic: Glen Davis (73/PF), Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF)
Mavericks: Rodrigue Beaubois (73/PG), Jared Cunningham (66/SG)
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: Wilson Chandler (80/SF)
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF), David West (81/PF)
Pistons: Andre Drummond (70/C)
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Linas Kleiza (64/SF)
Rockets: Royce White (67/PF)
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Marcin Gortat (81/C), Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG), Victor Claver (62/SF), Sasha Pavlovic (57/SF)
Warriors: Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: Bradley Beal (75/SG), Leandro Barbosa (71/PG)
Free Agents: Raja Bell (71/SG), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)

------------------------------------------------------

INCORRECT LINEUPS

76ERS: Jrue Holiday (PG), Nick Young (SG), Evan Turner (SF), Thaddeus Young (PF), Spencer Hawes (C)
Damien Wilkins started while Young was hurt and has kept the job even though Young is healthy again.

BOBCATS: Kemba Walker (PG), Gerald Henderson (SG), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF), Byron Mullens (PF), Bismack Biyombo (C)
Mullens lost his starting job to Josh McRoberts on 3/9.

JAZZ: Mo Williams (PG), Randy Foye (SG), Marvin Williams (SF), Paul Millsap (PF), Al Jefferson (C)
Marvin Williams lost his starting job to DeMarre Carroll on 3/6.

SUNS: Goran Dragic (PG), Jared Dudley (SG), P.J. Tucker (SF), Luis Scola (PF), Jermaine O'Neal (C)
Scola moved to the bench with the return of O'Neal. Markieff Morris will continue to start at PF.

------------------------------------------------------

Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 3/16/13

2013-03-17T17:22:00.003-04:00

Want to know how 2K's post-release support is faring? Just let the numbers do the talking.

Player Edits: 6 (in 14 days)
Missing Players: 15
Missing Coaches: 1
Players on Wrong Teams: 6
Incorrect Lineups: 6

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS

BULLS
Louis Amundson (65/PF) - contract expired on 3/12, signed with Hornets

CLIPPERS
Trey Thompkins (63/PF) - waived on 3/14

JAZZ
Raja Bell (71/SG) - waived on 3/10

FREE AGENTS
Jannero Pargo (64/PG) - signed with Bobcats on 3/14
DaJuan Summers (60/SF) - signed with Clippers on 3/15
Shelvin Mack (65/PG) - signed with Hawks on 3/6

Holyyyyyyyy shit. My jaw's on the floor.2K Sports still has Raja Bell on the Jazz.With Travis Leslie (who replaced him) also on the team
— Rashidi (@Real2KInsider) March 16, 2013

Raja Bell shouldn't have even been on the team in the last roster (3/12).He was waived on 3/10.Good thing 2K banned me from their forums
— Rashidi (@Real2KInsider) March 16, 2013

Now, in the grand scheme of things, Raja Bell being on the Jazz roster doesn't matter all that much. They have him "injured" so he can't even be used. The greater point is that it inspires absolutely no confidence in 2K Sports as a company who cares about the quality and accuracy of their product and one that KNOWS sports (specifically NBA basketball).

@ld2k @flashgordon1980 I think I speak for all custom roster editors when I say we wouldn't have a problem keeping up with NBA transactions.
— Rashidi (@Real2KInsider) March 16, 2013

These bad memories of 2K's roster support stick in everyone's mind. You'd better believe EA Sports knows this is 2K's biggest weakness (which is why they employed Synergy in 2010).

Post release support is what gives this game something called REPLAY VALUE. Online play has become extremely boring of late because there have barely been any changes over the past 2 months. 2K Sports is providing very little incentive to continue playing their title. That hurts the brand.

I've personally moved on to Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm (while also re-dabbling in Skyrim, the game that never ends). Other gamers will be moving on to Gears of War: Judgement in a few days, while Call of Duty is a year-round event for many. 2K Sports isn't ONLY competing with EA Sports - they are vying for the attention of ALL gamers. If 2K doesn't care about their title in March, why should I?

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
3/16: 6
3/12: 0
3/2: 6
2/23: 0
2/22: 5
2/15: 9
2/12: 3
2/2: 2
1/30: 7
1/24: 0
1/21: 0
1/17: 18
1/12: 2
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

Monthly Edits
Mar: 12
Feb: 19
Jan: 44
Dec: 39
Nov: 16 (not including pre 11/17 rosters)

------------------------------------------------------

Tristan Thompson

72 Overall (+4)
78 Close (+6)
68 Medium (+3)
65 FT (+10)
75 S.Dunk (+5)
63 Traffic (+2)
63 Fade (+4)
71 Hook (+8)
73 Block (-5)
62 Steal (+4)
62 Hands (+6)
86 OffReb (+7)
63 DefReb (+4)
64 OffPost (+2)
58 OffAwr (+8)
60 Consistency (+20)
84 Stamina (+2)

2013
16.3 PER
Inside: 185-295 (62.7%)
Close: 117-308 (38.0%)
Med: 0-6 (0%)
3pt: 0-2 (0%)
FT: 138-212 (65.1%)
2.2 BLK%
1.3 STL%
13.4 ORB% (7th in NBA)
21.7 DRB%

2012
13.3 PER
Inside: 138-241 (57.3%)
Close: 55-191 (28.7%)
Med: 1-8 (12.5%)
3pt: 0-2 (0%)
FT: 106-192 (55.2%)
3.3 BLK%
1.0 STL%
14.4 ORB% (2nd in NBA)
16.8 DRB%

Thompson has shown much improvement in his offense and rebounding this season, silencing critics who believed the team would have been better served drafting Jonas Valanciunas with the 4th selection in the 2011 draft.

Rashidi's Rating: 75

------------------------------------------------------

Dwight Howard

90 Overall (+1)
95 OffReb (+4)
89 DefReb (+7)

2013
19.3 PER
10.7 ORB% (career worst)
27.5 DRB% (6th in NBA)

2012
24.2 PER (2nd in NBA)
11.0 ORB%
33.1 DRB% (1st in NBA)

This rating change is a damn joke and one doesn't have to look any further than Tristan Thompson for proof.

2013
Thompson 13.4 ORB% (career 13.8) = 86 rating
Howard 10.7 ORB% (career 12.0) = 95 rating

Howard is having the worst offensive rebounding season of his career and his rating is 4 points away from the maximum? Howard has a nightmare season and one week of solid play means 2K RUNS at the speed of light to appease Laker fans? Cleveland fans were begging for Thompson to get his much deserved update for MONTHS. Many players are still waiting to get their first edit. Small-market teams like the Jazz, Kings, Bobcats are ignored on an annual basis.

It's crystal clear that whoever does 2K's ratings isn't watching the games (and certainly doesn't take pride in their league-wide work). They are merely responding to volume fan demand. Laker fans freak that their players aren't rated high enough and they get boosted because 2K is afraid they'll... what, stop buying the game??? Do us all a favor and GROW A PAIR, 2K Sports.

Rashidi's Rating: 89

-------------------------------

Maurice Harkless

73 Overall (+7)
82 Inside (+6)
68 Close (+10)
65 3pt (+13)
58 FT (-10)
79 Layup (+3)
82 Dunk (+4)
60 S.Dunk (+5)
33 Pass (-11)
68 Block (+10)
74 Steal (+5)
80 OBDef (+2)
76 OffReb (+8)
60 DefPost (+4)
60 OffAwr (+18)
79 DefAwr (+10)
96 Stamina (+4)
88 Quickness (+5)
91 Hustle (+5)
78 Potential (+8)

2013
12.6 PER
Inside: 130-205 (63.4%)
Close: 14-57 (24.5%)
Med: 2-15 (13.3%)
3pt: 19-68 (27.9%)
FT: 42-75 (56.0%)
3.9 AST%
2.5 BLK%
2.4 STL%
7.1 ORB%

Harkless received a large boost to his overall and most of that stems from the gaudy boosts given to his awareness ratings. As a player who averages a mere 10 points per 36 minutes and is one of the worst passing SFs in the league, 60 OffAwr is extremely generous. Teammate E'Twaun Moore averages 13 pp36 and is a good enough passer to run point, yet his OffAwr is only 57.

As one can see when looking at Harkless' shooting stats, he is basically useless when he can't get to the rim, and the 10 point boost to his Close shot is utter nonsense. Likewise, Harkless' rebound and block rates weren't high enough to merit the boosts he just received. The ratings were fine before, and 2K is merely acquiescing to fan demand.

Just because a player is starting, doesn't mean he is actually good. Magic fans were hoping for an increase to Tobias Harris, the player who has actually played well of late, but their pleas were not heard.

Rashidi's Rating: 67

-------------------------------

Deron Williams

88 Overall (+2)
79 Medium (+3)
84 3pt (+8)
86 FT (+3)
76 Traffic (+3)
62 Steal (-6)
68 OffPost (-7)
89 OffAwr (+4)
75 Consistency (+10)

2013
18.9 PER
Inside: 91-142 (64.1%)
Close: 86-216 (39.8%)
Med: 64-170 (37.6%)
3pt: 131-346 (37.9%)
FT: 240-281 (85.4%)
1.4 STL%

2012
20.3 PER
Inside: 108-190 (56.8%)
Close: 83-214 (38.7%)
Med: 85-215 (39.5%)
3pt: 115-342 (33.6%)
FT: 257-305 (84.3%)
1.8 STL%

Deron's 3pt shot has finally returned after a three year absence. After struggling to start the season, he's on fire from deep.

3pt% by month
Nov: 26.9%
Dec: 32.9%
Jan: 42.0%
Feb: 49.0%
Mar: 44.4%

Deron is averaging 23.6 points since the All-Star break and shooting 47% from the field. Having rested for two games before the break, it would seem the time off did him some good.

Rashidi's Rating: 85

-------------------------------

Corey Brewer

73 Overall (+7)
84 Inside (-5)
78 Close (+9)
70 Medium (+7)
74 3pt (+8)
66 FT (-3)
72 Layup (+4)
81 Dunk (+2)
61 Traffic (+5)
45 Block (+10)
84 Steal (+2)
66 OffAwr (+11)
74 DefAwr (+2)
70 Consistency (+10)
89 Stamina (+5)
76 Hustle (+6)
55 Emotion (+30)

2013
14.8 PER
Inside: 154-248 (62.1%)
Close: 44-124 (35.4%)
Med: 30-82 (36.6%)
3pt: 73-248 (29.4%)
FT: 105-154 (68.2%)
0.9 BLK%
2.8 STL%

2012
13.7 PER
Inside: 134-224 (59.8%)
Close: 34-100 (34.0%)
Med: 17-46 (37.0%)
3pt: 39-147 (26.5%)
FT: 90-130 (69.2%)
1.0 BLK%
2.9 STL% (10th in NBA)

Brewer received a much needed 3pt boost as he is at least competent at hitting the shot. Aside from Offensive Awareness and Steal, there wasn't much of a need for any of his other ratings to go up (Steal should have gone up further since Brewer is annually among the league's best).

Rashidi's Rating: 73

-------------------------------

Lance Stephenson

75 Overall (+6)
82 Inside (+3)
83 Close (+6)
71 Medium (-2)
80 3pt (+5)
63 FT (+16)
86 Layup (+3)
64 Traffic (+6)
64 SOD (+3)
73 Hands (+5)
74 OBDef (+1)
70 OffAwr (+2)
57 DefAwr (+5)
60 Consistency (+35)
94 Stamina (+6)
84 Speed (+4)
88 Quickness (+4)
73 Vertical (+2)
78 Potential (+6)

2013
11.4 PER
Inside: 124-186 (67.7%)
Close: 26-67 (38.8%)
Med: 19-78 (24.4%)
3pt: 52-153 (34.0%)
FT: 46-73 (63.0%)

2012
7.0 PER
Inside: 23-41 (56.8%)
Close: 10-32 (31.2%)
Med: 11-29 (37.9%)
3pt: 5-32 (15.6%)
FT: 8-17 (47.1%)

Most of these ratings were designed to make Stephenson a better finisher. It's good that 2K finally noticed Stephenson had the lowest possible Consistency rating and fixed that... although he certainly doesn't deserve 60, as he isn't close to actually BEING consistent (he just deserves better then the absolute minimum)

I'm not sure why there is reluctance to raise Stephenson's Defensive Awareness. The Pacers are the best defensive team in the league and Stephenson is a big part of that.

Rashidi's Rating: 73

-------------------------------

UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST (13 TOTAL)
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (19 games, 8.9 mpg)
*Shavlik Randolph (PF) - Celtics (2 games, 10.0 mpg, played 95 games prior to 2013)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (10 games, 3.7 mpg)
Terrel Harris (SG) - Hornets (8 games, 4.4 mpg, played 22 games prior to 2013)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (15 games, 3.2 mpg)
Chris Wright (PG) - Mavericks (1 game, 1.0 mpg)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (2 games, 5.5 mpg, played 22 games prior to 2013)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (22 games, 7.1 mpg)
Tim Ohlbrecht (C) Rockets (1 game, 6.0 mpg)
Aron Baynes (C) - Spurs (11 games, 6.6 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (12 games, 6.8 mpg)
*Mickael Gelabale (SF) Timberwolves (26 games, 21.8 mpg, played 109 games prior to 2013)
Chris Johnson (C/PF) - Timberwolves (20 games, 12.3 mpg, played 41 games prior to 2013)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (47 games, 4.5 mpg)
Malcolm Thomas (PF/SF) - Warriors (4 games, 4.8 mpg, played 3 games prior to 2013)

*Denotes previously in an NBA 2K game (which means 2K Sports already has files for these players).

Terrel Harris, Chris Wright, and Malcolm Thomas all signed 10-day contracts this week. There isn't a chance in hell any of them get added to the game since we've been waiting TWO MONTHS now for Gelabale and Chris Johnson who actually play.

------------------------------------------------------

INJURED PLAYERS

As usual, this is the only area of the rosters that 2K seems to care about (even though most fans loathe it).

Given that I did not write an article for last week's roster that was solely an injury update, this includes changes from both rosters.

NEW
Ramon Sessions (74/PG) Bobcats
Richard Hamilton (74/SG) Bulls
Kirk Hinrich (73/PG) Bulls
Kyrie Irving (89/PG) Cavaliers
Caron Butler (81/SF) Clippers
Eric Bledsoe (81/PG) Clippers
Darrell Arthur (72/PF) Grizzlies
Zaza Pachulia (63/C) Hawks
Austin Rivers (71/SG) Hornets
James Johnson (66/SF) Kings
Amare Stoudemire (83/PF) Knicks
Shawn Marion (79/SF) Mavericks
Danny Granger (83/SF) Pacers
Brandon Knight (76/SG) Pistons
Andrea Bargnani (73/PF) Raptors
Tony Parker (87/PG) Spurs
Marcin Gortat (81/C) Suns
Sasha Pavlovic (57/SF) Trail Blazers
Bradley Beal (75/SG) Wizards

RECOVERED
Omri Casspi (62/SF) Cavaliers
Mo Williams (78/PG) Jazz
Jameer Nelson (75/PG) Magic
Tornike Shengelia (56/SF) Nets
Andrew Bogut (79/C) Warriors

Red denotes player cannot play through injury.

INJURED LIST (46 total)
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C), Jason Richardson (74/SG)
Bobcats: Ramon Sessions (74/PG)
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG), Taj Gibson (76/PF), Richard Hamilton (74/SG), Kirk Hinrich (73/PG)
Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving (89/PG), Anderson Varejao (76/C)
Celtics: Rajon Rondo (89/PG), Jared Sullinger (71/PF)
Clippers: Caron Butler (81/SF), Eric Bledsoe (81/PG), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: Darrell Arthur (72/PF)
Hawks: Louis Williams (78/SG), Zaza Pachulia (63/C)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: Austin Rivers (71/SG), Jason Smith (60/C)
Jazz: Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: James Johnson (66/SF)
Knicks: Amare Stoudemire (83/PF), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Pau Gasol (81/PF), Jordan Hill (70/C)
Magic: Glen Davis (73/PF), Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF)
Mavericks: Shawn Marion (79/SF), Jared Cunningham (66/SG)
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: N/A
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF)
Pistons: Brandon Knight (76/SG), Andre Drummond (70/C)
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Mickael Pietrus (72/SF), Linas Kleiza (64/SF)
Rockets: N/A
Spurs: Tony Parker (87/PG)
Suns: Marcin Gortat (81/C), Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Nikola Pekovic (78/C), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG), Sasha Pavlovic (57/SF)
Warriors: Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: Bradley Beal (75/SG), Leandro Barbosa (71/PG), Cartier Martin (67/SF)

------------------------------------------------------

INCORRECT LINEUPS

76ERS: Jrue Holiday (PG), Nick Young (SG), Evan Turner (SF), Thaddeus Young (PF), Spencer Hawes (C)
Damien Wilkins started while Young was hurt and has kept the job even though Young is healthy again.

BOBCATS: Kemba Walker (PG), Gerald Henderson (SG), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF), Byron Mullens (PF), Bismack Biyombo (C)
Mullens lost his starting job to Josh McRoberts on 3/9.

JAZZ: Mo Williams (PG), Randy Foye (SG), Marvin Williams (SF), Paul Millsap (PF), Al Jefferson (C)
Marvin Williams lost his starting job to DeMarre Carroll on 3/6.

KNICKS: Raymond Felton (PG), Iman Shumpert (SG), James White (SF), Carmelo Anthony (PF), Tyson Chandler (C)
White lost his spot in the rotation and didn't even play on 3/14, much less start. Chris Copeland is the latest starting SF for a team that refuses to use Carmelo Anthony at his natural position.

MAGIC: Jameer Nelson (PG), Arron Afflalo (SG), Maurice Harkless (SF), Andrew Nicholson (PF), Nikola Vucevic
Nicholson lost his starting job to Tobias Harris on 3/8.

SUNS: Goran Dragic (PG), Jared Dudley (SG), P.J. Tucker (SF), Luis Scola (PF), Jermaine O'Neal (C)
Scola moved to the bench with the return of O'Neal. Markieff Morris will continue to start at PF.

------------------------------------------------------

Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 3/2/13

2013-03-02T11:46:00.002-05:00

2K Sports edited a season low 19 players in February (0.67 per day) but started off March with 6 edits. Unfortunately, two of those edits are extremely trivial.

87/PG - Tony Parker (+4)
85/PG - Stephen Curry (+2)
85/PG - Ty Lawson (+3)
84/SG - Andre Iguodala (-1)
77/SG - Dion Waiters (+6)
67/PF - Royce White (-1)

We also saw two players (finally) added to the roster.
73/PG - Patrick Beverley
65/PG - Mike James

We also saw some minor player movement.
Derek Fisher (69/PG) Thunder (from Free Agents)
Aaron Brooks (78/PG) Free Agents (from Kings)
Hakim Warrick (65/PF) Free Agents (from Magic)

However, Louis Amundson (65/PF) was not added to the Bulls roster. 2K also did not add D.J. White or Shavlik Randolph to the Celtics. White was previously in the default rosters but removed when he signed in China, whereas Randolph was removed in 2K11.

Editor's Note: Will complete my ratings analysis later in the day. You also might want to check out this MyTeam video of me defeating a Hall of Fame team with Gerald Green and JaVale McGee :)

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
3/2: 6
2/23: 0
2/22: 5
2/15: 9
2/12: 3
2/2: 2
1/30: 7
1/24: 0
1/21: 0
1/17: 18
1/12: 2
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

Monthly Edits
Nov: 16
Dec: 39
Jan: 44
Feb: 19
Mar: 6

------------------------------------------------------

Dion Waiters
77 Overall (+6)
75 Close (+4)
74 Medium (+2)
76 3pt (+2)
77 FT (+4)
90 Layup (+5)
78 Dunk (+3)
40 S.Dunk (+5)
72 Traffic (+3)
82 Handle (+4)
44 Block (+11)
78 OBDef (+7)
81 OffAwr (+13)
63 DefAwr (+3)
65 Consistency (+15)
88 Speed (+3)
90 Quick (+6)
64 Strength (+4)
73 Vertical (+3)
89 Durability (+5)
89 Potential (+5)

2013
13.9 PER
Inside: 115-219 (52.5%)
Close: 40-121 (33.0%)
Med: 68-163 (41.7%)
3pt: 55-175 (31.4%)
FT: 132-171 (77.1%)
0.7 BLK%

------------------------------------------------------

Ty Lawson
85 Overall (+3)
87 Inside (-2)
81 Close (-2)
77 Medium (+4)
76 FT (-6)
94 Layup (+4)
77 SOD (+4)
89 Handle (+3)
85 OHD (+3)
86 Pass (+2)
27 Block (+2)
76 Steal (+4)
90 Hands (+2)
76 OBDef (+3)
92 OffAwr (+8)
78 DefAwr (+3)
80 Consistency (+10)
82 Hustle (+3)
79 Durability (+13)

2013
PER: 17.2
Inside: 181-303 (59.7%)
Close: 53-162 (32.7%)
Medium: 62-160 (38.8%)
3pt: 64-181 (35.4%)
FT: 192-256 (75.0%)
AST%: 30.5
BLK%: 0.3
STL%: 2.2

2012
PER: 19.4
Inside: 191-300 (63.7%)
Close: 99-205 (48.2%)
Medium: 58-143 (40.6%)
3pt: 82-228 (36.0%)
FT: 178-216 (82.4%)
AST%: 30.2
BLK%: 0.2
STL%: 2.0

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Andre Iguodala
84 Overall (-1)
85 Inside (-4)

Extensive.

------------------------------------------------------

Terrence Ross (Edited in 2/23 roster)
70 Overall (-1)
79 3pt (-4)
57 FT (-20)
96 Dunk (+12)

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Royce White
67 Overall (-1)
35 Consistency (-5)

Wow.

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Tony Parker
87 Overall (+3)
94 Inside (+2)
94 Close (+2)
80 3pt (+11)
83 FT (+3)
81 Traffic (+3)
64 Steal (-2)
96 Hands (+2)
74 OBDef (+4)
44 DefReb (+6)
93 OffAwr (+4)
90 Consistency (+5)
94 Durablity (+1)

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Stephen Curry
85 Overall (+2)
90 Medium (+2)
92 3pt (+2)
91 FT (+2)
92 Layup (+2)
95 Handle (+2)
93 OHD (+2)
86 Security (+2)
76 Steal (-1)
44 DefReb (-6)
93 OffAwr (+3)
93 Speed (+2)
95 Quick (+1)

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ADDED PLAYERS

MAVERICKS
Mike James (65/PG)
Inside Scoring: D+
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B-
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: B
Athleticism: C

ROCKETS
Patrick Beverley (73/PG)
Inside Scoring: C
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: A-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B+
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: A-

Patrick Beverley was finally added to the rosters, concluding a controversial drama that highlighted the complaints fans have had about 2K Sports' rosters for years. It was noted in many circles that Beverley himself tweeted Ronnie Singh asking if he was going to be added to the game in the February 12th roster. Beverley was not added to the game across multiple roster updates, until today.

It should say something about the company that an NBA player had to lobby to get himself added and even that took nearly a month to get done.

------------------------------------------------------

UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST (13 TOTAL)
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (19 games, 8.9 mpg)
*Shavlik Randolph (PF) - Celtics (0 games, played 95 games prior to 2013)
*D.J. White (PF) - Celtics (0 games, played 124 games prior to 2013)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (10 games, 3.7 mpg)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (13 games, 3.2 mpg)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (2 games, 5.5 mpg, played 22 games prior to 2013)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (21 games, 7.3 mpg)
Tim Ohlbrecht (C) Rockets (0 games)
Aron Baynes (C) - Spurs (9 games, 5.7 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (9 games, 5.7 mpg)
*Mickael Gelabale (SF) Timberwolves (18 games, 20.2 mpg, played 109 games prior to 2013)
Chris Johnson (C/PF) - Timberwolves (12 games, 11.6 mpg, played 41 games prior to 2013)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (41 games, 4.5 mpg)

*Denotes previously in an NBA 2K game (which means 2K Sports already has files for these players).

D.J. White and Shavlik Randolph just signed 10-day contracts with the Celtics. White, a former first round pick who signed in China when he couldn't find a suitable NBA job in October, is expected to stick with the team for the rest of the year. Randolph is a career fringe player. He may stick, he may not. Both players have previously been in NBA 2K games. Considering how long it took for 2K to put Mike James and Patrick Beverley into the game, expect them to be added in a months time.

Tim Ohlbrecht signed with the Rockets out of the D-League on the customary 3-year non-guaranteed deal that Daryl Morey offers every the top D-League talent each year. Greg Smith was the most recent player to do this and have success with the team. Ohlbrecht lead the D-League in FG% and at the very least seems a capable 3rd string with some upside going forward.

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INJURED PLAYERS

Red denotes player cannot play through injury.

NEW
Taj Gibson (76/PF) Bulls
Omri Casspi (62/SF) Cavaliers
Jason Smith (60/C) Hornets
Jameer Nelson (75/PG) Magic
Jared Cunningham (66/SG) Mavericks
Nikola Pekovic (78/C) Timberwolves
Andrew Bogut (79/C) Warriors

RECOVERED
Thaddeus Young (74/PF) 76ers
Marcus Camby (73/C) Knicks
Al Harrington (71/PF) Magic
Chris Kaman (76/C) Mavericks

INJURED LIST (32 total)
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C), Jason Richardson (74/SG)
Bobcats: N/A
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG), Taj Gibson (76/PF)
Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (76/C), Omri Casspi (62/SF)
Celtics: Rajon Rondo (89/PG), Jared Sullinger (71/PF)
Clippers: Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: N/A
Hawks: Louis Williams (78/SG)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: Jason Smith (60/C)
Jazz: Mo Williams (78/PG), Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Pau Gasol (81/PF), Jordan Hill (70/C)
Magic: Jameer Nelson (75/PG), Glen Davis (73/PF), Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF)
Mavericks: Jared Cunningham (66/SG)
Nets: Tornike Shengelia (56/SF)
Nuggets: N/A
Pacers: N/A
Pistons: Andre Drummond (70/C)
Raptors: Mickael Pietrus (72/SF), Linas Kleiza (64/SF)
Rockets: N/A
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Nikola Pekovic (78/C), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Andrew Bogut (79/C), Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: Leandro Barbosa (71/PG), Cartier Martin (67/SF)

------------------------------------------------------

INCORRECT LINEUPS

CAVALIERS
Kyrie Irving (PG), C.J. Miles (SG), Alonzo Gee (SF), Tristan Thompson (PF), Tyler Zeller (C)
Dion Waiters returned to the starting lineup on 2/1, a full month ago. 2K updated Waiters rating, yet couldn't be bothered to put him in the team's starting lineup.

------------------------------------------------------

Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 2/22/13

2013-02-22T07:27:00.001-05:00

A summary of today's roster analysis:

@2ksports couldnt get even get trades right after THE TRADE DEADLINE. @nba2kinsider should be ashamed. @ronnie2k will surely back him up tho
— Rashidi (@Real2KInsider) February 22, 2013

I wasn't wrong.

Looks like someone can't handle the truth.@ronnie2k @2ksports @nba2kinsider #NBA2K13 twitter.com/Real2KInsider/…
— Rashidi (@Real2KInsider) February 23, 2013

There are four players on the wrong teams. THIS ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE. Read a transaction list for christ's sake. There is simply no justifiable reason why rosters shouldn't be 100% accurate on a day all fans expect them to be.

...Or maybe this IS rocket science? That makes me a mother ****ing genius since I CAN keep up with trades, signings, and the player ratings of an entire league. I'm starting to like this irrational world 2K Sports lives in.

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PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
2/23: 0
2/22: 4
2/15: 9
2/12: 3
2/2: 2
1/30: 7
1/24: 0
1/21: 0
1/17: 18
1/12: 2
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

Monthly Edits
Nov: 16
Dec: 39
Jan: 44
Feb: 18

------------------------------------------------------

Kyrie Irving

89 Overall (+1)
99 Handle (+5)
97 OHD (+5)
96 Security (+8)

2K Sports now seems to be changing ratings based on Rising Stars game performances. God forbid someone on the Cavaliers besides Kyrie Irving get a player edit either. I'm half surprised that they didn't give him Ankle Breaker signature skill either, but that would have required slighty more effort or ingenuity. We can't have that going around the company!

------------------------------------------------------

Courtney Lee

74 Overall (+2)
57 OffAwr (+5)
81 DefAwr (+11)

I suppose Lee deserved this, but he also deserved many decreases as well, particularly to his 85 3pt rating (35% down from 40%) which is quite overpowered in conjunction with his Spot Up Shooter and Corner Specialist signature skills.

Editor's Note: I have Lee at 57/80 Off/DefAwr in my "Real NBA 2K13" roster.

------------------------------------------------------

Terrence Williams

73 Overall (-3)
80 Close (-10)
74 Medium (-3)
74 OBDef (-6)
56 OffAwr (-4)
52 DefAwr (-6)

Williams was re-added to the game after being removed when he signed in China. His ratings have dropped since then as 76 Overall was obviously way too high for a guy that couldn't even crack the Detroit Pistons out of training camp. Williams should get the chance of a lifetime on a depleted Celtics squad, but he still has to earn a contract for the rest of the season.

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Danilo Gallinari

77 Overall (+1)
80 Medium (+4)
84 3pt (+3)
82 FT (-1)
72 Traffic (+3)
58 OffReb (+7)

Over Gallinari's last 10 games he is averaging 21.8 points and 6.0 rebounds. However going by Gallinari's season numbers there wasn't much of an incentive to upgrade these. Given that Gallinari was already edited in-depth a few weeks ago, it would be nice if 2K Sports would get around to the HUNDREDS of players who haven't gotten a single update all season.

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER MOVEMENT

BOBCATS
Josh McRoberts (64/PF) from Magic

BUCKS
J.J. Redick (72/SG) from Magic
Ishmael Smith (71/PG) from Magic
Gustavo Ayon (64/C) from Magic

CELTICS
Jordan Crawford (75/SG) from Wizards

GRIZZLIES
Dexter Pittman (55/C) from Heat

HAWKS
Dahntay Jones (73/SF) from Mavericks

KINGS
Patrick Patterson (75/PF) from Rockets
Toney Douglas (72/PG) from Rockets
Cole Aldrich (59/C) from Rockets

MAGIC
Beno Udrih (68/PG) from Bucks
Tobias Harris (68/SF) from Bucks
Doron Lamb (63/SG) from Bucks

MAVERICKS
Anthony Morrow (66/SG) from Hawks

RAPTORS
Sebastian Telfair (68/PG) from Suns

ROCKETS
Thomas Robinson (75/PF) from Kings
Francisco Garcia (68/SF) from Kings
Tyler Honeycutt (66/SF) from Kings

SUNS
Marcus Morris (68/PF) from Rockets
Hamed Haddadi (49/C) from Raptors

THUNDER
Ronnie Brewer (72/SG) from Knicks

TRAIL BLAZERS
Eric Maynor (68/PG) from Thunder

WIZARDS
Leandro Barbosa (71/PG) from Celtics
Jason Collins (48/C) from Celtics

FREE AGENTS
Ronnie Price (65/PG) from Trail Blazers
Luke Zeller (59/C) from Suns

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS

Hakim Warrick (65/PF) Magic (Waived on 2/21)
Charles Jenkins (62/PG) Warriors (Traded to 76ers on 2/21)
Jeremy Tyler (61/PF) Warriors (Traded to Hawks on 2/21)
Kenyon Martin (76/PF) Free Agents (Signed 10-day contract with Knicks on 2/21)

Editor's note: Jenkins, Tyler, and Martin were placed on their respective teams in a 2/23 update. These were the sole changes in that roster.

------------------------------------------------------

UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (17 games, 9.5 mpg)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (9 games, 3.8 mpg)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (12 games, 3.1 mpg)
Mike James (PG) - Mavericks (16 games, 9.6 mpg, played 539 games prior to this season)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (2 games, 5.5 mpg, played 22 games prior to this season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (20 games, 7.4 mpg)
Patrick Beverley (PG) - Rockets (15 games, 13.7 mpg)
Aron Baynes (C) - Spurs (6 games, 5.8 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (7 games, 4.7 mpg)
Mickael Gelabale (SF) Timberwolves (15 games, 21.1 mpg, played 109 games prior to this season)
Chris Johnson (C/PF) - Timberwolves (10 games, 12.0 mpg, played 41 games prior to this season)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (37 games, 4.9 mpg)

It has been months since a missing player has been added to the game, and there is no excuse for many of these players to be missing especially at this point in the season.

Patrick Beverley recently tweeted Ronnie Singh (Ronnie2K), asking if he was going to be added to the roster. Ronnie lied to Beverley (or perhaps was misinformed) about being included in the 2/12 update.

@ronnie2k I hope I'm on there!!!!
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 12, 2013

@patbev21 You are!
— Ronnie 2K 2K13 (@Ronnie2K) February 12, 2013

Rather than be honest with Beverley, Ronnie instead covered his ass and lied about the reason why Beverley was absent from the 2/12 roster.

@patbev21 was told this morning that you were pulled from update. Sorry dude but I told Insider to prioritize you
— Ronnie 2K 2K13 (@Ronnie2K) February 12, 2013

Fast-forward three days to the following update, and it's clear Beverley wasn't "pulled" last minute. This was a cop-out by a 2K Sports employee who has no idea what is going on with the actual product, and perfectly illustrates the lack of professionalism that has gone into 2K's rosters over the past decade, and more prominently, the last five.

We have been marketed "Living Rosters", the "NBA Today", and an NBA "Insider" as key features within the game. Yet it's more apparent than ever that 2K simply doesn't take any of this seriously even though the majority of their fanbase does... and it irks me that 2K employees still pretend to treat the Insider as an actual person we can pass information along to. You'd have a better chance convincing me that CORPORATIONS are people, much less the 2K Insider.

------------------------------------------------------

INJURED PLAYERS

Danny Granger is back in advance of his return from injury. Granger is expected to return within the next couple days and will immediately make the Pacers an elite online team.

Deron Williams returns from an injury he never should have had in the first place, returning the Nets to online respectability.

Red denotes player cannot play through injury.

NEW
None

RECOVERED
Larry Sanders (73/C) Bucks
Gordon Hayward (68/SG) Jazz
Deron Williams (86/PG) Nets
Danny Granger (83/SF) Pacers

INJURED LIST (32 total)
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C), Thaddeus Young (74/PF), Jason Richardson (74/SG)
Bobcats: N/A
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (76/C)
Celtics: Rajon Rondo (89/PG), Jared Sullinger (71/PF)
Clippers: Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: N/A
Hawks: Louis Williams (78/SG)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: N/A
Jazz: Mo Williams (78/PG), Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Marcus Camby (73/C), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Pau Gasol (81/PF), Jordan Hill (70/C)
Magic: Glen Davis (73/PF), Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: Chris Kaman (76/C)
Nets: Tornike Shengelia (56/SF)
Nuggets: N/A
Pacers: N/A
Pistons: Andre Drummond (70/C)
Raptors: Mickael Pietrus (72/SF), Linas Kleiza (64/SF)
Rockets: N/A
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: Leandro Barbosa (71/PG), Cartier Martin (67/SF)

------------------------------------------------------

INCORRECT LINEUPS

BOBCATS
Kemba Walker (PG), Gerald Henderson (SG), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF), Jeff Adrien (PF), Bismack Biyombo (C)
Byron Mullens returned to the starting lineup on 2/8.

CAVALIERS
Kyrie Irving (PG), C.J. Miles (SG), Alonzo Gee (SF), Tristan Thompson (PF), Tyler Zeller (C)
Dion Waiters returned to the starting lineup on 2/1.

HAWKS
Jeff Teague (PG), Kyle Korver (SG), Josh Smith (SF), Al Horford (PF), Zaza Pachulia (C)
Devin Harris has been starting at SG. Anthony Tolliver has recently been starting at PF which has pushed Smith to SF and Kyle Korver to the bench. 2K also has DeShawn Stevenson on the inactive list for no reason whatsoever - Stevenson even started twice this month, and has played 8 times in the past 10 games.

------------------------------------------------------

Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 2/15/13

2013-02-15T10:15:00.002-05:00

2K Sports FINALLY released all the 10-day contract players and took Amare out of the Knicks starting lineup! I guess I really am the REAL 2K Insider since it seems like changes aren't made unless I bitch about them incessantly in my analysis. Just think of how much better 2K's rosters would be if they listened to me more than once a month!

Interested in what Rashidi would have to offer? Well it just so happens I'll be releasing my latest NBA 2K13 roster tonight for Xbox 360. It will have nearly 400 player edits (all rotation players), the best player ratings in the game today, no missing players, and updated contracts with adjustments that prevent the AI from making dumb decision (like Chris Paul signing with the Cavs as he does 100% of the time in 2K's roster).

Enjoy All-Star weekend!

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
2/15: 9
2/12: 3
2/2: 2
1/30: 7
1/24: 0
1/21: 0
1/17: 18
1/12: 2
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

Monthly Edits
Nov: 16
Dec: 39
Jan: 44
Feb: 14

------------------------------------------------------

Jeff Green

78 Overall (+1)
74 Close (+7)
79 Medium (-1)
79 3pt (+4)
81 FT (+4)
78 Dunk (+2)
66 Traffic (+3)
67 Block (+4)
62 Steal (+2)
76 OffAwr (+3)
81 Stamina (+2)

2013
PER: 12.7
Inside: 98-146 (67.1%)
Close: 30-113 (26.5%)
Med: 28-72 (38.9%)
3pt: 34-100 (34.0%)
FT: 119-146 (81.5%)
BLK%: 2.3
STL%: 1.3

2011
PER: 12.9
Inside: 166-239 (69.5%)
Close: 95-279 (34.0%)
Med: 59-128 (46.0%)
3pt: 71-227 (31.3%)
FT: 198-244 (81.1%)
BLK%: 1.1
STL%: 1.1

Green was drastically overrated before this edit, and 2K has done nothing to change that. Green's Close shot rating inexplicably went up even though he is shooting 8% worse from that range. There also wasn't any reason to raise Green's block rating since it was overrated by 20 points entering the year (now "merely" 10-15 points overrated by 2K's own scale).

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Chris Bosh

84 Overall (+2)
93 Inside (+5)
88 Close (-3)
90 Medium (+1)
85 Fade (+2)
75 Hook (+3)
73 Block (+5)
79 OffReb (+8)
84 OffPost (+3)
59 Hustle (+9)

2013
PER: 21.1
Inside: 133-177 (75.1%)
Close: 62-165 (37.5%)
Med: 114-200 (57.0%)
3pt: 9-35 (25.7%)
BLK%: 3.0
ORB%: 8.0
PostUp: 0.86 PPP (49th) - 15.3% of possessions

2012
PER: 18.9
Inside: 202-303 (66.7%)
Close: 128-312 (41.0%)
Med: 119-292 (40.8%)
3pt: 17-48 (35.4%)
BLK%: 1.8
ORB%: 5.8
PostUp: 0.86 PPP (63rd) - 21.7% of possessions

While the increase to Bosh's Inside and Medium shots are well deserved, he should have seen a bigger decrease to his Close range shot. That increase, combined with the increases to Bosh's post game are 2K trying to make Bosh something he is not. Bosh has been posting up less than ever before, instead utilizing his superior perimeter skills to his advantage..

So why raise Bosh's post ratings? 2K wanted to raise his Overall rating, and nothing more. Instead of giving Bosh some ratings he doesn't deserve, hows about you revise your faulty formula for centers? Pick and Roll, offensive rebounds, basket cuts, and defensive ability are far more important than post skills nowadays. The era of the lumbering stiff is long gone.

The increase to Bosh's rebound and block rates can be attributed to him spending the entire season at center rather than power forward. Predictably, these were already overrated to begin with and consequently didn't need an upgrade.

------------------------------------------------------

Brook Lopez

81 Overall (+2)
88 Inside (+3)
86 Close (-2)
73 Medium (+1)
75 FT (+3)
91 Block (+2)
85 OffReb (+3)
87 OffPost (+4)
84 OffAwr (+3)

2013
PER: 24.8 (5th in NBA)
Inside: 180-247 (72.9%)
Close: 135-324 (41.6%)
Med: 31-94 (33.0%)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)
FT: 181-240 (75.4%)
BLK%: 5.5 (9th in NBA)
ORB%: 10.9
PostUp: 0.94 PPP (13th) - 29.7% of possessions

2011 (only 5 games played in 2012)
PER: 19.3
Inside: 198-317 (62.5%)
Close: 361-768 (47.0%)
Med: 85-223 (38.1%)
3pt: 0-1 (0.0%)
FT: 385-489 (78.7%)
BLK%: 3.2
ORB%: 7.8
PostUp: 0.96 PPP (45th) - 37.4% of possessions

Lopez has easily been the best offensive center in basketball this year, and 2K drew a lot of criticism for decreasing his rating one month ago. His Inside shot could have gone up even further considering Bosh's went up to 93. With that said I'm not sure why 2K seems commitment is to making Lopez a competent mid-range player since he is mediocre at best, and has started to take this out of his game.

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D.J. Augustin

72 Overall (-3)
78 3pt (-2)
81 FT (-7)
70 SOD (-6)
80 Pass (-2)
63 Steal (+1)
76 OffAwr (-6)
50 Consistency (-20)

2013
PER: 11.0
Inside: 19-37 (51.4%)
Close: 3-26 (11.5%)
Med: 4-14 (28.6%)
3pt: 40-119 (33.6%)
FT: 54-67 (80.6%)
AST%: 22.7
STL%: 1.7

2012
PER: 14.1
Inside: 70-143 (49.0%)
Close: 23-93 (24.7%)
Med: 29-72 (40.3%)
3pt: 61-179 (34.1%)
FT: 105-120 (87.5%)
AST%: 38.9 (8th in NBA)
STL%: 1.3

Augustin's passing game has completely evaporated, yet his pass rating only dropped a mere two points.

Somehow, Augustin's already overrated 73 Close shot came out unscathed. Don't ask me why he has 87 Layup and 36 Dunk either.

------------------------------------------------------

Andre Drummond

70 Overall (+1)
37 FT (-3)
53 Fade (+11)
55 Hook (+2)
88 Block (+2)
72 Steal (+16)
95 OffReb (+3)
62 OffPost (+6)
80 DefAwr (+4)
77 Stamina (+1)
71 Durability (-15)
68 Hustle (+4)

It should say something about the Center formula that Drummond's Overall only went up a measly point despite all these changes.

Drummond's 2/12 changes
69 Overall (+3)
30 3pt (+5)
86 Block (+2)
92 OffReb (+4)
78 DefReb (+6)
76 DefAwr (+6)
45 Consistency (+5)
80 Potential (+5)

2013
PER: 22.4 (13th in NBA)
Inside: 150-223 (67.3%)
Close: 10-43 (23.2%)
Med: 0-4 (0.0%)
3pt: 1-2 (50.0%)
FT: 42-115 (36.5%)
6.7 BLK% (4th in NBA)
2.5 STL%
16.2 ORB% (1st in NBA)
26.7 DRB% (8th in NBA)
PostUp: 0.47 PPP (DNQ) - 4.2% of possessions

Drummond's block rating is 3 points worse than Brook Lopez's even though his block rate is better, so that should still go up. Drummond is clearly an extremely limited post player so I don't know why 2K is bothering to raise those ratings (aside from their burning to desire to prove they don't watch basketball).

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Corey Maggette

74 Overall (-1)
80 Inside (-1)
77 Medium (-7)
76 3pt (-3)
85 FT (+1)
84 Layup (-3)
65 Durability (-5)

2013
PER: 8.1
Inside: 7-12 (58.3%)
Close: 6-19 (31.5%)
Med: 9-24 (37.5%)
3pt: 5-21 (23.8%)
FT: 36-48 (75.0%)

2012
PER: 14.1
Inside: 63-111 (56.8%)
Close: 16-55 (29.0%)
Med: 36-140 (25.7%)
3pt: 24-66 (36.4%)
FT: 178-208 (85.6%)

Maggette hasn't even played since 12/15, yet he is still the 5th highest rated player on the Pistons. He is DONE as a player, yet he is still very effective in the game even with these slight decreases.

It was comical that Maggette's mid-range shot was rated so high when you look at what he shot last season.

------------------------------------------------------

James Harden

88 Overall (+2)
88 Inside (+1)
78 Medium (+1)
73 Dunk (+4)
78 Traffic (+4)
82 Pass (+11)
52 Block (+3)
80 Steal (+2)
89 Hands (+4)
96 OffAwr (+4)
80 Consistency (+5)
98 Stamina (+2)
90 Durability (+4)
93 Potential (+4)

2013
PER: 23.3 (10th in NBA)
Inside: 119-309 (64.4%)
Close: 62-180 (34.4%)
Med: 47-130 (36.2%)
3pt: 104-300 (34.7%)
AST%: 25.0
BLK%: 0.9
STL%: 2.4

2012
PER: 21.1
Inside: 191-281 (68.0%)
Close: 37-128 (28.9%)
Med: 27-64 (42.2%)
3pt: 114-292 (39.0%)
AST%: 19.3
BLK%: 0.6
STL%: 1.6

Harden has finally gotten the ratings he has deserved all season, as he has proven to be an elite SG on par with Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade.

------------------------------------------------------

Wesley Johnson

69 Overall (-3)
67 Close (-9)
72 Medium (-3)
76 3pt (-3)
70 FT (-1)
78 Dunk (-4)
57 Steal (-5)
71 Hands (-5)
70 BallDef (-8)
50 DefReb (-8)
40 Consistency (-5)
91 Vertical (-4)
82 Durability (-3)
75 Potential (-3)

2013 (156 minutes)
PER: 6.2
Inside: 6-9 (66.7%)
Close: 5-12 (32.5%)
Med: 2-18 (11.1%)
3pt: 8-28 (28.6%)
STL%: 0.0

2012
PER: 8.0
Inside: 47-66 (71.2%)
Close: 17-39 (35.0%)
Med: 41-123 (33.3%)
3pt: 53-169 (31.4%)
STL%: 1.2

It goes without saying that we can't take very much from Johnson's sample size this season. With that said, Johnson was TERRIBLE last season, and certainly shouldn't be more effective than most wingmen in the game.

------------------------------------------------------

Nikola Pekovic

78 Overall (+2)
93 Inside (-5)
80 Close (+20)
43 Medium (+8)
75 FT (+1)
65 Block (-6)
78 OffPost (+2)
75 Consistency (+20)
83 Hustle (+5)
81 Potential (+2)

2013
PER: 19.2
Inside: 192-300 (64.0%)
Close: 73-224 (32.5%)
Med: 0-0 (N/A)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)
BLK%: 2.0
PostUp: 0.81 PPP (69th) - 41.7% of possessions

2012
PER: 21.4
Inside: 208-315 (66.0%)
Close: 48-137 (35.0%)
Med: 0-2 (0.0%)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)
BLK%: 1.8
PostUp: 0.88 PPP (55th) - 38.7% of possessions

Only in a game made by 2K Sports could a player attempt ZERO mid-range shots yet see an 8-point INCREASE to their mid-range shot.

As if we needed anymore proof that 2K Sports isn't actually looking at the numbers, Pekovic's Close shot somehow went up 20 points. We heard this guy is good! ...but we have no idea how or why, so let's just do what's gonna bump his overall up the most.

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER MOVEMENT
Jeremy Pargo (60/PG) - 76ers (from Free Agents)
Jannero Pargo (64/PG) - Free Agents (from Hawks)
Donald Sloan (63/PG) - Free Agents (from Hornets)
Damion James (70/SF) - Free Agents (from Nets)
Dominic McGuire (66/SF) - Free Agents (from Pacers)
Louis Amundson (65/PF) - Free Agents (from Timberwolves)

For the first time in a month, 2K Sports finally has all players on the correct teams.

------------------------------------------------------

UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (17 games, 9.5 mpg)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (9 games, 3.8 mpg)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (11 games, 3.3 mpg)
Mike James (PG) - Mavericks (15 games, 9.1 mpg, played 539 games prior to this season)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (2 games, 5.5 mpg, played 22 games prior to this season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (19 games, 7.5 mpg)
Patrick Beverley (PG) - Rockets (14 games, 13.5 mpg)
Aron Baynes (C) - Spurs (6 games, 5.8 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (7 games, 4.7 mpg)
Mickael Gelabale (SF) Timberwolves (14 games, 21.9 mpg, played 109 games prior to this season)
Chris Johnson (C/PF) - Timberwolves (10 games, 12.0 mpg, played 41 games prior to this season)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (36 games, 4.9 mpg)

It has been months since a missing player has been added to the game, and there is no excuse for the bolded players to be missing.

Patrick Beverley recently tweeted Ronnie Singh (Ronnie2K), asking if he was going to be added to the roster. Ronnie lied to Beverley (or perhaps was misinformed) about being included in the 2/12 update.

@ronnie2k I hope I'm on there!!!!
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 12, 2013

@patbev21 You are!
— Ronnie 2K 2K13 (@Ronnie2K) February 12, 2013

Rather than be honest with Beverley, Ronnie instead covered his ass and lied about the reason why Beverley was absent from the 2/12 roster.

@patbev21 was told this morning that you were pulled from update. Sorry dude but I told Insider to prioritize you
— Ronnie 2K 2K13 (@Ronnie2K) February 12, 2013

Fast-forward three days to the following update, and it's clear Beverley wasn't "pulled" last minute. This was a cop-out by a 2K Sports employee who has no idea what is going on with the actual product, and perfectly illustrates the lack of professionalism that has gone into 2K's rosters over the past decade, and more prominently, the last five.

We have been marketed "Living Rosters", the "NBA Today", and an NBA "Insider" as key features within the game. Yet it's more apparent than ever that 2K simply doesn't take any of this seriously even though the majority of their fanbase does... and it irks me that 2K employees still pretend to treat the Insider as an actual person we can pass information along to. You'd have a better chance convincing me that CORPORATIONS are people, much less the 2K Insider.

------------------------------------------------------

INJURED PLAYERS

Red denotes player cannot play through injury.

NEW
Larry Sanders (73/C) Bucks (Day-to-day)
Leandro Barbosa (71/PG) Celtics (Out 6-9 months with Torn ACL)
Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF) Magic (Suspended until 3/27)

INCORRECT INJURIES
Deron Williams (86/PG) Nets (Resting until after all-star break)

INJURED LIST (36 total)
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C), Thaddeus Young (74/PF), Jason Richardson (74/SG)
Bobcats: N/A
Bucks: Larry Sanders (73/C)
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (76/C)
Celtics: Rajon Rondo (89/PG), Jared Sullinger (71/PF), Leandro Barbosa (71/PG)
Clippers: Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: N/A
Hawks: Louis Williams (78/SG)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: N/A
Jazz: Mo Williams (78/PG), Raja Bell (71/SG), Gordon Hayward (68/SG)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Marcus Camby (73/C), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Pau Gasol (81/PF), Jordan Hill (70/C)
Magic: Glen Davis (73/PF), Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: Chris Kaman (76/C)
Nets: Deron Williams (86/PG), Tornike Shengelia (56/SF)
Nuggets: N/A
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF)
Pistons: Andre Drummond (70/C)
Raptors: Mickael Pietrus (72/SF), Linas Kleiza (64/SF)
Rockets: N/A
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: Cartier Martin (67/SF)

------------------------------------------------------

INCORRECT LINEUPS

BOBCATS
Kemba Walker (PG), Gerald Henderson (SG), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF), Jeff Adrien (PF), Bismack Biyombo (C)
Byron Mullens returned to the starting lineup on 2/8.

CAVALIERS
Kyrie Irving (PG), C.J. Miles (SG), Alonzo Gee (SF), Tristan Thompson (PF), Tyler Zeller (C)
Dion Waiters returned to the starting lineup on 2/1.

HAWKS
Jeff Teague (PG), Kyle Korver (SG), Josh Smith (SF), Al Horford (PF), Zaza Pachulia (C)
Devin Harris has been starting at SG. Anthony Tolliver has recently been starting at PF which has pushed Smith to SF and Kyle Korver to the bench. 2K also has DeShawn Stevenson on the inactive list for no reason whatsoever - Stevenson even started twice this month, and has played 8 times in the past 10 games.

RAPTORS
Kyle Lowry (PG), DeMar DeRozan (SG), Rudy Gay (SF), Amir Johnson (PF), Aaron Gray (C)
Jonas Valanciunas returned to the starting lineup on 2/10.

------------------------------------------------------

Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 2/12/13

2013-02-12T09:46:00.004-05:00

With 2K Sports releasing their latest roster "update" for NBA 2K13, their rosters are now HILARIOUSLY out of date. I want to write good things about these roster updates. I really do. 2K Sports hasn't released an update worth talking about in a month, and has done so maybe 5 times all season despite (normally) updating 1-2 times per week. When 2K takes TEN DAYS to release a roster update, we expect SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, not piss-poor quality that 3rd graders on 2K Share could trump with one hand tied behind their back.

I know for a fact that if I performed my job this poorly, I would lose it within a week, not keep it for 5 years. There are others out there who feel the same way, and those people will probably jump to EA Sports once they finally have a working title again. If 2K Sports can't keep up with NBA.com's publicly accessible transaction list, can we really expect them to keep up with next-gen techology? Real talk.

Forget about the lack of player edits (though two in ten days is plenty bad), 2K is no longer even keeping up with basic transactions. There are FIVE players on wrong teams and they all have been there for weeks. Donald Sloan is still on the Hornets roster despite being outside of something Real 2K Insider likes to call "The Western Hemisphere."

We haven't had a missing player added in MONTHS despite the fact that one of them plays over 20 minutes per game and had a player model in the game as recently as 2K11. We are still missing a coach who was hired nearly one month ago.

We have clear department biases as Brooklyn's Deron Willams misses ONE GAME, is slated to miss one additional game (sitting out until after the All-Star break), and has been given a major injury that cannot be played through. In the previous update we had Chris Paul still capable of being used through his injury, while in this update the Spurs Tim Duncan (4 straight missed games) and Manu Ginobili (5 sraight missed games) have no injuries, despite the fact that they are likewise probable to be held out until after the All-Star break.

Player Edits: 3
Missing Players: 13
Players on Wrong Teams: 5
Incorrect Head Coaches: 1
Incorrect Injuries: 1
Missing Injuries: 3
Incorrect Starting Lineups: 6

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PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
2/12: 3
2/2: 2
1/30: 7
1/24: 0
1/21: 0
1/17: 18
1/12: 2
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

------------------------------------------------------

Jimmy Butler

75 Overall (+8)
82 Inside (+8)
71 Close (-6)
72 Med (+4)
65 3pt (+20)
82 FT (+5)
80 Layup (+10)
62 Traffic (+3)
66 SOD (+2)
46 Block (+6)
68 Steal (+2)
76 OBDef (+6)
62 OffReb (+7)
55 DefReb (+3)
63 PostDef (+5)
61 OffAwr (+9)
76 DefAwr (+12)
60 Consistency (+15)
89 Stamina (+2)
80 Speed (+3)
75 Quickness (+2)
88 Hustle (+16)
80 Potential (+10)

2013
PER: 15.2
Inside: 80-111 (72.1%)
Close: 11-45 (24.4%)
Med: 28-69 (40.6%)
3pt: 11-42 (26.2%)
FT: 97-112 (86.6%)
BLK%: 0.8
STL%: 1.6
ORB%: 7.7
DRB%: 10.5

2012
PER: 12.5
Inside: 14-28 (50.0%)
Close: 10-23 (43.4%)
Med: 6-17 (35.3%)
3pt: 2-11 (18.2%)
FT: 43-56 (76.8%)
BLK%: 1.0
STL%: 1.6
ORB%: 7.3
DRB%: 10.1

Butler played exceptionally well filling in for Luol Deng a few weeks back, and can now be considered the Bulls 6th man. He has averaged 14.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, and 2.5 apg across 6 starts, averaging a ridiculous 45.3 mpg.

------------------------------------------------------

LeBron James

100 Overall (+1)
99 OffAwr (+2)
87 DefAwr (+7)

The max displayable Overall rating is 99, but with these rating changes LeBron's rating is essentially 100. For those keeping score at home, most of the Michael Jordan's on the retro teams are also rated higher than 99.

------------------------------------------------------

Andre Drummond

69 Overall (+3)
30 3pt (+5)
86 Block (+2)
92 OffReb (+4)
78 DefReb (+6)
76 DefAwr (+6)
45 Consistency (+5)
80 Potential (+5)

2013
PER: 22.5 (14th in NBA)
Inside: 150-223 (67.3%)
Close: 10-43 (23.2%)
Med: 0-4 (0.0%)
3pt: 1-2 (50.0%)
6.7 BLK% (4th in NBA)
16.2 ORB% (leads NBA)
26.6 DRB% (8th in NBA)

Drummond's block and rebound ratings should be even higher than what they were just raised to. He has been nothing short of incredible in his playing time, despite being a teenager. Perhaps nothing illustrates that better than the following list.

Pistons Win Shares
4.1 Greg Monroe (1749 minutes)
3.9 Andre Drummond (986 minutes)
2.4 Kyle Singler (1496 minutes)
1.8 Rodney Stuckey (1332 minutes)
1.7 Jason Maxiell (1338 minutes)
1.4 Brandon Knight (1672 minutes)

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER MOVEMENT

Maalik Wayns (63/PG) - Free Agents (from 76ers)

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS

Jeremy Pargo (/PG) - Free Agents (Signed 10-day contract with 76ers on 2/7)
Donald Sloan (63/PG) - Hornets (10-day contract expired on 1/17)
Damion James (70/SF) - Nets (10-day contract expired on 1/23)
Dominic McGuire (66/SF) - Pacers (10-day contract expired on 1/27)
Louis Amundson (65/PF) - Timberwolves (Waived on 2/8)

------------------------------------------------------

UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (17 games, 9.5 mpg)
Chris Johnson (SG/SF) - Grizzlies (8 games, 12.8 mpg)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (8 games, 4.1 mpg)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (10 games, 3.4 mpg)
Mike James (PG) - Mavericks (14 games, 9.1 mpg, played 539 games prior to this season)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (2 games, 5.5 mpg, played 22 games prior to this season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (18 games, 7.8 mpg)
Patrick Beverley (PG) - Rockets (12 games, 12.1 mpg)
Aron Baynes (C) - Spurs (6 games, 5.8 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (7 games, 4.7 mpg)
Mickael Gelabale (SF) Timberwolves (13 games, 21.8 mpg, played 109 games prior to this season)
Chris Johnson (C/PF) - Timberwolves (9 games, 13.3 mpg, played 41 games prior to this season)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (36 games, 4.9 mpg)

------------------------------------------------------

INJURED PLAYERS

NEW
Thaddeus Young (74/PF) 76ers
Jared Sullinger (71/PF) Celtics
Gordon Hayward (68/SG) Jazz
Pau Gasol (81/PF) Lakers
Deron Williams (86/PG) Nets
Andre Drummond (69/C) Pistons

RECOVERED
Byron Mullens (69/PF) Bobcats
Daniel Gibson (65/SG) Cavaliers
Chris Paul (94/PG) Clippers
Chauncey Billups (81/PG) Clippers
Quincy Pondexter (61/SF) Grizzlies
Sam Young (68/SF) Pacers
Andrea Bargnani (73/PF) Raptors
Jonas Valanciunas (68/C) Raptors

MISSING INJURIES
Leandro Barbosa (71/PG) Celtics
Tim Duncan (87/C) Spurs
Manu Ginobili (86/SG) Spurs

INCORRECT INJURIES
Deron Williams (86/PG) Nets (Will rest until after all-star break; will literally miss ONE GAME)

OUT FOR SEASON (10 total)
Jason Richardson (73/SG) 76ers
Rajon Rondo (89/PG) Celtics
Jared Sullinger (71/PF) Celtics
Anderson Varejao (76/C) Cavaliers
Louis Williams (78/SG) Hawks
Jordan Hill (70/C) Lakers
Glen Davis (73/PF) Magic
Channing Frye (67/PF Suns
Elliot Williams (66/SG) Trail Blazers
Brandon Rush (71/SG) Warriors

INJURED LIST (33 total)
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C), Thaddeus Young (74/PF), Jason Richardson (74/SG)
Bobcats: N/A
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (76/C)
Celtics: Rajon Rondo (89/PG), Jared Sullinger (71/PF)
Clippers: Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: N/A
Hawks: Louis Williams (78/SG)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: N/A
Jazz: Mo Williams (78/PG), Raja Bell (71/SG), Gordon Hayward (68/SG)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Marcus Camby (73/C), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Pau Gasol (81/PF), Jordan Hill (70/C)
Magic: Glen Davis (73/PF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: Chris Kaman (76/C)
Nets: Deron Williams (86/PG), Tornike Shengelia (56/SF)
Nuggets: N/A
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF)
Pistons: Andre Drummond (69/C)
Raptors: Mickael Pietrus (72/SF), Linas Kleiza (64/SF)
Rockets: N/A
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: Cartier Martin (67/SF)

------------------------------------------------------

INCORRECT LINEUPS

BOBCATS
Kemba Walker (PG), Gerald Henderson (SG), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF), Jeff Adrien (PF), Bismack Biyombo (C)
Byron Mullens returned to the starting lineup on 2/8.

CAVALIERS
Kyrie Irving (PG), C.J. Miles (SG), Alonzo Gee (SF), Tristan Thompson (PF), Tyler Zeller (C)
Dion Waiters returned to the starting lineup on 2/1.

HAWKS
Jeff Teague (PG), Kyle Korver (SG), Josh Smith (SF), Al Horford (PF), Zaza Pachulia (C)
Devin Harris has been starting at SG. Anthony Tolliver has recently been starting at PF which has pushed Smith to SF and Kyle Korver to the bench. 2K also has DeShawn Stevenson on the inactive list for no reason whatsoever - Stevenson even started twice this month.

KNICKS
Raymond Felton (PG), Iman Shumpert (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Amare Stoudemire (PF), Tyson Chandler (C)
Amare Stoudemire has yet to start a single game since returning SIX WEEKS AGO on 1/1. The Knicks have been running small ball with Jason Kidd (SG), Iman Shumpert (SF), and Carmelo Anthony (PF) ever since Raymond Felton's return from injury last month.

MAGIC
Jameer Nelson (PG), J.J. Redick (SG), Arron Afflalo (SF), Andrew Nicholson (PF), Nikola Vucevic (C)
Maurice Harkless has been starting at SF since 1/30.

RAPTORS
Kyle Lowry (PG), DeMar DeRozan (SG), Rudy Gay (SF), Amir Johnson (PF), Aaron Gray (C)
Jonas Valanciunas returned to the starting lineup on 2/10.

------------------------------------------------------

Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 2/2/13

2013-02-02T11:57:00.002-05:00

Dear 2K Insider,

I know that you read my blog, else you wouldn't have bothered to injure the likes ofTornike Shengelia. If you are going to read my blog, I would suggest you make ALL of the changes I point out, not half of them. You'll have a better product, and I won't have to write these artic... Oh. Nevermind, I get it. You actually WANT someone to put the work and research in for you. In that case, enjoy your once a week checkup.

Thanks anyway,

Rashidi

Missing Players: 13
Players on Wrong Teams: 5
Incorrect Head Coaches: 1
Incorrect Injuries: 1
Missing Injuries: 4
Incorrect Starting Lineups: 2

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
2/2: 2
1/30: 7
1/24: 0
1/21: 0
1/17: 18
1/12: 2
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

Brandan Knight is 76 Overall (+3) due to position change to SG (no rating changes).

Darren Collison

76 Overall (0)
84 3pt (+4)

2013
Inside: 99-152 (65.1%
Close: 40-116 (34.4%)
Med: 42-93 (45.2%)
3pt: 31-75 (41.3%)

2012
Inside: 90-159 (56.6%)
Close: 65-168 (38.6%)
Med: 73-161 (45.3%)
3pt: 38-105 (36.2%)

This is the definition of a bare-minimum update. Collison is having a much better season in Dallas than he did with the Pacers, improving his FG% by 45 points and doubling his steal rate.

Earl Clark

68 Overall (+1)
74 3pt (+11)
73 FT (-2)

2013
Inside: 35-57 (61.4%)
Close: 10-30 (33.3%)
Med: 16-41 (39.0%)
3pt: 14-28 (50.0%)

2012
Inside: 32-57 (56.1%)
Close: 13-44 (29.5%)
Med: 14-56 (25.0%)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)

Clark has already been edited twice in the past month and this one was solely to make him capable of hitting threes, something he obviously can do. Expect continued edits for Clark going forward, and very few for any non-Laker role players.

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER MOVEMENT

Tayshaun Prince (76/SF) - Grizzlies (from Pistons)
Ed Davis (71/PF) - Grizzlies (from Raptors)
Austin Daye (63/SF) Grizzlies (from Pistons)
Josh Harrellson (54/C) - Free Agents (from Heat)
Jose Calderon (75/PG) - Pistons (from Raptors)
Rudy Gay (86/SF) - Raptors (from Grizzlies)
Hamed Haddadi (49/C) - Raptors (from Grizzlies)

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS

LOL how did 2K waive Josh Harrellson but not take care of the other players!? Sad. Sloppy.

Maalik Wayns (63/PG) - 76ers (10-day contract expired, team opted to sign Shelvin Mack instead)
Donald Sloan (63/PG) - Hornets (10-day contract expired, team did not re-sign)
Damion James (70/SF) - Nets (10-day contract expired, team did not re-sign)
Dominic McGuire (66/SF) - Pacers (10-day contract expired, team opted to sign Sam Young instead)
Shelvin Mack (65/PG) - Free Agents (Was signed to 10-day contract on 1/17, four rosters ago)

------------------------------------------------------

MISSING PLAYERS

No new players were added.

------------------------------------------------------

UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (16 games, 9.8 mpg)
Chris Johnson (SG/SF) - Grizzlies (5 games, 18.4 mpg)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (7 games, 4.3 mpg)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (8 games, 3.6 mpg)
Mike James (PG) - Mavericks (11 games, 9.6 mpg, played 539 games prior to this season)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (2 games, 5.5 mpg, played 22 games prior to this season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (17 games, 8.1 mpg)
Patrick Beverley (PG) - Rockets (9 games, 11.1 mpg)
Aron Baynes (C) - Spurs (2 games, 9.5 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (6 games, 5.0 mpg)
Mickael Gelabale (SF) Timberwolves (7 games, 18.9 mpg)
Chris Johnson (C/PF) - Timberwolves (6 games, 16.2 mpg, played 41 games prior to this season)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (31 games, 3.5 mpg)
TOTAL: 13

Mike James and Jarvis Varnado were signed for the rest of the season. James has been in previous 2K games and his re-addition to the game should not be particularly difficult.

Patrick Beverley quickly supplanted Toney Douglas as the Rockets backup PG, and needs to be added to the game. IIRC correctly, he was previously in an NBA 2K game despite not playing until this year, which should make his addition easier.

Mickael Gelabale and Chris Johnson have played extremely well for Minnesota, garnering a ton of minutes (for 10-day contract players) due to injuries. Both need to be added, however 2K will likely only add one as the Wolves have 16 players on the roster with a game max of 15. In my roster I simply released Brandon Roy, who is likely to retire.

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INJURED PLAYERS

NEW
Jason Richardson (74/SG) 76ers
Glen Davis (73/PF) Magic
Chris Kaman (76/C) Mavericks
Tornike Shengelia (56/SF) Nets
Mickael Pietrus (72/SF) Raptors
Linas Kleiza (64/SF) Raptors

RECOVERED
Anthony Morrow (66/SG) Hawks
Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF) Magic
Nikola Pekovic (76/C) Timberwolves
Alexey Shved (71/SG) Timberwolves

MISSING INJURIES
Jared Sullinger (71/PF) Celtics - News broke yesterday that Sullinger will have back surgery and miss the rest of the season.
Corey Maggette (75/SF) Pistons - Sprained ankle and has not played since 12/15. Even if technically healthy, there is no reason for him to be on Pistons active roster.
Royce White (68/PF) Rockets - Not making D-League debut until 2/11. NBA still ways away.

INCORRECT INJURIES
Sam Young (68/SF) Pacers - Young wouldn't have been signed if he were still hurt. He played 11 minutes last night.
Jonas Valanciunas (68/C) Raptors - Returned and played 13 minutes last night.

OUT FOR SEASON (8 total)
Rajon Rondo (89/PG) - Celtics
Anderson Varejao (76/C) - Cavaliers
Louis Williams (78/SG) - Hawks
Jordan Hill (70/C) - Lakers
Glen Davis (73/PF) - Magic
Channing Frye (67/PF - Suns
Elliot Williams (66/SG) - Trail Blazers
Brandon Rush (71/SG) - Warriors

INJURED LIST (34 total)
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C), Jason Richardson (74/SG)
Bobcats: Byron Mullens (69/PF)
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (76/C), Daniel Gibson (65/SG)
Celtics: Rajon Rondo (89/PG)
Clippers: Chris Paul (94/PG), Chauncey Billups (81/PG), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: Quincy Pondexter (61/SF)
Hawks: Louis Williams (78/SG)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: N/A
Jazz: Mo Williams (78/PG), Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Marcus Camby (73/C), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Jordan Hill (70/C)
Magic: Glen Davis (73/PF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: Chris Kaman (76/C)
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: N/A
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF), Sam Young (68/SF)
Pistons: N/A
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Mickael Pietrus (72/SF), Jonas Valanciunas (68/C), Linas Kleiza (64/SF)
Rockets: N/A
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: Cartier Martin (67/SF)

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INCORRECT LINEUPS

2K Sports continues to leave the Hawks and Knicks lineups incorrect while fixing all the other ones I post.... although in the Magic's case, 2K never actually fixed them as they never started Glen Davis when he was healthy and he just got hurt again.

HAWKS
Jeff Teague (PG), Kyle Korver (SG), Josh Smith (SF), Al Horford (PF), Zaza Pachulia (C)
Devin Harris has been starting at SG, moving Pachulia to the bench and everyone back to their natural spots. 2K also has DeShawn Stevenson on the inactive list for no reason whatsoever - Stevenson logged 29 minutes in his last game on 1/27.

KNICKS
Raymond Felton (PG), Iman Shumpert (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Amare Stoudemire (PF), Tyson Chandler (C)
Since Felton returned from injury, Jason Kidd has been starting at SG, pushing Shump to SF and Melo to PF. Amare Stoudemire has yet to start a single game since returning one month ago on 1/1.

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Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 1/30/13

2013-01-30T13:47:00.001-05:00

With today's roster update, 2K Sports once again shows us that their grip on the NBA is tenuous at best. Seven players were edited, but four of those players have already received multiple edits this season. Some other interesting figures regarding this update...

Missing Players: 13
Players on Wrong Teams: 6
Incorrect Head Coaches: 1
Incorrect Injuries: 2
Missing Injuries: 5
Incorrect Starting Lineups: 5

2K simply is not doing enough with their product on a day-to-day basis. Frankly, I am getting extremely bored of online play as 2K barely makes any changes to their rosters despite more people playing their game than ever. The list of blatantly mis-rated players grows every day, and meanwhile we're getting the FOURTH update to Jrue Holiday.

Oh, but we have the All-Star team (for offline play) for those who have the DLC. Like any of you care.

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PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
1/30: 7
1/24: 0
1/21: 0
1/17: 18
1/12: 2
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

Editor's Note: My statistical breakdowns and analysis of the individual rating changes will come later in the day.

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Jrue Holiday

88 Overall (+1)
91 Inside (+3)
82 3pt (-2)
78 FT (-2)
92 Layup (+3)
71 Traffic (+3)
71 SOD (+3)
72 Steal (-4)
48 OffReb (+10)
92 OffAwr (+4)
99 Stamina (+1)
90 Speed (+4)
92 Quickness (+3)
86 Hustle (+4)
85 Durability (+11)

2013
PER: 19.2
Synergy OFF: 0.87 PPP (238th)
Synergy DEF: 0.88 PPP (208th)
Inside: 106-168 (63.1%)
Close: 95-221 (42.9%)
Med: 67-164 (40.9%)
3pt: 44-123 (35.8%)
FT: 106-136 (77.9%)
STL%: 2.0
ORB%: 3.2

2012
PER: 14.7
Synergy OFF: 0.87 PPP (252nd)
Synergy DEF: 0.72 PPP (29th)
Inside: 137-253 (54.2%)
Close: 125-330 (37.8%)
Med: 87-210 (41.4%)
3pt: 85-220 (38.6%)
FT: 94-120 (78.3%)
STL%: 2.5
ORB%: 2.9

Aside from Holiday making the all-star team, I'm not sure what the precedent is to tweak Holiday AGAIN. Don't get me wrong, player edits are (almost) always welcome, but these adjustments are minor and Holiday has now been edited four times this season. There are tons of players who haven't been adjusted in years.

As with most players, a bigger offensive role has lead to a drop off in defensive effort. Holiday's defense was elite last season but is merely average this season. His steal rating has dropped, but the rest of his defensive ratings (86 Off-Ball Defense, 86 Defensive Awareness) are still quite high. The Sixers are only 18th defensively this year, well down from last season's #3 ranking, and Holiday's diminished efffectiveness is a big part of that (though most of it can be attributed to replacing Andre Iguodala's minutes with Evan Turner).

I'd say Holiday is pretty overrated now. His numbers are a product of his increased offensive role, and efficiency-wise they don't blow anyone away. The team isn't winning games and one has to think that Andrew Bynum's presence would kill Holiday's numbers but also help the 76ers immensely. We'll find out when Bynum makes his return after the all-star break.

Rashidi's Rating: 86

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Kyrie Irving

88 Overall (+3)
83 Medium (+5)
80 Steal (+12)
92 Hands (+5)
92 OffAwr (+8)
74 DefAwr (+8)
92 Durability (+9)
93 Potential (+4)

2013
PER: 22.4
Synergy OFF: 0.98 PPP (75th)
Synergy DEF: 0.83 PPP (119th)
Inside: 81-145 (55.9%)
Close: 90-200 (45.0%)
Med: 68-141 (48.2%)
3pt: 69-169 (40.8%)
STL%: 2.6
Isolation: 1.05 PPP (5th) - 30.9% of offense

2012
PER: 21.4
Synergy OFF: 0.95 PPP (113th)
Synergy DEF: 1.03 PPP (447th)
Inside: 167-272 (61.4%)
Close: 60-161 (37.2%)
Med: 50-131 (38.2%)
3pt: 73-183 (39.9%)
STL%: 1.8
Isolation: 1.01 PPP (10th) - 15.9% of offense

As with Holiday, the main reason Irving got this boost is he made the all-star team. The difference is Irving actually needed an upgrade. Fans have been calling for Irving to get a much needed boost to his mid-range shot. He got it, but looking at his shooting stats it wasn't enough.

It should be very clear that looking at Irving's Synergy data that he's one of the best Isolation players on the planet. What's scary is that he's doing this playing next to players opposing teams don't even need to bother guarding!

Irving has also improved his defense quite a bit. Last year he was the worst defensive PG in basketball but this year he has been above average (thanks to an improved steal rate) while carrying the load offensively.

(Pointed out by BewmHedShot, Irving has yet to show he can stay healthy. After an abbreviated college career, Irving has suffered injuries in both of his NBA seasons, having played 76.7% of his games so far. What is the logic behind raising his Durability? If anything, it should have went down.)

Rashidi's Rating: 88

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Dwight Howard

89 Overall (-3)
92 Inside (-6)
92 Dunk (-3)
64 Steal (-8)
90 DefAwr (-5)
70 Consistency (-15)
82 Vertical (-6)
81 Hustle (-6)

2013
PER: 19.7
Synergy OFF: 0.94 PPP (129th)
Synergy DEF: 0.68 PPP (9th)
Inside: 178-255 (69.8%)
Close: 71-166 (42.7%)
Med: 1-8 (12.5%)
3pt: 1-4 (25.0%)
STL%: 1.5
Dunks: 98 (55% of Inside FGM, 3.21 Dunks per 48 minutes)
Post-Up: 0.76 PPP (80th) - 45.9% of offense

2012
PER: 24.2
Synergy OFF: 0.96 PPP (93rd)
Synergy DEF: 0.75 PPP (45th)
Inside: 274-375 (73.1%)
Close: 142-342 (41.5%)
Med: 0-2 (0%)
3pt: 0-7 (0%)
STL%: 2.1
Dunks: 137 (50% of Inside FGM, 3.17 Dunks per 48 minutes)
Post-Up 0.88 PPP (55th) - 57.5% of offense

2K Sports simply does not understand WHY Howard isn't performing at his usual offensive standards. Yes, he is limited by his back injury, but that hasn't stopped him from dunking nearly three times per game. It's Howard's post game that has diminished. His drop in efficiency is concerning since he is surrounded by far more talent than he had in Orlando. Generally a player's efficiency is supposed to go up when they aren't being relied on as heavily or focused on by the defense.

Rashidi's Rating: 89

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Steve Nash

83 Overall (-2)
86 Close (-5)
93 FT (+3)
87 Layup (-5)
91 Pass (-3)
63 Steal (+5)
66 BallDef (-4)
65 DefAwr (-2)
80 Consistency (-10)
93 Stamina (-2)
81 Speed (-4)
83 Quickness (-5)

2013
PER: 16.3
Synergy OFF: 0.94 PPP (129th)
Synergy DEF: 0.93 PPP (294th)
Inside: 16-23 (69.6%)
Close: 32-63 (50.7%)
Med: 20-36 (56.6%)
3pt: 24-54 (44.4%)
FT: 33-35 (94.3%)
AST%: 37.2
STL%: 1.2
Shot Assisted%: 15.6
Pick and Roll: 0.82 PPP (41st) - 51% of offense

2012
PER: 20.3
Synergy OFF: 0.92 PPP (164th)
Synergy DEF: 0.82 PPP (147th)
Inside: 77-104 (74.0%)
Close: 77-150 (51.3%)
Med: 86-160 (53.7%)
3pt: 55-141 (39.0%)
FT: 127-142 (89.4%)
AST%: 53.1
STL%: 1.0
Shot Assisted%: 46.7
Pick and Roll: 0.92 PPP (28th) - 61% of offense

As evidenced by his percentages, Nash has the best shot selection in the game. Rather than drop any of his shooting ratings, I would advocate dropping his Shoot Off Dribble rating as we haven't seen the pick and roll mastery that he's otherwise shown throughout his career. Last year Nash was assisted on only 40% of his three-point shots, but this year he's getting many more spotup looks and has been assisted on 92% of them.

Nash was an adequate defender last season (despite his reputation), but age seems to have caught up to him here. He has been a step slow on both ends, and is notably recovering from a leg injury he suffered early in the season.

Rashidi's Rating: 80

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Jerry Stackhouse

67 Overall (-2)
74 3pt (-2)
68 Layup (-6)
60 Dunk (-10)
71 SOD (-4)
68 OffAwr (-4)
50 DefAwr (-2)
50 Consistency (-15)

2013
PER: 8.0
Synergy OFF: 0.84 PPP (279th)
Synergy DEF: 0.79 PPP (69th)
Inside: 4-7 (57.1%)
Close: 11-25 (44.0%)
Med: 6-18 (33.3%)
3pt: 25-77 (32.5%)
Shot Assisted: 67.4%

2012
PER: 11.5
Synergy OFF: 0.84 PPP (300th)
Synergy DEF: 0.70 PPP (20th)
Inside: 8-18 (44.4%)
Close: 7-19 (36.8%)
Med: 9-25 (36.0%)
3pt: 13-38 (34.2%)
Shot Assisted: 78.4%

At 38 years of age, Stackhouse hasn't really been an NBA level player in 5 years. At this stage of his career he isn't much more than a spotup shooter, and not a particularly good one at that. It goes without saying that Stackhouse hadn't been updated by 2K in quite some time and that a player his age isn't a good finisher at the rim anymore.

Rashidi's Rating: 63

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Alan Anderson

70 Overall (+4)
79 3pt (+3)
85 FT (+3)
73 Layup (+4)
69 Traffic (+4)
63 Security (+7)
74 Steal (+14)
71 OffAwr (+19)
55 Consistency (+10)
82 Hustle (+5)
79 Durability (+5)
72 Potential (+2)

2013
PER: 14.1
Synergy OFF: 0.92 PPP (170th)
Synergy DEF: 0.79 PPP (69th)
Inside: 29-44 (65.9%)
Close: 28-72 (38.8%)
Med: 10-48 (20.8%)
3pt: 54-160 (33.8%)
FT: 75-88 (85.2%)
STL%: 2.3

2012
PER: 8.7
Synergy OFF: 0.90 PPP (202nd)
Synergy DEF: 0.70 PPP (20th)
Inside: 13-21 (61.9%)
Close: 7-30 (23.3%)
Med: 11-30 (36.7%)
3pt: 24-61 (39.3%)
FT: 29-34 (85.3%)
STL%: 0.6

Anderson has arguably been Toronto's best wing player this season.

DeRozan: 14.4 PER, 0.062 WS/48
Anderson: 14.1 PER, 0.067 WS/48
Ross: 11.4 PER, 0.033 WS/48
Fields: 9.0 PER, 0.023 WS/48
Kleiza: 8.3 PER, 0.005 WS/48
Pietrus: 6.2 PER, -0.011 WS/48

Of course, when Alan Anderson is your top wing player, that'll lead you to do things like trade the farm for Rudy Gay on a max contract.

Gay: 14.3 PER, 0.085 WS/48

Don't expect too much of an upgrade, Raptors fans.

Rashidi's Rating: 73

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Tiago Splitter

70 Overall (+6)
88 Inside (-7)
64 Close (+3)
73 FT (+4)
56 Traffic (+10)
33 Pass (+4)
68 Steal (+10)
51 Hands (+16)
81 OffReb (+8)
72 DefReb (+2)
62 OffAwr (+21)
74 DefAwr (+6)
55 Consistency (+15)
83 Hustle (+16)

2013
PER: 20.3
Synergy OFF: 1.13 PPP (8th)
Synergy DEF: 0.85 PPP (156th)
Inside: 162-227 (71.4%)
Close: 23-77 (29.8%)
Med: 0-2 (0%)
3pt: 0-1 (0%)
FT: 119-161 (73.9%)
AST%: 8.7
STL%: 1.6
ORB%: 8.8
DRB%: 19.7
Pick and Roll: 1.38 PPP (2nd) - 28% of offense

2012
PER: 20.5
Synergy OFF: 1.08 PPP (13th)
Synergy DEF: 0.91 PPP (341st)
Inside: 197-254 (77.6%)
Close: 45-131 (34.3%)
Med: 0-5 (0%)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)
FT: 125-181 (69.1%)
AST%: 9.2
STL%: 1.0
ORB%: 9.7
DRB%: 21.4
Pick and Roll: 1.32 PPP (5th) - 29% of offense

The majority of Splitter's ratings are based on his 2011 season, and he has been one of the most underrated players in NBA 2K for the last two seasons. Even with this update, he is still grossly underrated.

Splitter is one of the league's top options at finishing on the pick and roll which makes him a perfect fit with Tony Parker. Offensively he resembles Tyson Chandler, but with more post-up ability.

Rashidi's Rating: 76

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COACHING CHANGES

Alvin Gentry is still coach of the Suns. Lindsey Hunter replaced him on 1/18.

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ALL-STAR TEAMS

Please note that you cannot use the All-Star teams UNLESS you have the All-Star DLC.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
84 - Kevin Garnett (PF)
99 - LeBron James (SF)
90 - Carmelo Anthony (SF)
91 - Dwyane Wade (SG)
89 - Rajon Rondo (PG)
BENCH
88 - Kyrie Irving (PG)
88 - Jrue Holiday (PG)
83 - Paul George (SG)
83 - Joakim Noah (C)
83 - Luol Deng (SF)
82 - Chris Bosh (C)
77 - Tyson Chandler (C)

I'm guessing 2K did not notice how awful their Chandler rating has been for the last 30 months.
With Rondo out for the season, he was replaced on the team by Brook Lopez (though 2K has not reflected this yet).

WESTERN CONFERENCE
89 - Dwight Howard (C)
86 - Blake Griffin (PF)
95 - Kevin Durant (SF)
95 - Kobe Bryant (SG)
94 - Chris Paul (PG)
BENCH
90 - Russell Westbrook (PG)
87 - Tim Duncan (C)
86 - James Harden (SG)
86 - LaMarcus Aldridge (PF)
84 - David Lee (PF)
84 - Tony Parker (PG)
83 - Zach Randolph (PF)

I expect Chris Paul to sit out the game due to his nagging knee injuries, which leaves the door wide-open for Stephen Curry to take his spot.

PLAYERS WITH ALL-STAR RATINGS WHO OBVIOUSLY AREN'T
87 - Josh Smith (PF) - Hawks
86 - Rudy Gay (SF) - Grizzlies
85 - Andre Iguodala (SG) - Nuggets
83 - Amare Stoudemire (PF) - Knicks
83 - Kemba Walker (PG) - Bobcats (-1 from Tony Parker LOLOLLOLOLOLLL)
83 - Monta Ellis (SG) - Bucks
83 - Joe Johnson (SG) - Nets
82 - J.R. Smith (SG) - Knicks
82 - Evan Turner (SF) - 76ers
81 - Caron Butler (SF) - Clippers
80 - Wilson Chandler (SF) - Nuggets

Expect 2K to address this list sometime next year.

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INJURED PLAYERS

Rajon Rondo's torn ACL is the first big monkey wrench thrown into the NBA season. The Celtics absolutely need a PG now and will be actively looking for a trade partner. While on paper it would seem to hurt the Celtics, I'm skeptical a player like Jose Calderon wouldn't get their offense shining (Rondo has lead a team with Pierce, Garnett, and Terry to the league's 3rd worst offense).

Chris Paul has missed 7 of the last 9 games his return date is unknown. Hopefully this nerfs the countless Clippers fans we see online. On second thought nevermind, as the Heat/Thunder users are surely going to double.

Andrew Bogut made a surprise return and played well in his debut. Bogut should improve the Warriors immensely, especially online where his replacement Festus Ezeli was only 52 Overall (gook luck getting 2K to upgrade that now).

NEW
Chris Paul (94/PG) - Clippers
Daniel Gibson (65/SG) - Cavaliers
Rajon Rondo (89/PG) - Celtics

RECOVERED
Steve Blake (68/PG) - Lakers
Royce White (68/PF) - Rockets
Andrew Bogut (79/C) - Warriors

MISSING INJURIES
Chris Kaman (76/C) - Mavericks: Out indefinitely with a concussion.
Tornike Shengelia (56/SF) - Nets: Out indefinitely with a concussion.
Corey Maggette (75/SF) - Pistons: Sprained ankle and has not played since 12/15. Even if technically healthy, there is no reason for him to be on Pistons active roster.
Linas Kleiza (64/SF) - Raptors: Has not played since 12/28 due to a sore knee.
Royce White (68/PF) - Rockets: Not making D-League debut until 2/11. NBA still ways away.

INCORRECT INJURIES
Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF) - Magic: Returned on 1/29, scoring 4 points.
Sam Young (68/SF) - Pacers: In a "DUH" moment, Young wouldn't have been signed if he were still hurt.

OUT FOR SEASON (6 total)
Rajon Rondo (89/PG) - Celtics
Anderson Varejao (76/C) - Cavaliers
Louis Williams (78/SG) - Hawks
Jordan Hill (70/C) - Lakers
Channing Frye (67/PF - Suns
Brandon Rush (71/SG) - Warriors

INJURED LIST (33 total)
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C)
Bobcats: Byron Mullens (69/PF)
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (76/C), Daniel Gibson (65/SG)
Celtics: Rajon Rondo (89/PG)
Clippers: Chris Paul (94/PG), Chauncey Billups (81/PG), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: Quincy Pondexter (61/SF)
Hawks: Louis Williams (78/SG), Anthony Morrow (66/SG)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: N/A
Jazz: Mo Williams (78/PG), Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Marcus Camby (73/C), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Jordan Hill (70/C)
Magic: Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: N/A
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: N/A
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF), Sam Young (68/SF)
Pistons: N/A
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Jonas Valanciunas (68/C)
Rockets: N/A
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Nikola Pekovic (76/C), Alexey Shved (71/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: Cartier Martin (67/SF)

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PLAYER MOVEMENT

Jannero Pargo (64/PG) - Hawks (from Free Agents)
Sam Young (68/SF) - Pacers (from Free Agents)

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PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS

This is the second week in a row we've had these errors, which is frankly pathetic. Dominic McGuire joins the original five players with expired contracts to make it six. They seriously couldn't waive Wayns and put Mack on the Sixers AGAIN?

Maalik Wayns (63/PG) - 76ers (10-day contract expired, team opted to sign Shelvin Mack instead)
Josh Harrellson (54/C) - Heat (10-day contract expired, team opted to sign Chris Andersen instead)
Donald Sloan (63/PG) - Hornets (10-day contract expired, team did not re-sign)
Damion James (70/SF) - Nets (10-day contract expired, team did not re-sign)
Dominic McGuire (66/SF) - Pacers (10-day contract expired, team opted to sign Sam Young instead)
Shelvin Mack (65/PG) - Free Agents (Was signed to 10-day contract on 1/17, four rosters ago)

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MISSING PLAYERS

No new players were added.

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UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (15 games, 9.0 mpg)
Chris Johnson (SG/SF) - Grizzlies (4 games, 17.8 mpg)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (7 games, 4.3 mpg)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (7 games, 4.0 mpg)
Mike James (PG) - Mavericks (9 games, 9.9 mpg, played 539 games prior to this season)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (2 games, 5.5 mpg, played 22 games prior to this season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (16 games, 8.4 mpg)
Patrick Beverley (PG) - Rockets (9 games, 11.1 mpg)
Aron Baynes (C) - Spurs (1 game, 1.0 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (6 games, 5.0 mpg)
Mickael Gelabale (SF) Timberwolves (5 games, 21.8 mpg)
Chris Johnson (C/PF) - Timberwolves (5 games, 17.2 mpg, played 41 games prior to this season)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (30 games, 3.5 mpg)
TOTAL: 13

Mike James and Jarvis Varnado were signed for the rest of the season. James has been in previous 2K games and his re-addition to the game should not be particularly difficult.

Patrick Beverley quickly supplanted Toney Douglas as the Rockets backup PG, and needs to be added to the game. IIRC correctly, he was previously in an NBA 2K game despite not playing until this year, which should make his addition easier.

Mickael Gelabale and Chris Johnson have played extremely well for Minnesota, garnering a ton of minutes (for 10-day contract players) due to injuries. Both need to be added, however 2K will likely only add one as the Wolves have 16 players on the roster with a game max of 15. In my roster I simply released Brandon Roy, who is unlikely to play again (while also dropping his ridiculous 80 rating to avoid another team from signing him).

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INCORRECT LINEUPS

76ERS
Jrue Holiday (PG), Jason Richardson (SG), Evan Turner (SF), Thaddeus Young (PF), Lavoy Allen (C)
Spencer Hawes replaced Allen in the starting lineup on 1/26.

HAWKS
Jeff Teague (PG), Kyle Korver (SG), Josh Smith (SF), Al Horford (PF), Zaza Pachulia (C)
Devin Harris has been starting at SG, moving Pachulia to the bench and everyone back to their natural spots. 2K also has DeShawn Stevenson on the inactive list for no reason whatsoever - Stevenson logged 29 minutes in his last game on 1/27.

KNICKS
Raymond Felton (PG), Iman Shumpert (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Amare Stoudemire (PF), Tyson Chandler (C)
Amare Stoudemire has yet to start a game since returning on 1/1. It would be nice if 2K Sports also dropped his rating about 5 points (from a ridiculous 83) as he isn't anywhere near the athletic finisher he was during his prime. Since Felton returned from injury, Jason Kidd has been starting at SG, pushing Shump to SF and Melo to PF.

MAGIC
Jameer Nelson (PG), Arron Afflalo (SG), DeQuan Jones (SF), Andrew Nicholson (PF), Nikola Vucevic (C)
Glen Davis returned to the starting lineup on 1/16.

MAVERICKS

Darren Collison (PG), O.J. Mayo (SG), Shawn Marion (SF), Dirk Nowitzki (PF), Chris Kaman (C)

Kaman was demoted and is also hurt. Bernard James has started the last two games for Dallas.

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Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA players in 1987 vs 2013

2013-01-28T02:06:00.000-05:00

Scott O'Gallagher (and a few others) contended with me on Twitter today that NBA talent has gotten worse since the 1980s. Scott's arguments are that the 80s had some of the all-time greatest players and also hosted some of the all-time greatest teams.

I however contend this is NOT the case because Scott is only looking at the top talent and not the league as a whole.

1987 Players sorted by position and Win Shares (the actual WS score doesn't actually matter for this case-study). I used 1987 because I wanted a 25 year gap and forgot it's not 2012 anymore >_<

POINT GUARD

15.9 Magic Johnson (MVP, All-NBA 1st)

10.3 Doc Rivers

10.0 Sleepy Floyd

9.7 Fat Lever (All-NBA 2nd)

9.4 Derek Harper

7.9 Maurice Cheeks

7.6 Isiah Thomas (All-NBA 2nd)

7.0 Vern Fleming

6.8 Terry Porter

6.0 John Paxson

5.6 Rickey Green (backup John Stockton w/ 6.7)

5.2 Dennis Johnson

4.5 Jay Humphries

4.3 John Lucas

4.1 Nate McMillian

3.3 Ennis Whatley

3.0 John Sundvold

2.9 Gerald Henderson

2.6 John Bagley

1.1 Darnell Valentine

0.7 Pearl Washington

Aside from Magic Johnson, point guard in 87 gets WAXED by today's NBA talent. Lafayette Lever was All-NBA 2nd team which pretty much says it all. Fast forward to today and Stephen Curry was just snubbed from the All-Star team. The majority of these players were not better players than Charlotte Bobcats' starter Kemba Walker or his backup Ramon Sessions. In fact, the vast majority of NBA backups are better players than the worst 8 starters in 1987. Nobody is taking John Bagley over Kirk Hinrich much less backups Nate Robinson, Andre Miller, Jarrett Jack, or Kyle Lowry. NOBODY.

PG is the position that has evolved most in the NBA. The quality of guard play has improved throughout the years, and it's not just the rules changes that have made them more effective. Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and John Wall are athletic PGs with blinding speed who can throw it down on opposing defenders with even the slightest separation. Magic Johnson didn't exactly have to deal with that when he was guarding Vern Fleming. The only players with that level of athleticism were wings like Jordan, Drexler, and Dominique Wilkins. Now it is common place.

SHOOTING GUARD

16.9 Michael Jordan (All-NBA 1st)

10.3 Clyde Drexler

9.3 Dale Ellis

8.0 Rolando Blackman

7.7 Byron Scott (backup & Defensive Player of Year Michael Cooper w/ 6.1)

6.7 Danny Ainge

6.2 Reggie Theus

5.8 Walter Davis

5.6 Jeff Malone

5.3 Alvin Robertson

5.2 Chris Mullin

4.2 Joe Dumars (Sixth man Vinnie Johnson w/ 4.8)

4.2 Ron Harper

4.2 Randy Wittman

3.5 Julius Erving (36 years old)

3.3 Gerald Wilkins

2.9 Sidney Moncrief (Sixth Man of Year Ricky Pierce w/ 9.4)

2.6 Bob Hansen

2.4 T.R. Dunn

2.1 John Long

1.6 Derek Smith

1.3 Tony Brown

0.9 Mike Woodson (yes, that Mike Woodson)

Shooting guard of course was headlined by Michael Jordan, the man who revolutionized the position. Before Jordan, there were no superstar SGs. Of course, with that groundwork laid, we now have a league with Kobe, Wade, and Harden producing at a high level (whereas only Drexler was anywhere close to MJ), with a collection of elite 6th men scorers like Manu Ginobili, Kevin Martin, Jamal Crawford, J.R. Smith, J.J. Redick, and Ray Allen, far replicating the microwave scoring players like Vinnie Johnson started. For every Danny Ainge or Reggie Theus there is an Andre Iguodala or Joe Johnson, a former star w/ an all-around game sacrificing touches. Paul George is an All-Star 6'10" shooting guard which should say it all about how far the position has come.

On the George note, perhaps most important is the growth of the position. When Jordan burst on the stage he was considered a big guard. Most SGs were 6'3" to 6'4". Jordan changed all of that. 6'6" guards are far more common, and we've seen wingspan of these players grow as well. We have long, athletic, tenacious defenders like Thabo Sefolosha, Avery Bradley, and Tony Allen pairing the effectiveness of guys like Sidney Moncrief and Alvin Robertson with the 3pt shooting that most SGs frankly lacked in the 80s. Starters like John Long, Derek Smith, etc would not even sniff the D-League in todays game, which of course does not speak very highly of most backup players.

SMALL FORWARD

15.2 Larry Bird (All-NBA 1st)

12.2 Dominique Wilkins (All-NBA 2nd)

10.8 Kiki Vandweghe

10.3 Adrian Dantley

10.2 Larry Nance

9.4 Rodney McCray

9.3 James Worthy

8.9 Mark Aguirre

8.1 Alex English

7.4 Xavier McDaniel

6.8 Orlando Woolridge

6.4 Jerome Kersey

5.6 Chuck Person

5.5 Paul Pressey

4.5 Roy Hinson

4.2 Robert Reid

3.7 Rod Higgins

3.6 Gene Banks

3.6 Terry Cateledge

3.3 Phil Hubbard

3.3 Kelly Tripucka

3.1 Kenny Walker

2.9 Terry Tyler (6th man Eddie Johnson w/ 4.3)

2.2 Walter Berry

1.0 Rory White

Bird, Nique, Kiki versus LeBron, Durant, Melo? No contest up top. With respect to Larry Legend, LeBron is an all-time great on the heels of Jordan. Save the Bird comparisons for silky All-Around Kevin Durant, the perennial MVP candidate who can do no wrong on or off the court. Nobody is taking Kiki or Dantley over Melo right now (Dantley was basically Melo w/o 3pt range). After that, it's a bit of a dropoff for the modern era but 35 year old Paul Pierce, even in his advanced age is a more valuable offensive player than most 1987 small forwards.

SF has evolved over the years. In the 80s it was a position where you'd get volume scoring whereas now SFs are all-around wing players, defensive stoppers, three point gunners. English and Kiki's no-defense gunning approach might have worked in 1987 but coaches nowadays prefer guys like Andrei Kirilenko, Nicolas Batum, Luol Deng, and Shane Battier, players who can defend multiple positions and kill you with the three ball w/o dominating the ball on offense.

POWER FORWARD

14.8 Kevin McHale (All-NBA 1st)

12.0 Charles Barkley (All-NBA 2nd)

9.0 Otis Thorpe

8.8 Terry Cummings

8.6 Kevin Willis

7.9 Buck Williams

7.6 A.C. Green

7.5 Sam Perkins

7.5 John "Hot Rod" Williams

7.4 Tom Chambers

7.2 Michael Cage

6.9 Karl Malone

6.2 Ed Pinckney

6.2 Dave Greenwood

5.8 Bill Cartwright

5.4 Larry Smith

4.7 Herb Williams

4.7 Jim Peterson

3.5 Charles Oakley

3.5 John Williams

3.4 Sidney Green (rookie backup Dennis Rodman w/ 2.9)

2.6 Caldwell Jones

McHale, Barkley, and Karl Malone pioneered the PF position, as prior to those players there was no such thing as a star PF. The league revolved around centers until these PFs came in and changed the game. In 87 we can clearly see most PFs were blue-collar rebounding types, but that responsibility has now shifted to that of the center (Tyson Chandler, Joakim Noah, DeAndre Jordan, etc). Instead we now have a collection of highly-skilled post-up PFs like Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Kevin Garnett, Zach Randolph, Carlos Boozer, LaMarcus Aldridge, David Lee, David West, Luis Scola, and Blake Griffin. Sam Perkins was the first good 3pt shooting stretch-four, something Dirk, Ryan Anderson, and Kevin Love ran with far beyond what anyone imagined possible in 1987.

CENTER

10.9 Hakeem Olajuwon (All-NBA 1st)

10.5 Bill Laimbeer

10.4 James Donaldson

9.4 Moses Malone (All-NBA 2nd)

9.2 Robert Parish

9.0 Steve Stipanovich

7.5 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (39 years old)

7.4 Jack Sikma

6.0 Brad Daugherty

6.0 Tim McCormack

5.4 Mike Gminski

4.9 Artis Gilmore (37 years old)

4.9 Tree Rollins

4.6 Joe Barry Carroll

4.5 LaSalle Thompson

4.4 Steve Johnson

4.2 Dave Corzine

4.1 Alton Lister

3.6 Mark Eaton

3.5 Patrick Ewing

2.8 Alvan Adams

2.0 Wayne Cooper

1.1 Benoit Benjamin

One of Scott's biggest contentions is that few centers can play with their back to the basket nowadays. Well, looking at this list, it's not like Tim McCormack and Tree Rollins were big back to the basket players. Aside from the big names we're all familiar with, there are a lot of BUMS on this list, and this is ONLY THE STARTERS we're talking about, not the backups.

You don't have to like Chris Bosh's faceup game, but it doesn't (or at least shouldn't) take a rocket scientist to figure out that he would have his way with the majority of these players both offensively and defensively (Bosh's defense is easily the most underrated part of his game). Though I digress that Bosh is a natural PF and we're talking about a league with Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler, Joakim Noah, Marc Gasol, Brook Lopez, Andrew Bynum, Al Jefferson, Al Horford, Nikola Pekovic, Larry Sanders, etc not being able to match up with the likes of Mike Gminski on a nightly basis. These guys all would have had their way with these scrubs just as Hakeem did.

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Overall what we see is that the top 10 players in the NBA match up well, but after that it's a significant drop-off in talent.

There are 30 NBA teams today, yet players of Kyle Lowry, Andre Miller, Javale McGee, Jarrett Jack, Carl Landry, Ryan Anderson, Manu Ginobili's caliber (etc, etc, etc) are coming off the bench. The quality of depth in the NBA and THE WORLD increases with every passing season and you'll be hard pressed to convince me the 80s were more skilled based on a top 10 players list.

2013 All-Star breakdown

2013-01-24T19:40:00.000-05:00

All-Star selections are always a hot topic of debate, as there are many deserving players every season, and only 12 slots available (pending injuries). The fans get to pick 5 players, while the coaches get to pick 7.

Most fans have only casual interest in the NBA, reside in major markets, and many are unfamiliar with players on teams other than their own. All of these factors lead to a heavily biased process in ALL major sports (not just the NBA). The majority of controversial all-star starters have been due to fan voting, and the 2012-13 season has been no exception. This is a game FOR the fans, so this process isn't going away anytime soon. However we absolutely need to note that fan bias towards popular players often leads to better, more talented players not being selected. B.J. Armstrong, Steve Francis, rookie Yao Ming, and this season, Dwight Howard.

On the coaching side, they are much more involved in the NBA and have a much more insightful approach than the vast majority of fans (and even analysts). A debatable aspect of coach selections is that they will look at player's statistical production, but also look at how many wins that player's team has won, often rewarding secondary stars on good teams while penalizing similarly talented players playing next to fringe talent.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim was snubbed numerous times in the 90s while playing by himself in Vancouver. At the same time we saw FOUR Los Angeles Lakers players selected in 1998: Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Eddie Jones, and Nick Van Exel. While the fans wanted to see an exciting 19-year old Kobe who was good but not an all-star yet (Eddie Jones, coach selection who started over Kobe was the better player), the coaches made an even worse pick with the erratic Van Exel.

Reggie Miller was snubbed in 1994 in favor of the likes of B.J. Armstrong (fans), Kenny Anderson (fans), John Starks (coaches), Mookie Blaylock (coaches), all players whose teams had better records than Miller's. As we all know, "non-star" Reggie carried his 5th seed Pacers to game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals that year, where he did this...

You may notice coach selection John Starks getting worked. The mere thought of the erratic Starks having to carry a team like Reggie did is nauseating. Yet the coaches still took Starks, because he was a key contributor on a top 2 team in the east while Reggie was the best player on a "mediocre" team.

Finally, NBA commissioner David Stern is not without fault in the selection process either (he selects any injury replacements). As recently as 2010, Stern snubbed Carlos Boozer (20/12 on 53 win team) in favor of Chris Kaman (19/9 on 29 win team).

If we are to use the criteria of Individual and Team Success, there must be a balance between the two in order to get the right players selected. Not only do fans want to see the best players, but there is a ton of money tied into the careers of players that do and don't make it. Aside from players having all-star incentives in their contracts, they become more marketable by becoming "stars". The players named to the all-star team are essentially the faces of the NBA. They're the players teams highlight in their ticket packages. Stars make and break sports, ESPECIALLY in the NBA. The idea of an elite talent like Kyrie Irving missing the game because his team of D-Leaguers won fewer games than decent players on good teams (J.R. Smith or Jamal Crawford, for example) would simply be a disappointing development for ALL fans of the NBA, whether they realize it or not.

Thus, we need to find some kind of balance between the primary factors individual and team success. How best can we separate those who are truly worthy from the pretenders?

Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Win Shares (WS) are some of the more popular advanced statistics out there and I believe we can use them jointly to determine who the most deserving players are. One other factor to consider is minutes played, as a player who has missed a significant portion of the season should not be rewarded over a player who has played the majority of his team's games (consequently having a larger contribution to their success).

PER is a great, all-encompassing stat that can be an effective measure of individual talent when taken in context, but is not without it's flaws, and it's important to understand what they are. PER does not quantify defense other than steals, blocks, and defensive rebounds. It also favors high-usage players, who can often be sixth men/role players in limited minutes, or players on bad teams (not limited to legit stars here). WS weights a player's contributions towards his team's success (wins), which I believe makes it the perfect counterbalance, as it should weed out the players who are putting up big numbers on bad teams AND the decent players on good teams who aren't contributing as much to their teams as the media would like you to think. WS also favors players who have played more minutes (PER ignores games missed due to injuries, suspensions, etc).

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EASTERN CONFERENCE

(Listed players played a minimum of 1000 minutes prior to 1/24/13)

POINT GUARD
Player Efficiency Rating
22.2 Kyrie Irving
20.0 Jose Calderon
19.2 Kemba Walker
19.0 Ramon Sessions
18.8 Jrue Holiday
18.3 Deron Williams
18.2 Rajon Rondo (Starter)
17.5 Brandon Jennings
16.2 Jason Kidd
16.0 Jameer Nelson
15.9 George Hill
15.1 Jeff Teague
12.7 Brandon Knight
12.2 Mario Chalmers
10.0 Kirk Hinrich

Win Shares
4.7 Deron Williams
4.4 George Hill
4.1 Jose Calderon
3.5 Brandon Jennings
3.5 Jason Kidd
3.2 Kyrie Irving
3.0 Rajon Rondo (Starter)
2.8 Kemba Walker
2.5 Jrue Holiday
2.5 Jeff Teague
2.4 Ramon Sessions
2.2 Jameer Nelson
1.7 Kirk Hinrich
1.4 Brandon Knight

Right from the jump we can see the top 5 PER PGs in the east all play for sub .500 teams. I wouldn't box Kyrie in with Calderon, Kemba, Sessions, or Holiday though, because his PER is 2-3 points better and a lot of his production would surely carry over to a more talented team. The same cannot be said for guys like Kemba, Sessions, and even Jrue Holiday whose increase in statistical production has gone hand-in-hand with Philadelphia's fall from the playoff picture this season.

Interestingly (but not shockingly), Deron Williams leads all East PGs in Win Shares. Many so-called "experts" have been calling for D-Will to miss the game, fueled by his own comments when Avery Johnson got fired, that he wasn't having a good season. A below average season for Deron Williams is still a better season than most everyone else. The Nets have played much better since Avery Johnson was fired however, and they are 3rd in the eastern conference. and if Deron DOES get snubbed by the coaches, it is a gigantic sham.

George Hill ranking 2nd in WS is somewhat surprising, but at the same time the Pacers are winning ball games and Hill does play 35 minutes per game. We can see from Hill's PER that he isn't a great individual player.

Jose Calderon is atop both PER and WS lists, which makes tons of sense to Raptors fans. Toronto has been playing much better ever since Calderon became the full-time starter. He is a poor man's Steve Nash and I honestly think he makes a better pick than Kyrie Irving or Jrue Holiday would. Calderon is a free agent next summer and a candidate to be traded at the deadline - take note of this if he ends up on a championship caliber team.

Rajon Rondo is only middle of the pack on both lists, which makes sense, as his team has been decidedly mediocre, a game under .500 residing in 8th place. His PER is right there with Deron Williams, and looking at the team records it's easy to say the fans made a mistake in taking Rondo over D-Will.

Given how well Kyrie has played, I would give him a pass for generating only slightly fewer wins than Brandon Jennings and Jason Kidd. I think it's also clear you have to take him over Jrue Holiday who seems to be getting more consideration. Holiday's team is also losing, but unlike Kyrie he actually has some talent around him. Give Jason Richardson, Evan Turner, and Thaddeus Young to Irving instead of Dion Waiters, Alonzo Gee, Tyler Zeller, and his team would be in 9th too.

SHOOTING GUARD
Player Efficiency Rating
23.4 Dwyane Wade (Starter)
16.6 J.J. Redick
16.4 Louis Williams
16.1 J.R. Smith
15.8 Monta Ellis
15.8 Jordan Crawford
14.7 Joe Johnson
13.9 DeMar DeRozan
13.5 Arron Afflalo
13.3 Rodney Stuckey
12.9 Bradley Beal
12.7 Dion Waiters
11.8 Lance Stephenson
11.6 Jason Terry
10.7 Kyle Singler

Win Shares
4.5 Dwyane Wade (Starter)
3.4 Joe Johnson
3.1 J.J. Redick
2.7 Louis Williams
2.6 J.R. Smith
2.0 Arron Afflalo
2.0 Kyle Singler
1.8 Monta Ellis
1.8 DeMar DeRozan
1.8 Jason Terry
1.5 Bradley Beal
1.3 Jordan Crawford
0.5 Dion Waiters

You'll notice that only six qualifying SGs had a PER above 15.0 (league average), compared to twelve PGs. The reason for this is simple - PGs are far more ball dominant and almost always more valuable than their SG counterparts. After Dwyane Wade (who might as well be a PG playing next to Mario Chalmers), four of the next five players are high-volume sixth men (while the 5th, Monta Ellis, is a bonafide chucker who SHOULD be coming off the bench).

Contrary to what Charles Barkley and the TNT panel would have you believe, Dwyane Wade is alive and well. He is averaging 21/5/5 and leads all SGs with 51 FG%. and 1.7 BLK%. Overall, he has been the best guard in the eastern conference, and anyone who thinks he could no longer lead a bad team to a .500 record (like James Harden) should stop kidding themselves.

Joe Johnson has not played at his usual all-star standards, but has still been a solid contributor to a winning team.

Many NY fans have been making an argument for J.R. Smith to get consideration, and glancing at this list, it's easy to see why as there is no other SG anywhere close to Dwyane Wade's level. However we aren't selecting "Shooting Guards" to the All-Star team. We are selecting "GUARDS". We can go back to the PG list and find plenty of players who are having seasons just as good (if not better) than J.R. Smith.

The coaches SHOULD take all point guards with their "backcourt" selections for the same exact reason why they are taking "frontcourt" players rather than forwards and a "center". If J.R. Smith really is the 2nd best SG in the east, the coaches shouldn't (and hopefully won't) feel pigeon-holed into selecting him, because he hasn't been a top five GUARD.

Redick and Sweet Lou rank above J.R. Smith on both lists, and I simply do not understand the argument for Smith to be named an all-star. He is playing the best basketball of his career, but that doesn't mean it has been all-star caliber play. Smith is allegedly playing better defense, which might be a little more meaningful if the Knicks weren't 17th defensively this season (down from 5th last season). He has had just as many bad games as he's had good ones. Smith has scored 78 points on 91 shots over his last five games. The Knicks went 2-3, beating the lottery bound Pistons and Hornets while losing to the playoff-bound Pacers, Bulls, and Nets.

It has seemingly gone unnoticed that J.R. Smith himself is the one who started beating the drum for his all-star candidacy. Smith of course, is in a contract year and the monetary reasons behind some shameless self-promotion are obvious. I don't think the coaches will be fooled, as J.R. still has a long history to overcome, and let's face it, J.R. on a bad team is no different than O.J. Mayo on a bad team. He'll score a ton of points, but will he win them more games? On a good team? He's the erratic super-sub that we all either love or hate.

SMALL FORWARD
Player Efficiency Rating
30.3 LeBron James (Starter)
25.2 Carmelo Anthony (Starter)
19.0 Paul Pierce
17.4 Paul George
15.6 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
15.2 Luol Deng
14.2 Kyle Korver
13.7 Gerald Wallace
13.4 Evan Turner
13.3 Martell Webster
13.2 Tayshaun Prince
11.0 Alonzo Gee

Win Shares
8.9 LeBron James (Starter)
4.9 Carmelo Anthony (Starter)
4.7 Paul George
3.7 Luol Deng
3.6 Paul Pierce
2.7 Martell Webster
2.4 Tayshaun Prince
2.2 Gerald Wallace
1.7 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
1.6 Evan Turner
1.1 Alonzo Gee

This is LeBron's sixth consecutive season leading the league in PER. Where does that accomplishment place him in NBA history?

PER League Leaders
9x Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (over 11 seasons)
8x Wilt Chamberlain (including 7 straight)
7x Michael Jordan (7 straight)
6x LeBron James (6 straight)
5x Shaquille O'Neal (5 straight)

LeBron is the dominant player of his generation, and may yet prove to be the most dominant of all-time. This is also another instance where Michael Jordan's temporary retirement hurts him, as we have no way of knowing whether Jordan could have kept it up another two seasons to match Kareem. As it stands, LeBron may well tie Jordan next season.

Carmelo Anthony's career season (finally) justifies his selection to the starting lineup by the fans. However, by also voting for Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett, Celtics fans may have unwittingly snubbed Paul Pierce. Pierce leads the Celtics in both PER and WS yet could find himself watching the all-star game from home, as the coaches may feel reluctant to select a 3rd player from an 8th place team.

Paul George is also having a solid season filling in for Danny Granger. While George's individual performance isn't quite star caliber, the team is winning games and if the choice for the final spot comes down to George or J.R. Smith (who would be the 3rd star taken on a marginally better Knicks team), the coaches should not hesitate to reward the young swingman. It bears noting that the coaches may vote for George as a guard, rather than as a front-court player, which would make him more likely to be selected.

POWER FORWARD
Player Efficiency Rating
19.2 David West
18.4 Carlos Boozer
17.4 Josh Smith
17.4 Thaddeus Young
15.1 Tristan Thompson
12.9 Jason Maxiell
11.0 Brandon Bass

Win Shares
4.7 David West
3.8 Carlos Boozer
3.6 Thaddeus Young
2.7 Tristan Thompson
1.9 Jason Maxiell
1.8 Josh Smith
1.7 Brandon Bass

The list of qualifying players is small, and it's because most quality PFs have since moved on to play the center position (facilitating the NBA's need to get rid of the "center" distinction.

David West and Carlos Boozer have drawn some consideration as they and their teams have played well. I would give the edge to West over Boozer, as while they are similar players on similar teams, West does play two more minutes per game than Boozer.

Josh Smith might have gotten consideration in previous seasons but he started off the year poorly, and did not do himself any favors getting kicked out of practice recently. A quick look at his WS shows us that his PER is merely a function of high high usage rate, and that his inefficient scoring means he isn't helping the team as much as former all-star Al Horford (who is getting no consideration this year despite out-playing the volatile Smith all season).

CENTER
Player Efficiency Rating
25.4 Brook Lopez
21.4 Tyson Chandler
21.0 Chris Bosh
18.5 Greg Monroe
18.4 Kevin Garnett (Starter)
18.2 Al Horford
17.9 Amir Johnson
16.9 Joakim Noah
16.9 Nikola Vucevic
15.2 Roy Hibbert
10.7 Tyler Zeller
9.8 Bismack Biyombo

Win Shares
6.5 Tyson Chandler
4.9 Chris Bosh
4.4 Joakim Noah
4.2 Al Horford
4.1 Brook Lopez
3.5 Amir Johnson
3.3 Nikola Vucevic
3.1 Kevin Garnett (Starter)
3.0 Greg Monroe
2.4 Roy Hibbert
0.8 Tyler Zeller
0.4 Bismack Biyombo

As with the PG/SG PER comparison, Centers are much more important to NBA teams than PF play in today's NBA. There are very few "true centers" left in the NBA as we have shifted to an era where speed and skill matter much more than size and brute strength. Ironically enough, the rules changes actually will actually help deserving centers make it this season. Instead of being forced to take PFs like Boozer or West the coaches could opt to take all centers with their frontcourt selections, since players like Chris Bosh and Kevin Garnett are natural PFs. That decision is also made easier with two SFs being to the starting lineup.

Tyson Chandler has by and large been the best center in the Eastern Conference ever since coming to New York. Chandler is the league's most efficient player, leading the league in True Shooting% handily thanks to his finishing ability around the rim, and was named Defensive Player of the Year last season (though he hasn't been as effective on that end this season). It should not be lost on NBA fans (and certainly not Knicks fans) that Tyson has the 2nd highest WS in the Eastern Conference. Tyson is a lock for the game which is yet another reason why I don't understand the J.R. Smith sentiment, as there's no way J.R. makes the team before it's heart and soul.

Brook Lopez has been nothing short of spectacular this season, ranking 4th in the league in PER, having improved his defense and rebounding substantially, and is surely Comeback Player of the Year after missing nearly all of last season due to foot injuries. Lopez's WS would be higher if he didn't miss time this season, and also played more minutes (29 mpg is low for a star). There is actually a chance Lopez will NOT be selected simply because of how deep the position is. With that said, I think he is a lock to make it especially since there is some Anti-Deron sentiment floating in the coaches minds and that at least one of them needs to be selected.

Chris Bosh has quietly had another all-star caliber season playing behind LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, and if there's a team in the league that will bring three all-stars to the All-Star game, it will be the Miami Heat (J.R. Smith fans should also take note of what a real 3rd all-star looks like).

Carlos Boozer leads the Bulls in PER, but Joakim Noah leads them in WS as he plays seven more minutes per game as the core of their elite defense. He deserves to be the Bulls' All-Star this season.

A case could be made for Al Horford, but due to position depth and the Hawks collapse in the standings, he will likely be passed over. It's a shame, because the Hawks have had a better season than fan voted starter Kevin Garnett's Celtics

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Rashidi's East All-Stars
PG: Rajon Rondo, Deron Williams, Kyrie Irving
SG: Dwyane Wade, Paul George
SF: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony
PF: Kevin Garnett, Chris Bosh
C: Tyson Chandler, Brook Lopez, Joakim Noah

Paul Pierce is surely a better player than Paul George (for now), but I could not with good conscience send three Celtics and no Pacers. I have a feeling the coaches will see things that way as well. I also think it's likely the coaches will see things my way and give George guard votes due to a lack of better alternatives (he is normally at SG when Danny Granger is healthy). David West is having a good year but simply not at the level of his front-court counterparts.

Notable Non-Qualifiers
Ed Davis (PF): 983 minutes, 18.4 PER, 3.0 WS
Larry Sanders (C): 976 minutes, 18.5 PER, 3.2 WS
Anderson Varejao (C): 901 minutes, 22.0 PER, 3.4 WS
Andray Blatche (C): 855 minutes, 23.1 PER, 3.2 WS
Andre Drummond (C): 838 minutes, 22.9 PER, 3.7 WS
Kyle Lowry (PG): 808 minutes, 22.0 PER, 3.3 WS

Anderson Varejao was well on his way to the all-star game before injuries knocked him out for the season.

Andray Blatche has been crazy good behind Brook Lopez, which begs the question of whether their numbers are a product of the Nets system. Blatche very well may be a legit starting center, but we won't find out until next season.

Andre Drummond leads the Pistons in PER and WS (despite playing on 22 mpg!) yet the Pistons won't play him over Jason Maxiell. Drummond is only 19 and it's conceivable the Pistons have a superstar that they're treating with kid gloves. Don't be surprised to see him in the all-star game next season.

The Raptors have a decision to make with Kyle Lowry and Jose Calderon. Both are putting up fantastic numbers but they can only keep one beyond this season. Which one gets traded?

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WESTERN CONFERENCE

POINT GUARDS
Player Efficiency Rating
26.1 Chris Paul (Starter)
23.0 Russell Westbrook
22.9 Tony Parker
19.8 Stephen Curry
17.3 Goran Dragic
17.0 Jarrett Jack
16.8 Michael Conley
16.8 Grevis Vasquez
16.6 Damian Lillard
16.4 Darren Collison
15.2 Andre Miller
14.9 Ty Lawson
14.3 Jeremy Lin
13.3 Luke Ridnour

Win Shares
7.8 Chris Paul (Starter)
6.2 Tony Parker
6.0 Russell Westbrook
5.1 Stephen Curry
4.2 Michael Conley
3.5 Damian Lillard
3.3 Jarrett Jack
3.0 Goran Dragic
3.0 Darren Collison
2.5 Andre Miller
2.3 Grevis Vasquez
2.3 Ty Lawson
2.3 Luke Ridnour
2.1 Jeremy Lin

Westbrook and Parker are locks to be selected to the All-Star team, while Stephen Curry also has a good argument to make it. Unlike the east, the west is more clear cut as the best PGs are all playing for the best teams.

SHOOTING GUARDS
Player Efficiency Rating
23.4 Kobe Bryant (Starter)
22.0 James Harden
16.7 O.J. Mayo
16.7 Jamal Crawford
16.3 Kevin Martin
16.2 Gordon Hayward
15.9 Jared Dudley
14.3 Shannon Brown
14.2 Wesley Matthews
14.0 Andre Iguodala
12.9 Klay Thompson
12.6 Randy Foye
12.4 Tony Allen
12.2 Alexey Shved
11.9 Thabo Sefolosha

Win Shares
6.1 Kobe Bryant (Starter)
6.0 James Harden
4.3 Kevin Martin
3.3 Thabo Sefolosha
3.2 Jared Dudley
3.0 O.J. Mayo
2.9 Jamal Crawford
2.8 Wesley Matthews
2.7 Danny Green
2.5 Gordon Hayward
2.4 Klay Thompson
2.4 Tony Allen
2.3 Andre Iguodala
2.2 Randy Foye
1.4 Shannon Brown
1.1 Alexey Shved

While the quality of SGs out west is much better than the east, PG is still the more talented position. Beyond Kobe and Harden, no other SG should make the all-star team, paving the way for a PG like Curry to make it.

As with J.R. Smith in the east, Jamal Crawford has been getting all-star consideration and I simply don't get it. He is a volume scorer and would have to be the 3rd player taken on his team to make it. Frankly, Crawford isn't even the best backup on his team (that honor goes to Matt Barnes who is quietly in the middle of a career year). Crawford hasn't done anything to separate himself from Kevin Martin or O.J. Mayo either.

The consideration for Crawford and J.R. Smith surely stems from the fantastic season James Harden had last season, as the media has finally realized the value that sixth men can have. With that said, Harden was historically efficient last season, while Crawford and J.R. are absolutely not (and never will be). There is a reason Harden was drawing comparisons to fellow super-sub All-Star player Manu Ginobili, while the likes of Crawford and Kevin Martin are not.

SMALL FORWARDS
Player Efficiency Rating
29.2 Kevin Durant (Starter)
18.5 Andrei Kirilenko
17.6 Nicolas Batum
17.6 Matt Barnes
16.8 Danilo Gallinari
16.4 Vince Carter
16.2 Shawn Marion
14.9 Corey Brewer
14.3 Rudy Gay
14.2 Metta World Peace
14.2 Chandler Parsons
12.3 John Salmons
11.2 Harrison Barnes

Win Shares
10.8 Kevin Durant (Starter)
4.3 Nicolas Batum
4.3 Danilo Gallinari
4.2 Matt Barnes
3.9 Andrei Kirilenko
3.3 Metta World Peace
3.2 Chandler Parsons
2.4 Rudy Gay
2.4 Vince Carter
2.3 Shawn Marion
2.1 Corey Brewer
1.5 Harrison Barnes
1.3 John Salmons

Durant is 2nd in the league in PER and leads the league in WS which makes him my pick for MVP in the first half of the NBA season. Durant is right there with LeBron as a player which is interesting because they both play the same position. I can't recall another time in NBA history where the top two players played the same position. One can make a case for David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994 and 1995, so anytime LeBron and Durant matchup as they did in last season's Finals, it is truly something special.

After Durant there is a huge dropoff in SF talent. There are plenty of solid players in the west like Kirilenko, Batum, and Gallinari, but none who have taken the next step to that all-star level. I'm not sure I would take any of them with so many talented frontcourt players at PF and C.

It's crazy how good Matt Barnes has been, outplaying starter Caron Butler by a large margin. Barnes also outplayed Metta World Peace last season also, yet has been unable to get contracts paying better than the minimum. Something tells me he won't have that problem this summer.

POWER FORWARDS
Player Efficiency Rating
22.8 Blake Griffin (Starter)
20.5 Tiago Splitter
20.4 Paul Millsap
19.6 David Lee
19.6 LaMarcus Aldridge
19.3 Ryan Anderson
19.1 Zach Randolph
18.8 Kenneth Faried
18.7 Serge Ibaka
18.0 Carl Landry
17.2 Luis Scola
15.4 Jason Thompson
12.3 Boris Diaw

Win Shares
5.9 Blake Griffin (Starter)
5.0 Tiago Splitter
4.9 David Lee
4.7 Zach Randolph
4.6 Serge Ibaka
4.5 Kenneth Faried
4.4 Paul Millsap
4.2 Ryan Anderson
4.0 LaMarcus Aldridge
3.7 Carl Landry
3.0 Boris Diaw
2.4 Luis Scola
2.1 Jason Thompson

Tiago Splitter might be the most underrated player in the NBA right now, and would be an easy candidate this season IF he were getting more minutes (only 26 mpg). Despite playing only 26 mpg, Splitter is 2nd among west PFs in Win Shares, ahead of All-Star caliber players like David Lee, Zach Randolph, and LaMarcus Aldridge who are playing 10 more minutes per game. Splitter, who had 25 points on 10-11 shooting last night (DNP for Tim Duncan) is primed for a larger role as the rest of the Spurs core continues to age.

Between Lee, Randolph, Ibaka, Millsap, Anderson, and Aldridge, the competition is so tight and all are worthy of all-star consideration. In this instance I would give the nod to Lee, Randolph, and Ibaka because of their team success. Millsap and Anderson aren't playing as many minutes as the other guys. Aldridge also has an outside chance since his team is (surprisingly) in the playoff picture and he's playing a ton of minutes. However Aldridge is actually having a down year and he's getting a ton of help from his teammates (notably Damian Lillard and J.J. Hickson).

CENTERS
Player Efficiency Rating
24.9 Tim Duncan
21.1 DeMarcus Cousins
20.6 Al Jefferson
20.0 J.J. Hickson
19.8 Dwight Howard (Starter)
19.9 Nikola Pekovic
19.9 Robin Lopez
19.1 Marc Gasol
16.6 DeAndre Jordan
16.5 Marcin Gortat
14.6 Omer Asik
8.3 Kendrick Perkins

Win Shares
5.8 Marc Gasol
5.6 Tim Duncan
4.3 Al Jefferson
3.9 J.J. Hickson
3.7 Dwight Howard (Starter)
3.4 Nikola Pekovic
3.1 Robin Lopez
3.0 DeAndre Jordan
3.0 Marcin Gortat
2.6 DeMarcus Cousins
2.4 Omer Asik
1.3 Kendrick Perkins

While the west is stacked at center just like the east, there isn't really a sizable gap between the PFs and Cs, while there also aren't any PFs playing out of position either (aside from J.J. Hickson, whose game is extremely ill-suited for PF).

Tim Duncan has had a resurgent season and will be voted in by the coaches, as it's been blatantly obvious to all except Lakers/Howard fans that Tim Duncan should be starting in this game.

Speaking of Howard, whose Lakers have one more win than the Sacramento Kings, it should say something that J.J. Hickson has outplayed him this season. Howard's selection by the fans likely means that one of either Marc Gasol or Al Jefferson will be snubbed, as I think the majority of the basketball world is in agreement that Howard has not played at an all-star level (something the numbers also back up).

DeMarcus Cousins had a great PER but that's due to his high usage on his awful team. He ranks 3rd worst among WS qualifiers. I for one am not looking forward to the max contract extension he'll end up getting next summer.

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Rashidi's West All-Stars
PG: Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Tony Parker
SG: Kobe Bryant, James Harden
SF: Kevin Durant
PF: Blake Griffin, David Lee, Zach Randolph
C: Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Marc Gasol

I personally would love to have Stephen Curry make the all-star team, but unfortunately coaches have to take three guards and four frontcourt players. Westbrook, Parker, and Harden have all had better seasons than Curry. I opted not to take any other SFs besides Durant as there were simply too many deserving PFs and Cs. Al Jefferson deserves to be an all-star but could not make it due to Howard's presence in the starting lineup.

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Notable Non-Qualifiers
Kosta Koufos (C): 996 minutes, 17.0 PER, 3.8 WS
Manu Ginobili (SG): 896 minutes, 20.9 PER, 3.7 WS
Anthony Davis (PF): 845 minutes, 20.9 PER, 2.6 WS
Javale McGee (C): 839 minutes, 21.4 PER, 2.8 WS

Damian Lillard might be the favorite for Rookie of the Year, but as with Damon Stoudamire getting ROY over Kevin Garnett, you can bet that Anthony Davis will have the far better career. The Brow missed some time with injury this season and is nowhere near his ceiling yet. Don't be surprised if he makes the leap to All-Star status next season.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 1/24/13

2013-01-24T13:48:00.004-05:00

No player ratings were changed by 2K Sports this roster update (once again). The main changes have been some minor player movement, although quite a few of them are missing. The missing players list has also grown as D-Leaguer players continue to sign in the NBA faster than 2K Sports can seemingly keep up.

What might be the most significant change is that 2K removed the Acrobat signature skill from ALL players who had it. I assume that the skill was game breaking.

All 20 players who lost the skill did not receive a replacement skill from 2K Sports.

Unfortunately, due to poor design users cannot remove signature skills from players without replacing them with another skill. Only 2K can do this, for whatever reason. Meaning if you likewise want to take Acrobat out of your roster as well, you'll need to find a skill to replace it with.

PLAYERS WHO LOST ACROBAT
Kemba Walker (83/PG) - Bobcats
Brandon Jennings (83/PG) - Bucks
Monta Ellis (83/SG) - Bucks
Derrick Rose (92/PG) - Bulls
Kyrie Irving (85/PG) - Cavaliers
Jerryd Bayless (70/PG) - Grizzlies
Jeff Teague (75/PG) - Hawks
Dwyane Wade (91/SG) - Heat
Austin Rivers (71/SG) - Hornets
Tyreke Evans (80/SG) - Kings
Isaiah Thomas (75/PG) - Kings
Marcus Thompson (75/SG) - Kings
Andre Iguodala (83/SG) - Nuggets
D.J. Augustin (75/PG) - Pacers
Brandon Knight (73/PG) - Pistons
Manu Ginobili (86/SG) - Spurs
Tony Parker (84/PG) - Spurs
Russell Westbrook (90/PG) - Thunder
Damian Lillard (82/PG) - Trail Blazers
John Wall (82/PG) - Wizards

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PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
1/24: 0
1/21: 0
1/17: 18
1/12: 2
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

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INJURED PLAYERS

The big injury news is that Raymond Felton has been activated, and inserted into the Knicks' staritng lineup. Frankly, I think it's absurd that Felton has been activated this early, as he had been targeting 1/26 as his return date, but it's unclear if he'll be ready for it. Meanwhile Alexey Shved is day-to-day and practiced on Tuesday, but he's on the sidelines. There isn't any consistency and 2K is once again favoring the big markets.

Minnesota's season-long decimation due to injury continues. Shved and Pekovic will be back in a few days but fans will be without them until then. There are currently only 8 healthy players on the 2K rosters. Mickael Gelabale and Chris Johnson have been playing big minutes, but 2K is unlikely to add either until they are signed for the duration of the season. Johnson is averaging 10/4 w/ 1.7 mpg in only 17 mpg and is almost certainly a lock to stick.

Louis Williams also became the 5th NBA player to sustain an injury that will knock him out for the season.

NEW
Louis Williams (78/SG) - Hawks
Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF) - Magic (1/21 roster)
Nikola Pekovic (76/C) - Timberwolves (1/21 roster)
Alexey Shved (71/SG) - Timberwolves (1/21 roster)
Cartier Martin (67/SF) - Wizards

RECOVERED
Raymond Felton (79/PG) - Knicks
Manu Ginobili (86/SG) - Spurs
Meyers Leonard (59/C) - Trail Blazers

MISSING INJURIES
Linas Kleiza (64/SF) - Raptors
Has not played since 12/28 due to a sore knee.

OUT FOR SEASON (5 total)
Anderson Varejao (76/C) - Cavaliers
Louis Williams (78/SG) - Hawks
Jordan Hill (70/C) - Lakers
Channing Frye (67/PF - Suns
Brandon Rush (71/SG) - Warriors

INJURED LIST (33 total)
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C)
Bobcats: Byron Mullens (69/PF)
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (76/C)
Celtics: N/A
Clippers: Chauncey Billups (81/PG), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: Quincy Pondexter (61/SF)
Hawks: Louis Williams (78/SG), Anthony Morrow (66/SG)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: N/A
Jazz: Mo Williams (78/PG), Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Marcus Camby (73/C), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Jordan Hill (70/C), Steve Blake (68/PG)
Magic: Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: N/A
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: N/A
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF)
Pistons: N/A
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Jonas Valanciunas (68/C)
Rockets: Royce White (68/PF)
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Nikola Pekovic (76/C), Alexey Shved (71/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Andrew Bogut (79/C), Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: Cartier Martin (67/SF)
Free Agent: Sam Young (68/SF)

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PLAYER MOVEMENT

Yesterday's 3-for-1 trade left the Grizzlies with only 11 players on their 2K roster. The Grizz signed swingman Chris Johnson to a 10-day contract to get their roster up to 12, and will be working out various veterans to fill out the rest of the roster. Memphis has already been linked to Delonte West, Bill Walker, Samardo Samuels, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Josh Childress, and Sasha Vujacic

CAVALIERS
Marreese Speights (70/PF) from Grizzlies
Josh Selby (65/SG) from Grizzlies
Wayne Ellington (64/SG) from Grizzlies

GRIZZLIES
Jon Leuer (63/PF) from Cavaliers

HAWKS
Jannero Pargo (64/PG) from Free Agents

HEAT
Chris Andersen (66/C) from Free Agents

NETS
Damion James (SF) from Free Agents

FREE AGENTS
Jeremy Pargo (PG) from Cavaliers
Lazar Hayward (SF) from Timberwolves

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PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS

76ERS
Maalik Wayns (63/PG) - 10-day contract expired, team opted to sign Shelvin Mack instead.

HEAT
Josh Harrellson (54/C) - 10-day contract expired, team opted to sign Chris Andersen instead.

HORNETS
Donald Sloan (63/PG) - 10-day contract expired, team did not re-sign.

NETS
Damion James (70/SF) - 10-day contract expired, team did not re-sign.

FREE AGENTS
Shelvin Mack (65/PG) - Was signed to 10-day contract on 1/17, three rosters ago.

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MISSING PLAYERS

No new players were added.

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UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (15 games, 9.0 mpg)
Chris Johnson (SG/SF) - Grizzlies (1 games, 7.0 mpg)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (7 games, 4.3 mpg)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (5 games, 2.6 mpg)
Mike James (PG) - Mavericks (10 games, 10.9 mpg, played 539 games prior to this season)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (2 games, 5.5 mpg, played 22 games prior to this season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (16 games, 8.4 mpg)
Patrick Beverley (PG) - Rockets (6 games, 14.3 mpg)
Aron Baynes (C) - Spurs (0 games)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (6 games, 5.0 mpg)
Mickael Gelabale (SF) Timberwolves (3 games, 20.7 mpg)
Chris Johnson (C/PF) - Timberwolves (3 games, 17.3 mpg, played 41 games prior to this season)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (26 games, 2.6 mpg)
TOTAL: 13

Patrick Beverley has quickly supplanted Toney Douglas as the Rockets backup PG, and needs to be added to the game. IIRC correctly, he was previously in an NBA 2K game despite not playing until this year, which should make his addition easier.

Mike James is clearly part of Dallas' rotation, and needs to be added. He has been in previous 2K games and his re-addition to the game should not be particularly difficult. He has been missing since last year though, so don't expect him to be added until he is signed for the rest of the season.

Mickael Gelabale and Chris Johnson have played extremely well for Minnesota, garnering a ton of minutes (for 10-day contract players) due to injuries. Both need to be added, however 2K will likely only add one as the Wolves have 16 players on the roster with a game max of 15. In my roster I simply released Brandon Roy, who is unlikely to play again (while also dropping his ridiculous 80 rating to avoid another team from signing him).

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INCORRECT LINEUPS

KNICKS
Jason Kidd (PG), Iman Shumpert (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Amare Stoudemire (PF), Tyson Chandler (C)

Amare Stoudemire has yet to start a game since returning on 1/1. It would be nice if 2K Sports also dropped his rating about 5 points (from a ridiculous 83) as he isn't anywhere near the athletic finisher he was during his prime. Chris Copeland and Kurt Thomas have been drawing the majority of PF starts.

MAGIC
Jameer Nelson (PG), Arron Afflalo (SG), DeQuan Jones (SF), Andrew Nicholson (PF), Nikola Vucevic (C)

Glen Davis returned to the starting lineup on 1/16. That's 4 games and 3 rosters ago.

WIZARDS
A.J. Price (PG), Bradley Beal (SG), Trevor Ariza (SF), Trevor Booker (PF), Emeka Okafor (C)

Nene has been starting at PF and Booker hasn't started a game since 11/14. On a side note, it's amusing to see John Wall on the bench while Amare starts for the Knicks. Big market double standard much?

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Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 1/17/13

2013-01-17T17:42:00.002-05:00

2K Sports released another comprehensive roster update for NBA 2K13, making up for a lackluster effort 5 days ago. Numerous players have been edited, including the top two players in the league, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Who else saw adjustments? Read on.

Editor's Note: I will also be running some online games, featuring players who had rating adjustments in this update. Check out my stream on Twitch Friday afternoon.

Editor's Note: Two more players w/ rating changes, courtesy of deadchild.

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PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
1/17: 18
1/12: 2
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

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Tyrus Thomas

70 Overall (-1)
68 Inside (-4)
72 Close (-14)
74 Med (-6)
73 FT (-3)

2013
PER: 8.6
Inside: 3-12 (25.0%)
Close: 6-23 (26.0%)
Mid: 16-45 (35.6%)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)
FT: 22-25 (88.0%)

2012
PER: 9.0
Inside: 35-73 (47.9%)
Close: 36-103 (34.9%)
Mid: 48-148 (32.4%)
3pt: 1-3 (33.3%)
FT: 63-83 (75.9%)

I have no idea why Thomas' shot attributes weren't properly adjusted after last year's nightmare season, but it's good to see 2K come to their senses. Thomas showed up out of shape after the lockout and has yet to recover.

As a bit of a nitpick, there was no need to reduce Thomas' FT rating. Thomas is a career 73% shooter but that is due to the 60% he shot as a rookie.... SEVEN YEARS AGO. Thomas is 192-244 (79.8%) over his last three seasons which is more relevant than his overall career rate.

Rashidi's Rating: 68

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Monta Ellis

83 Overall (-2)
84 Inside (-2)
86 Close (-4)
86 Med (-5)
70 3pt (-6)
81 FT (+1)
74 Traffic (-4)
89 OffAwr (-3)

2013
PER: 15.5
Inside: 110-182 (60.4%)
Close: 65-178 (36.5%)
Mid: 54-169 (32.0%)
3pt: 32-126 (25.4%)

2012
PER: 17.5
Inside: 166-263 (63.1%)
Close: 105-263 (39.9%)
Mid: 117-313 (37.4%)
3pt: 62-201 (30.8%)

Monta Ellis is having a horrific offensive season and it seems everyone except for Monta Ellis is warming up to the idea that he isn't very good.

Monta Ellis have it all. Except for an effective jump shot outside of 15 feet. The numbers blatantly show how overrated Ellis has been overrated from mid-range, and despite 2K's decrease in this attribute he is still grossly overrated.

Rashidi's Rating: 83

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Brandon Jennings

83 Overall (+1)

83 Inside (-2)

83 3pt (+4)

84 FT (+3)

73 Traffic (+4)

82 Steal (+6)

88 Hands (+7)

89 OffAwr (+2)

80 Consistency (+15)
97 Stamina (+3)

2013
PER: 17.2
Inside: 67-129 (51.9%)
Close: 62-160 (38.7%)
Mid: 44-115 (38.3%)
3pt: 73-203 (36.0%)
FT: 113-133 (85.0%)
STL%: 2.7

2012
PER: 18.4
Inside: 168-294 (57.1%)
Close: 108-281 (38.4%)
Mid: 64-158 (40.5%)
3pt: 129-388 (33.2%)
FT: 193-239 (80.8%)
STL%: 2.3

The idea of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis with 80 Consistency (equivalent to Chris Paul and 10 points higher than Dwyane Wade) is absolutely sickening.

Rashidi's Rating: 80

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Jared Sullinger

72 Overall (+3)

63 Close (-12)

75 FT (-2)

60 Block (+10)
58 Steal (+7)

76 Hands (+2)

85 OffReb (+7)

81 DefReb (+22)

83 Hustle (+9)

2013
PER: 14.1
Inside: 55-79 (69.6%)
Close: 22-64 (34.3%)
Mid: 17-41 (41.5%)
3pt: 1-3 (33.3%)
BLK%: 2.2
STL%: 1.1
ORB%: 12.7
DRB%: 22.7

It was curious to see Sullinger with low rebound ratings to start the year, given that this was an obvious strength of his in NCAA. 2K fixed their mistake with this update, which will probably be the only one Sullinger receives for a full calendar year.

Rashidi's Rating: 71

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Tony Allen

76 Overall (+2)
81 Inside (-6)
90 OBDef (+3)
94 DefAwr (+4)
75 Consistency (+10)

2013
PER: 11.5
Inside: 74-128 (57.8%)
Close: 15-45 (33.3%)
Mid: 22-71 (31.0%)
3pt: 0-11 (0.0%)

2012
PER: 15.5
Inside: 152-261 (58.2%)
Close: 35-115 (30.4)
Mid: 33-86 (38.4%)
3pt: 8-31 (25.8%)

Allen gets increases to his defensive attributes that solidify him as the best defensive guard in the NBA... he also gets a higher Consistency rating than Dwyane Wade despite being in the middle of a putrid offensive season (I promise, I won't harp on this again, at least for the duration of this post).

Rashidi's Rating: 75

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LeBron James

99 Overall (+1)

78 Steal (-2)

60 OffReb (+5)
77 DefReb (+9)

2013
PER: 29.8 (1st in NBA)
Inside: 179-234 (76.5%)
Close: 80-173 (46.2%)
Mid: 62-148 (41.9%)
3pt: 49-123 (39.8%)
STL%: 2.3
ORB%: 4.2
DRB%: 20.3

2012
PER: 30.7 (1st in NBA)
Inside: 418-549 (76.1%)
Close: 225-477 (47.1%)
Mid: 153-411 (37.2%)
3pt: 76-234 (32.5%)
STL%: 2.6

ORB%: 5.0
DRB%: 19.7

I'm shocked we didn't see more changes for LeBron as he is certainly worthy of them. His jumpshot has noticeably improved this season, yet his 3pt rating has gone completely untouched.

LeBron hit another milestone this week - he is the youngest player to hit 20,000 points in his career. He also racked up his 5,000th assist in the same game. What does the man need to do to get a 99 Offensive Awareness rating? Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, and Dirk Nowitzki have it and they sure as hell aren't 10th in the league in assists per game whilst scoring at a high rate.

I'm pretty sure all 2K did was look at LeBron's ratings versus Kevin Durant's and say "Hmm... we probably shouldn't have LeBron with lower rebound ratings than Durant... okay let's give them IDENTICAL rebound ratings so nobody gets mad".

For those who foolishly complain about LeBron's 99 Overall rating, be advised that your beloved Michael Jordan (1996 version) is 104 Overall. 99 Overall has NEVER meant "maximum ratings" or "perfect player".

Rashidi's Rating: 99

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Robin Lopez

69 Overall (+4)

70 Med (+4)

78 FT (+7)

63 Dunk (+5)
52 Traffic (+3)
55 Fade (+5)

29 Pass (+4)

72 OffPost (+3)

75 DefPost (+2)

51 OffAwr (+11)

80 DefAwr (+1)

50 Consistency (+25)

74 Stamina (+2)
82 Hustle (+2)
78 Durability (+8)

2013
PER: 20.5
Inside: 111-153 (72.5%)
Close: 68-170 (40.0%)
Mid: 13-24 (54.2%)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)
FT: 68-86 (79.1%)
AST%: 6.0

2012
PER: 15.2
Inside: 70-111 (63.1%)
Close: 44-131 (33.5%)
Mid: 10-27 (37.0%)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)
FT: 100-140 (71.4%)
AST%: 3.4

While a slight boost to Lopez's Medium shot was nice, his Inside and Close shot ratings went completely untouched and his improvements in those areas are the main reason why Lopez is one of the NBA's most improved players.

I would also gander that a player averaging 12 points in only 26 minutes is worthy of slightly more than 51 Offensive Awareness, lest 2K thinks Lopez gets his points from dumb luck. Even with an 11-point improvement, he still has the lowest mark on the Hornets (who employ Al-Farouq Aminu, Xavier Henry, and Lance Thomas).

Rashidi's Rating: 77

------------------------------------------------------

Steve Nash

85 Overall (-2)

94 Pass (-4)

67 DefAwr (-4)

90 Consistency (-5)

2013
PER: 17.2
Inside: 11-18 (61.1%)
Close: 23-41 (56.0%)
Mid: 13-22 (59.1%)
3pt: 11-33 (33.3%)
AST%: 42.1

2012
PER: 20.3
Inside: 77-104 (74.0%)
Close: 77-150 (51.3%)
Mid: 86-160 (53.7%)
3pt: 55-141 (39.0%)
AST%: 53.1 (lead league)

I expect more edits for Nash as 2K slowly accounts for his decline. The next rating to drop will probably be his Inside shot and Layup ratings. It is also time to decrease Nash's 99 Offensive Awareness, as he is unlikely to be a top-tier offensive player again (certainly not with the Lakers).

Rashidi's Rating: 81

------------------------------------------------------

Earl Clark

67 Overall (+3)

76 Med (+3)

63 3pt (+8)

75 FT (+11)

61 Traffic (+3)

42 Pass (+8)

66 DefReb (+5)

65 DefAwr (+4)

35 Consistency (+10)
80 Stamina (+4)

66 Speed (+4)

69 Quickness (+3)

2013
PER: 16.6
Inside: 12-19 (63.2%)
Close: 3-12 (25.0%)
Mid: 10-22 (45.5%)
3pt: 2-4 (50.0%)
FT: 9-12 (75.0%)
AST%: 14.9
DRB%: 26.4

2012
PER: 8.1
Inside: 32-57 (56.1%)
Close: 13-44 (29.5%)
Mid: 14-56 (25.0%)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)
FT: 21-29 (72.4%)
AST%: 5.2
DRB%: 18.6

Clark's numbers should be taken with a heavy grain of salt, as he's only played 188 minutes on the season and 1,588 total in his 4-year career.

Rashidi's Rating: N/A

------------------------------------------------------

Devin Ebanks

64 Overall (-1)
73 Inside (-6)
71 Med (-8)
53 3pt (+21)
72 FT (+2)
58 Steal (-6)
61 Hands (-7)
72 OBD (-6)
60 DefAwr (-4)

2013
PER: 5.9
Inside: 9-16 (56.2%)
Close: 1-12 (8.3%)
Mid: 6-19 (31.6%)
3pt: 5-18 (27.8%)
STL%: 0.8

2012
PER: 8.3
Inside: 25-45 (55.6%)
Close: 8-29 (27.5%)
Mid: 20-42 (47.6%)
3pt: 0-12 (0.0%)
STL%: 1.5

Lakers scrubs who don't even get court-time can get rating edits from 2K Sports, but not Tyson Chandler, Steve Novak, Tiago Splitter, Matt Bonner, Nick Collison, Hasheem Thabeet, Marvin Williams, A.J. Price, Lavoy Allen, etc, etc, etc.

Rashidi's Rating: N/A

------------------------------------------------------

Gerald Wallace

77 Overall (-4)

72 Close (+4)
60 Med (-7)

68 FT (-12)

83 Layup (-6)

86 Dunk (-8)

67 SOD (-5)

76 Steal (+2)

77 OBD (-4)

57 OffReb (-3)

70 DefReb (-4)

66 OffAwr (-6)

77 DefAwr (-3)

50 Consistency (-10)

66 Durability (-4)

2013
PER: 13.9
Inside: 47-81 (58.0%)
Close: 13-31 (41.9%)
Mid: 4-21 (19.0%)
3pt: 26-78 (33.3%)
FT: 71-107 (66.4%)
STL%: 2.4
ORB%: 3.4
DRB%: 17.2

2012
PER: 15.9
Inside: 184-312 (59.0%)
Close: 27-86 (31.3%)
Mid: 30-84 (35.7%)
3pt: 46-150 (30.7%)
FT: 180-225 (80.0%)

STL%: 2.2
ORB%: 4.8
DRB%: 16.9

Wallace's athleticism has declined with age, and while his Layup and Dunk ratings should be even lower, it's a step in the right direction by 2K Sports. Wallace also has never really been a lock-down defender, instead gaining his reputation from steals and blocks (ala Josh Smith), so the decrease to his On-Ball Defense and Defensive Awareness has been warranted for a few years now.

The main reason Wallace has struggled this season is the evaporation of his already suspect jump shot. When you combine that with his diminishing ability to finish, it's a recipe for decline. The Nets have played better under P.J. Carlesimo and part of the reason why, according to BBall Breakdown, is that Wallace is playing 6.5 fewer minutes per game than he was under Avery Johnson.

Rashidi's Rating: 77

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Kosta Koufos

64 Overall (+7)

82 Inside (-14)

75 Close (+5)

45 Med (+10)

58 FT (-2)

60 Dunk (+9)

83 Block (+4)

53 OffAwr (+10)
72 DefAwr (+38)

40 Consistency (+15)

79 Hustle (+27)

2013
PER: 17.3
Inside: 113-164 (68.9%)
Close: 34-79 (43.0%)
Mid: 0-2 (0.0%)
3pt: 0-1 (0.0%)
FT: 30-52 (57.7%)
BLK%: 5.1

2012
PER: 17.3
Inside: 96-141 (68.1%)
Close: 20-53 (37.7%)
Mid: 0-1 (0.0%)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)
FT: 33-55 (60.0%)
BLK%: 4.1

Imagine a world where 2K would go through every role player and say "Hmm... does any NBA really deserve sub-40s Defensive Awareness or 25 Consistency?" No NBA player deserves ratings this low if they made it to the NBA, especially one who has been starting for the past year. The result is when a player finally does get a chance, they end up being underrated by 2K for a substantial amount of time, while players who have long-since fallen out of the rotation (say, 3rd string center Timofey Mozgov) will continue to have higher ratings.

Rashidi's Rating: 71

------------------------------------------------------

Paul George

83 Overall (+2)

82 FT (-1)

74 Traffic (+2)

76 Handle (+2)
70 OHD (+2)

68 Security (+3)
64 Pass (+5)

55 Block (+5)

78 Steal (+4)

79 Hands (+5)

66 OffReb (+10)
73 DefReb (+3)

84 OffAwr (+1)

82 DefAwr (+1)

75 Consistency (+5)

92 Stamina (+2)

83 Durability (+4)

88 Potential (+3)

50 Emotion (+5)

2013
PER: 16.9
Inside: 93-152 (61.2%)
Close: 42-128 (32.8%)
Mid: 32-92 (34.8%)
3pt: 79-214 (36.9%)
AST%: 18.9
BLK%: 1.4
STL%: 2.5
ORB%: 3.8
DRB%: 19.4

2012
PER: 16.5
Inside: 138-225 (61.3%)
Close: 46-128 (35.9%)
Mid: 33-106 (31.1%)
3pt: 101-275 (36.7%)

AST%: 13.6
BLK%: 1.5
STL%: 2.9
ORB%: 3.2
DRB%: 17.9

George has seen rating improvements in 3 of the last 4 roster updates, and hopefully this is the last one for awhile. In his last update we saw his shot ratings improved, while in this update he saw improvements to just about all of his other ratings.

With that said, I don't agree with his rating at all, as it puts him on par with Danny Granger who has thus far proven to be a better player. The usual 2K ratings are inflated (Offensive Rebounds and Blocks) to make George appear better than he really is.

Rashidi's Rating: 81

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George Hill

75 Overall (+1)

72 Pass (+8)

2013
PER: 16.3
Inside: 66-104 (63.5%)
Close: 50-111 (45.0%)
Mid: 21-75 (28.0%)
3pt: 59-172 (34.3%)
AST%: 25.4

2012
PER: 15.7
Inside: 59-96 (61.5%)
Close: 53-114 (46.4%)
Mid: 34-88 (38.6%)
3pt: 69-187 (36.9%)
AST%: 18.8

A 2K update wouldn't be complete without a player getting an adjustment that touched on only one of his attributes. Hill's assist rate has gone up, in part because he no longer plays off-guard next to Darren Collison (or Tony Parker, during his time with the Spurs). The main reason 2K even bothered to update Hill is he had a lower overall rating than his backup, D.J. Augustin, who has played so poorly that he's lost his rotation spot to the likes of Ben Hansbrough. On that note, where is Augustin's rating drop?

Rashidi's Rating: 79

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Gerald Green

70 Overall (-6)
80 Inside (-8)
79 Close (-9)
74 Med (-8)
75 3pt (-6)
78 FT (-2)
58 Fade (-22)
44 Hook (-6)
58 Block (+18)
52 Steal (-15)
45 DefReb (-3)
55 OffPost (-13)
66 OffAwr (-6)
52 DefAwr (-4)
40 Consistency (-20)
97 Vertical (+2)

2013
PER: 7.9
Inside: 25-37 (67.6%)
Close: 21-60 (35.0%)
Mid: 19-60 (31.7%)
3pt: 40-140 (28.6%)
FT: 38-48 (79.2%)
BLK%: 1.6
STL%: 0.6
DRB%: 10.5

2012
PER: 15.8
Inside: 39-53 (73.6%)
Close: 41-78 (52.5%)
Mid: 31-79 (39.2%)
3pt: 43-110 (39.1%)

FT: 49-65 (75.4%)
BLK%: 1.7
STL%: 1.9
DRB%: 14.2

Green was a feel good story last season, triumphantly returning from the D-League, but that was then and this is now. To say Green has struggled to fit with the Pacers is an understatement. He showed off a stellar post game last season with the Nets, but has been unable to replicate his success with the Pacers, while also struggling to shoot from distance. With Danny Granger set to return in about a month, Green's spot in the rotation clings by a thread.

Rashidi's Rating: 71

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Ed Davis

71 Overall (+3)
90 Inside (+2)
70 Med (+16)
80 OffReb (+2)
67 DefPost (+4)
57 OffAwr (+11)
69 DefAwr (+2)
50 Consistency (+5)
80 Stamina (+2)
85 Hustle (+5)

2013
PER: 18.1
Inside: 71-97 (73.2%)
Close: 70-151 (46.3%)
Mid: 5-20 (25.0%)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)
ORB%: 10.7

2012
PER: 14.2
Inside: 101-131 (77.1%)
Close: 63-172 (36.6%)
Mid: 8-31 (25.8%)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)
ORB%: 10.4

Davis has been having a fine season, and the Raptors have played much better with him in the lineup instead of (injured) Andrea Bargnani.

While it's good of 2K to notice this, they went about it the wrong way, increasing the wrong shooting attribute (Close, instead of Medium). Davis is an obviously weak shooter from distance, annually hovering around 25% on limited attempts. Davis plays like a center on the offensive end, but this adjustment will have him play more like a poor man's David West.

Rashidi's Rating: 76

------------------------------------------------------

Kevin Durant

95 Overall (+1)
93 Inside (+2)
94 Close (+2)
92 Med (+2)
90 FT (+4)
84 Dunk (+2)
87 Handle (+3)
83 OHD (+3)
86 Security (+2)
68 Pass (+16)
73 Block (+2)
70 Steal (+2)
78 DefReb (-4)
97 Stamina (+3)
92 Durability (+2)

2013
PER: 28.8 (2nd in NBA)
Inside: 130-175 (74.3%)
Close: 120-241 (49.7%)
Mid: 51-117 (43.6%)
3pt: 70-174 (40.2%)
AST%: 20.2
BLK%: 2.6
STL%: 2.1
DRB%: 19.2

2012
PER: 26.2 (4th in NBA)
Inside: 263-364 (72.3%)
Close: 260-575 (45.2%)
Mid: 144-287 (50.2%)
3pt: 174-454 (38.3%)
AST%: 17.5
BLK%: 2.2
STL%: 1.8
DRB%: 20.4

Oklahoma City made season-defining headlines when they traded James Harden for Kevin Martin prior to the season opener. Harden is clearly a better player than Martin, but the Thunder have played at just as high of a level without Harden because Kevin Durant has filled Harden's shoes, diversifying his game and acting more as a facilitator this season.

The result is Durant has solidified himself as the 2nd best player in the NBA behind LeBron (a gap that grows slimmer with each passing day), and should be considered the favorite for league MVP based on his team's success in the tougher Western Conference.

Rashidi's Rating: 96

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LaMarcus Aldridge

86 Overall (0)
88 Med (-4)

2013
PER: 19.4
Inside: 90-131 (68.7%)
Close: 103-261 (39.4%)
Mid: 106-264 (40.2%)
3pt: 0-9 (0.0%)

2012
PER: 22.7
Inside: 182-265 (68.7%)
Close: 168-365 (46.0%)
Mid: 131-302 (43.4%)
3pt: 2-11 (18.2%)

The fact that Aldridge's Close shot went down by only 4 points (while none of his other ratings changed) is an absolute joke. He has not been himself this year and the team would be dead in the water if not for explosive production from rookie Damian Lillard. Overall Aldridge is shooting

Rashidi's Rating: 85

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INJURED PLAYERS

Many key players recovered from injury this week. Lakers fans will be happy to have access to Howard and Gasol again (even though they'll still take 30 shots per game with Kobe), while Knicks fans will be happy as hell to see Iman Shumpert back. They won't have to use James White or Ronnie Brewer at PG anymore for their cheesy dunks and can instead use a semi-legitimate PG now.

NEW
Manu Ginobili (86/SG, Spurs)

RECOVERED
Chris Wilcox (64/PF, Celtics)
Marvin Williams (66/SF, Jazz)
Iman Shumpert (80/SG, Knicks)
Dwight Howard (92/C, Lakers)
Pau Gasol (81/PF, Lakers)
Glen Davis (73/PF, Magic)
Wilson Chandler (80/SF, Nuggets)

INJURED LIST
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C)
Bobcats: Byron Mullens (69/PF)
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (76/C)
Celtics: N/A
Clippers: Chauncey Billups (81/PG), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: Quincy Pondexter (61/SF)
Hawks: Anthony Morrow (66/SG)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: N/A
Jazz: Mo Williams (78/PG), Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Raymond Felton (79/PG), Marcus Camby (73/C), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Jordan Hill (70/C), Steve Blake (68/PG)
Magic: Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: N/A
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: N/A
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF)
Pistons: N/A
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Jonas Valanciunas (68/C)
Rockets: Royce White (68/PF)
Spurs: Manu Ginobili (86/SG)
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG), Meyers Leonard (59/C)
Warriors: Andrew Bogut (79/C), Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: N/A
Free Agent: Sam Young (68/SF)

------------------------------------------------------

PLAYER MOVEMENT

NETS
Damion James (SF) from Free Agents

------------------------------------------------------

MISSING PLAYERS

No new players were added.

------------------------------------------------------

UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (14 games, 9.5 mpg)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (7 games, 4.3 mpg)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (4 games, 3.0 mpg)
Mike James (PG) - Mavericks (5 games, 8.2 mpg, 539 games played prior to this season)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (2 games, 5.5 mpg, played 22 games and 8.1 mpg last season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (15 games, 8.9 mpg)
Patrick Beverley (PG) - Rockets (2 games, 7.5 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (6 games, 5.0 mpg)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (22 games, 2.7 mpg)
TOTAL: 9

Mike James has been in previous 2K games and his re-addition to the game should not be particularly difficult. He has been missing since last year though, so don't expect him to be added until he is signed for the rest of the season.

Kevin Jones' minutes are on the rise due to Anderson Varejao's injury, and he will be the next player 2K absolutely needs to add to their roster.

------------------------------------------------------

INCORRECT LINEUPS

Only two lineups were off this week so it's good to see 2K finally get this area under control.

HAWKS
Jeff Teague (PG), Louis Williams (SG), Kyle Korver (SF), Josh Smith (PF), Al Horford (C)
Devin Harris has been starting at SG since 1/11 (four games ago).

KNICKS
Jason Kidd (PG), Ronnie Brewer (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Amare Stoudemire (PF), Tyson Chandler (C)
It has been widely reported that Amare Stoudemire will be coming off the bench for the foreseeable future, yet he has been starting in 2K's roster since 1/3. Marcus Camby (prior to injury), Kurt Thomas, and Chris Copeland have been drawing all the PF starts since Amare returned.
Brewer also lost his starting job and James White had been drawing starts prior to Iman Shumperts return today. This begs another question: Why would 2K start a healthy Amare but not a healthy Shumpert?

------------------------------------------------------

Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 1/12/13

2013-01-12T10:30:00.003-05:00

Only two players received (minor) edits this week, down from 16 in last week's roster, as 2K has once again reverted to their lazy ways.

Worse, the two edited players have already seen multiple revisions this season. Has 2K never heard of Nick Collison? ....Don't answer that.

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PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
1/12: 2
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

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Kobe Bryant

95 Overall (+1)
94 Inside (+5)
89 Med (+1)
70 Steal (+4)
52 DefReb (+2)

2013
Inside: 112-160 (70.0%)
Close: 114-251 (45.4%)
Mid: 71-165 (43.0%)
3pt: 77-219 (35.2%)
STL%: 2.0
DRB%: 11.6

2012
Inside: 162-239 (67.8%)
Close: 245-582 (42.0%)
Mid: 145-569 (41.6%)
3pt: 104-437 (30.0%)
STL%: 1.6
DRB%: 11.8

The Lakers keep getting worse, yet their team continues to get better and better. At the time of his update last month, Kobe was shooting 47% from mid-range, so his rating should be trending down, not going up to an 89... and if anyone can explain the justification for the rebound boost, I'm all ears.

------------------------------------------------------

Serge Ibaka

85 Overall (+1)
58 3pt (+33)
79 FT (-1)

2013
Inside: 96-127 (75.6%)
Close: 52-98 (53.0%)
Mid: 62-135 (45.9%)
3pt: 7-23 (30.4%)

2012
Inside: 188-265 (70.9%)
Close: 75-179 (41.8%)
Mid: 81-198 (40.9%)
3pt: 2-7 (28.6%)

As I wrote last month, Ibaka needed a 3pt boost, and he finally got it. I'd say his rating should be at least another 10 points higher though, as he's on pace to hit 16 this season. For example, Will Bynum was 7-29 (24.1%) last season and his 3pt rating is 64.

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COACHING CHANGES

The biggest change in the NBA two weeks has been two new NBA coaches. Scott Skiles quit on his Milwaukee Bucks team, and was replaced by lead assistant Jim Boylan in the interim, while the Nets unceremoniously fired Avery Johnson and likewise replaced him with lead assistant P.J. Carlesimo in the interim.

Jim Boylan (Bucks)

Experience: 2 years
Teacher: D
Offense: D
Defense: C
Potential: B

P.J. Carlesimo (Nets)

Experience: 9 years
Teacher: C
Offense: C
Defense: C
Potential: C

Both coaches have the same Coach Profiles (sliders) as their predecessors, so the only thing that has changed are the names, pictures, and a slight variance in their coach ratings. I assume that any commentary related to the fired coaches has also been removed.

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INJURED PLAYERS

The big news is that the Lakers have had their frontline decimated by injury, as Howard/Gasol are out for at least another week while top backup Jordan Hill went down for the year.

John Wall also returns from injury while Kevin Love has surgery that will knock him out until April, if not the rest of the season (don't expect him back if they fall out of the playoff picture).

NEW
Marvin Williams (66/SF, Jazz)
Marcus Camby (73/C, Knicks)
Dwight Howard (92/C, Lakers)
Pau Gasol (81/PF, Lakers)
Jordan Hill (70/C, Lakers)
Kevin Love (89/PF, Timberwolves)
Meyers Leonard (59/C, Trail Blazers)

RECOVERED
Tyrus Thomas (71/PF, Bobcats)
Grant Hill (77/SF, Clippers)
Devin Harris (76/PG, Hawks)
Tyreke Evans (80/SG, Kings)
Marcus Thornton (75/SG, Kings)
John Wall (82/PG, Wizards)
Trevor Booker (67/PF, Wizards)
A.J. Price (55/PG, Wizards)

INJURED LIST
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C)
Bobcats: Byron Mullens (69/PF)
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (76/C)
Celtics: Chris Wilcox (64/PF)
Clippers: Chauncey Billups (81/PG), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: Quincy Pondexter (61/SF)
Hawks: Anthony Morrow (66/SG)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: N/A
Jazz: Mo Williams (78/PG), Raja Bell (71/SG), Marvin Williams (66/SF)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Iman Shumpert (80/SG), Raymond Felton (79/PG), Marcus Camby (73/C), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Dwight Howard (92/C), Pau Gasol (81/PF), Jordan Hill (70/C), Steve Blake (68/PG)
Magic: Glen Davis (73/PF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: N/A
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: Wilson Chandler (80/SF)
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF), Sam Young (68/SF)
Pistons: N/A
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Jonas Valanciunas (68/C)
Rockets: Royce White (68/PF)
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Kevin Love (89/PF), Brandon Roy (80/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG), Meyers Leonard (59/C)
Warriors: Andrew Bogut (79/C), Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: N/A
Free Agent: Sam Young (68/SF)

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PLAYER MOVEMENT

BULLS
Daequan Cook (SG/63) - from Rockets

HORNETS
Donald Sloan (PG/63) - from Free Agents

PACERS
Dominic McGuire (66/SF) - from Hornets

FREE AGENTS
Kris Joseph (63/SF) - from Celtics
Darius Johnson-Odom (68/SG) - from Lakers
Chris Douglas-Roberts (70/SF) - from Mavericks
Sam Young (68/SF) - from Pacers
Shelvin Mack (65/PG) - from Wizards

------------------------------------------------------

MISSING PLAYERS

No new players were added.

------------------------------------------------------

UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (12 games, 9.2 mpg)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Heat (5 games, 3.6 mpg)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (4 games, 3.0 mpg)
Mike James (PG) - Mavericks (2 games, 7.5 mpg, 539 games played prior to this season)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (1 game, 5.0 mpg, played 22 games and 8.1 mpg last season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (14 games, 9.3 mpg)
Patrick Beverley (PG) - Rockets (0 games)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (6 games, 5.0 mpg)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (20 games, 2.0 mpg)
TOTAL: 9

Mike James has been in previous 2K games and his re-addition to the game should not be particularly difficult. He has been missing since last year though, so don't expect him to be added until he is signed for the rest of the season.

Kevin Jones' minutes are on the rise due to Anderson Varejao's injury, and he will be the next player 2K absolutely needs to add to their roster.

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INCORRECT LINEUPS

Only two lineups were off this week so it's good to see 2K finally get this area under control.

KNICKS
Jason Kidd (PG), Ronnie Brewer (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Amare Stoudemire (PF), Tyson Chandler (C)
It has been widely reported that Amare Stoudemire will be coming off the bench for the foreseeable future, yet he has been starting in 2K's roster since 1/3. Marcus Camby (prior to injury) and Kurt Thomas have been drawing all the PF starts since Amare returned.

WIZARDS
A.J. Price (PG), Bradley Beal (SG), Martell Webster (SF), Nene (PF), Emeka Okafor (C)
Garrett Temple has been starting since 12/29, practically since he was signed, averaging 33.5 minutes as a starter, yet 2K refuses to put him in the starting lineup.

------------------------------------------------------

Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 1/5/13

2013-01-05T10:01:00.001-05:00

Fifteen players had attributes adjusted by 2K Sports in Saturday morning's roster update. Many fans (including this one) were highly critical of 2K Sports releasing an update after two weeks and not updating any player's ratings. It's nice to see the company make a quick response.

With that said, if the company can edit 15 players in one day, what is so hard about doing that EVERY SINGLE DAY? The product would be considerably better off, and the ratings that I've been griping about for years would finally be attended to.

For a glossary of terms used in analysis, head to Basketball-Reference.

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PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
1/5: 16
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

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Larry Sanders
73 Overall (+8)
64 Close (+4)
64 Med (+4)
60 FT (+13)
53 Traffic (+5)
90 Block (+9)
72 OBD (+6)
83 OffReb (+7)
80 DefReb (+8)
78 DefPost (+9)
55 OffAwr (+13)
82 DefAwr (+13)
55 Consistency (+30)
82 Stamina (+2)
55 Strength (+7)
96 Hustle (+4)
80 Durability (+2)
80 Potential (+2)

2013:
Inside: 81-114 (71.1%)
Close: 17-57 (29.8%)
Med: 3-14 (21.4%)
3pt: 0-2 (0%)
FT: 29-48 (60.4%)
BLK%: 9.2 (leads league)
ORB%: 10.2
DRB%: 27.3 (9th in league)
PER: 18.1

2012:
Inside: 65-111 (58.6%)
Close: 9-43 (20.9%)
Med: 10-28 (35.7%)
3pt: 0-2 (0%)
FT: 18-38 (47.4%)
BLK%: 8.9
ORB%: 10.3
DRB%: 17.3
PER: 13.3

Sanders has been a shot blocking machine since entering the league, and absolutely deserves the maximum rating of 99. His 8.9 BLK% last season would have ranked 2nd behind Serge Ibaka had he qualified, but for whatever reason 2K continues to play it conservative here. Sanders and Ibaka are on another level compared to the rest of the league when it comes to shot blocking. 2K doesn't have a problem inflating the block ratings of many power forwards (Gasol 80, Aldridge 74, Bargnani 70) but when it comes to the players who deserve it, I guess it's because they don't score enough points (worried more about overall rating rather than actual game performance).

Sanders didn't deserve the ORB increase but deserved a larger DRB increase. His DRB% merits a rating in the 90s. Given how poor Sanders shoots away from the rim, he didn't need Close/Medium increases. Aside from that, the rest of his increases are fine, and a welcome sight for Bucks fans.

Rashidi's Rating: 78
Position Rank: 20th

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Greivis Vasquez
73 Overall (+3)
71 Inside (-8)
84 Close (+2)
82 3pt (+5)
80 FT (-2)
83 Layup (+4)
81 Security (+3)
85 Pass (+7)
58 Steal (-12)
81 Hands (+4)
48 DefReb (+8)
79 OffAwr (+6)
64 DefAwr (+5)
75 Consistency (+15)
95 Stamina (+1)
38 Strength (+5)
81 Hustle (+6)
76 Potential (+4)

2013
Inside: 38-90 (42.2%)
Close: 77-178 (43.2%)
Med: 24-47 (51.1%)
3pt: 35-93 (37.6%)
AST%: 46.6 (2nd in NBA)
STL%: 1.0
DRB%: 14.0
PER: 16.3

2012
Inside: 55-92 (59.8%)
Close: 86-199 (43.2%)
Med: 41-97 (42.3%)
3pt: 43-135 (31.9%)
AST%: 35.7
STL%: 1.9
DRB%: 10.3
PER: 14.2

Given that Vasquez has the second best assist rate in the NBA, it would have been nice to see him with a slightly higher Pass rating than 85. Consistency jumping to 75 is a bit puzzling, as Vasquez has had just as many bad games as he has good (though lately it's mostly been good).

Rashidi's Rating: 81
Position Rank: 21st

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J.R. Smith
82 Overall (+3)
83 Med (+3)
82 3pt (-5)
80 FT (-5)
89 Layup (+4)
71 Traffic (+6)
80 Handle (+2)
76 OHD (+4)
75 Steal (-7)
38 OffReb (+5)
84 OffAwr (+8)
68 DefAwr (+4)
75 Consistency (+15)
92 Speed (+4)
93 Quickness (+1)
73 Hustle (+22)
85 Potential (+2)

2013
Inside: 43-71 (60.6%)
Close: 37-116 (31.8%)
Med: 69-146 (47.3%)
3pt: 50-152 (35.2%)
STL%: 2.1
ORB%: 2.2
PER: 16.6

2012
Inside: 44-73 (60.3%)
Close: 27-71 (38.0%)
Med: 46-116 (39.7%)
3pt: 72-221 (32.6%)
STL%: 2.9
ORB%: 3.4
PER: 15.2

I am quite torn on what to think of J.R. Smith and these rating changes. On one hand, the stats-based ratings are fine, but on the other, by raising speed and quickness it is now possible to use J.R. Smith at the PG spot in the game to devastating effect. Smith is athletic, but he's not prime Dwyane Wade athletic.

As with Vasquez, I don't really like Smith with a high consistency rating due to how erratic he is. His last 9 games have been very good (23.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 3.6 apg, 46.1 FG%), but the 12 games prior to that were not (12.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.3 apg, 36.2 FG%).

Rashidi's Rating: 81
Position Rank: 11th

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Nikola Vucevic
68 Overall (+7)
85 Inside (-2)
71 Close (-11)
78 Med (+1)
63 FT (+10)
64 Dunk (+5)
68 Traffic (+2)
70 Fade (+9)
49 Security (+3)
35 Pass (+7)
69 Block (+9)
73 Hands (+4)
49 OBD (+7)
84 OffReb (+9)
75 DefReb (+7)
69 OffPost (+3)
68 DefPost (+3)
64 OffAwr (+4)
51 DefAwr (+9)
60 Consistency (+25)
79 Stamina (+4)
48 Speed (+4)
45 Quickness (+4)
56 Hustle (+12)
73 Potential (+7)

2013
Inside: 90-145 (62.1%)
Close: 50-115 (43.4%)
Med: 23-60 (38.3%)
3pt: 0-2 (0%)
FT: 31-48 (64.6%)
AST%: 8.0
BLK%: 2.7
ORB%: 12.6
DRB%: 26.5 (10th in league)
PER: 16.6

2012
Inside: 59-90 (65.6%)
Close: 43-124 (34.6%)
Med: 26-70 (36.1%)
3pt: 3-8 (37.5%)
FT: 18-34 (52.9%)
AST%: 6.2
BLK%: 3.1
ORB%: 12.0
DRB%: 21.7
PER: 14.3

Vucevic has long been underrated, dating back to last season. However, his 68 Overall is still very low for a player who has proven himself to be an adequate starting center.
There was no reason for Close shot rating to go down. Overrated based on last season, but appropriate for this season's performance.
Offensive Rebounding was underrated dating back to last season, which was fixed.
Defensive Rebounding was underrated last season, and while it was raised to 75, that is still slightly underrated going by last year's numbers... which means it is drastically underrated going by this season. A top 10 defensive rebounder who just pulled down 29 rebounds in a game (18 defensive) has a mere 75 rating (given to an average rebounding PF/C).

Rashidi's Rating: 75
Position Rank: 30th

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Deron Williams
86 Overall (-3)
83 Inside (-5)
88 Close (+6)
76 Med (-5)
76 3pt (+3)
83 FT (-1)
83 Pass (-9)
85 OffAwr (-5)
65 Consistency (-5)

2013
Inside: 51-76 (67.1%)
Close: 39-108 (36.1%)
Med: 35-94 (37.2%)
3pt: 54-171 (31.6%)
AST%: 37.3 (8th in league)
PER: 17.8

2012
Inside: 108-190 (56.8%)
Close: 83-214 (38.7%)
Med: 85-215 (39.5%)
3pt: 115-342 (33.6%)
AST%: 46.6 (3rd in league)
PER: 20.3

Williams saw his shooting percentages tank hard as soon as he joined the Nets, which is the main reason why former coach Avery Johnson is out of town. More disturbing however, was the drop in his assist rate this season. While this can be attributed to Joe Johnson taking some of Deron's ball handling responsibility, it's clear that less offensive responsibility hasn't yielded better results for Deron's shot either.

Rashidi's Rating: 84
Position Rank: 8th

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Brook Lopez
79 Overall (-1)
85 Inside (-12)
88 Close (-4)
72 Med (+2)
72 FT (-8)
81 OffAwr (+2)
79 DefAwr (+6)

2013
Inside: 98-141 (69.5%)
Close: 87-196 (44.3%)
Med: 20-52 (38.5%)
3pt: 0-0 (N/A)
FT: 96-132 (72.7%)
BLK%: 6.0
ORB%: 11.0
DRB%: 19.1
PER: 25.8 (5th in league)

2011 (only played 5 games in 2012)
Inside: 198-317 (62.5%)
Close: 361-768 (47.0%)
Med: 85-223 (38.1%)
3pt: 0-1 (0%)
FT: 385-489 (78.5%)
BLK%: 3.2
ORB%: 7.8
DRB%: 12.3
PER: 19.3

Like many fans, my jaw quickly dropped when I saw Lopez's rating had DROPPED rather than gone up. Lopez is playing at an all-star level and is quite easily the best offensive center in the league. PER isn't an end-all be-all stat, but anytime a player sees theirs go up SIX POINTS it signifies vast improvement (Reference point: Carmelo Anthony's career high 26.7 PER this season, up from last season's 21.1 and his 20.6 career average).

Part of the problem is that Lopez had so many ratings that he was very overrated coming into the season. 89 Block, 82 OffReb, 68 DefReb were all drastically overrated entering the year. Those ratings are appropriate NOW, which means 2K should not be improving upon them. The reality is that if Lopez were properly rated in the first place, his Overall rating would be +7 instead of -1.

On the surface, the changes 2K did make seen relatively fair by their standards.
While Lopez's Inside shot rating was grossly overrated when looking at his 2011 numbers, he has shown significant improvement here and the decrease was more than what was warranted. A quick glance at Nikola Vucevic's production will clearly illustrate the discrepancy 2K has with consistently following their rating formulas.
Meanwhile the decrease to his Close shot rating was appropriate, though clearly was underrated entering the year.

As with most 2K ratings though, it's not about what they DID change, but rather what THEY DIDN'T.

It is frankly the definition of incompetence that 2K would give 75 Consistency to Greivis Vasquez and J.R. Smith but leave Brook Lopez at 70 Consistency. Lopez is averaging 19 points in only 29 minutes (23 points per 36 mins), shoots 52% from the field on a high volume of shots, and has failed to score in double figures only three times all season despite playing fewer minutes than Vasquez or Smith.

Lopez is a legit 20 point scorer at the position it is hardest to score 20 points at, yet has only 81 Offensive Awareness (originally 79 entering the year). Compare this to Rudy Gay (86), Luol Deng (83), or Andrea Bargnani (82, which is DOWN from the 89 he started the season with)

All 2K would have had to do is appropriately adjust those two ratings, and Lopez's overall rating wouldn't have dropped - in fact it might have gone up a point. They could have spared themselves the ire of the growing number of fans who realize just how poor 2K's roster efforts are. Instead, well, you know the story by now.

Rashidi's Rating: 84
Position Rank: 7th

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Andre Iguodala
85 Overall (-2)
89 Inside (+3)
73 Close (-4)
72 Med (-3)
78 3pt (-6)
65 FT (+3)
72 Traffic (-3)
75 Pass (-7)
42 Block (+6)
73 Steal (-5)
81 DefAwr (-3)
70 Consistency (-5)

2013
Inside: 86-109 (78.9%)
Close: 26-90 (28.8%)
Med: 28-75 (37.3%)
3pt: 43-134 (32.1%)
FT: 79-126 (62.7%)
AST%: 19.2
BLK%: 1.3
STL%: 2.0
PER: 14.6

2012
Inside: 132-183 (72.1%)
Close: 47-119 (39.4%)
Med: 71-239 (29.7%)
3pt: 95-242 (39.3%)
FT: 121-196 (61.7%)
AST%: 23.7
BLK%: 1.0
STL%: 2.6
PER: 17.6

Everytime Iguodala drains a contested mid-range jumper against me online I want to stab this game in the face, given his awful production last season. He's shot better this season, but the rating obviously still needed to go down some. Close/Med could have gone down further though, as it's not like Iguodala has scored much over the last 2-3 years... and not to harp on the point about Lopez's 70 Consistency any further, but Sixers and Nuggets fans WISH Iguodala were HALF that consistent.

Rashidi's Rating: 83
Position Rank: 6th

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Danilo Gallinari
76 Overall (+4)
81 Inside (-1)
79 Close (+16)
76 Med (+4)
81 3pt (+2)
83 FT (-4)
74 Layup (+2)
72 Dunk (+3)
69 Traffic (+4)
72 Handle (+3)
65 OHD (+4)
58 Security (+5)
55 Pass (+7)
63 Steal (-2)
79 Hands (+4)
51 OffReb (+11)
75 Consistency (+10)
85 Stamina (+2)
69 Speed (+5)
52 Hustle (+6)
72 Durability (+3)

2013
Inside: 51-95 (53.7%)
Close: 32-83 (38.5%)
Med: 34-86 (39.5%)
3pt: 61-175 (34.9%)
AST%: 11.4
STL%: 1.2
ORB%: 3.5
PER 16.5

2012
Inside: 103-176 (58.5%)
Close: 20-76 (26.3%)
Med: 40-102 (39.2%)
3pt: 64-206 (31.1%)
AST%: 13.0
STL%: 1.6
ORB%: 2.5
PER 16.5

Might as well be consistent and stick with the theme. 75 Consistency????? Gallinari had a season high 28 points, followed it up with a 1-10 game, had 12 points the next night, and then had another 1-10 game on Christmas Day. Two games later he scores a season high 39 points.... then follows it up with 7 points on 2-8 shooting. CONSISTENCY???????

With that said, most of Gallinari's changes are welcome, given that he was underrated for three years or so. Maybe someday they'll get around to lowering Wilson Chandler's rating... you know, that guy whose been backing him up since New York.

Rashidi's Rating: 79
Position Rank: 8th

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Paul George
81 Overall (+2)
81 Inside (-2)
72 Close (-2)
73 Med (+7)
84 3pt (-1)
83 FT (+3)
72 Traffic (+6)
59 Pass (+6)
74 Steal (-10)
74 Hands (+4)
82 OBD (+4)
70 DefReb (+4)
83 OffAwr (+7)
81 DefAwr (+3)
90 Stamina (+2)
79 Durability (+4)

2013
Inside: 76-127 (59.8%)
Close: 35-105 (33.3%)
Med: 27-75 (36.0%)
3pt: 67-179 (37.4%)
FT: 80-98 (81.6%)
AST%: 19.2
STL%: 2.2
DRB%: 18.8
PER: 16.0

2012
Inside: 138-225 (61.3%)
Close: 46-128 (35.9%)
Med: 33-106 (31.1%)
3pt: 101-275 (36.7%)
FT: 146-182 (80.2%)
AST%: 13.6
STL%: 2.9
DRB%: 17.9
PER: 16.5

I'm not going to hide it. I'm going to harp on Lopez again.

Offensive Awareness
83 - Deng: 17.4 points, 2.8 assists, 40.4 minutes
83 - George: 16.3 points, 3.7 assists, 36.0 minutes
83 - Gallinari: 16.3 points, 2.4 assists, 32.4 minutes
81 - Lopez: 18.9 points, 0.8 assists, 29.3 minutes
79 - Butler: 9.9 points, 0.8 assists, 23.3 minutes

What's 2K's favorite place to eat, Buffalo Wild Wings?

Anyway I agree with the rest of George's changes, which is probably a first for me.

Rashidi's Rating: 80
Position Rank: 6th

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Lance Stephenson
69 Overall (+5)
75 3pt (+47) - via 1/3 roster update
60 Pass (+18)
68 OffAwr (+14)
52 DefAwr (+10)

2013
Inside: 56-75 (74.7%)
Close: 11-31 (35.4%)
Med: 10-40 (25.0%)
3pt: 24-62 (37.5%)
FT: 18-29 (62
PER: 11.9

2012
Inside: 23-41 (56.1%)
Close: 10-32 (31.2%)
Med: 11-29 (37.9%)
3pt: 5-32 (15.6%)
FT: 8-17 (47.1%)
PER: 7.0

As a testament to how poorly Stephenson was rated AND how unbalanced 2K's rating system is, Stephenson had 4 attributes adjusted over the past two days and saw his overall rating jump 10 points.

Don't be too quick to pat 2K Sports on the back though - Stephenson still has a paltry 47 Free Throw, 50 Ball Security, 25 Consistency, and 39 Hustle rating. They didn't watch him play, or even look at the rest of his ratings. They just fixed the ones fans complained about most (3pt and Pass) while throwing in their customary Awareness bumps.

Rashidi's Rating: 71
Position Rank: 43rd

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James Harden
86 Overall (+3)
79 Close (+3)
77 Med (+2)
81 3pt (+1)
86 FT (+1)
84 Layup (+6)
78 SOD (+5)
49 Block (+12)
78 Steal (+12)
49 OffReb (+5)
40 DefReb (-3)
92 OffAwr (+3)
75 DefAwr (+4)
75 Consistency (+5)
96 Stamina (+2)
86 Speed (+3)
89 Quickness (+2)
86 Durability (+4)
89 Potential (+4)

2013
Inside: 126-195 (64.6%)
Close: 29-100 (29.0%)
Med: 36-95 (37.9%)
3pt: 66-183 (36.1%) - Assisted 47.0%
BLK%: 1.0
STL%: 2.6
ORB%: 2.6
DRB%: 9.6
PER: 23.8

2012
Inside: 191-281 (68.0%)
Close: 37-128 (28.9%)
Med: 27-64 (42.2%)
3pt: 156-370 (39.5%) - Assisted 84.2%
BLK%: 0.6
STL%: 1.6
ORB%: 1.9
DRB%: 12.2
PER: 21.1

I cannot stress enough how huge it is that Harden is drilling threes off the dribble at such a good clip. His ability to pull up from distance is the primary reason he's been the most efficient Pick and Roll scorer in the league this season (1.11 Points Per Possession via Synergy Sports).

With that said, Harden's Shoot Off Dribble rating should EASILY be rated higher than other highly touted superstar players.

SOD
85 - Melo (Ast'd 45.6%)
84 - Durant (Ast'd 57.4%)
83 - Kobe (Ast'd 37.6%)
83 - Wade (Ast'd 43.9%)
81 - Pierce (Ast'd 64.4%)
78 - LeBron (Ast'd 39.2%) - On that note, why is the King underrated in this regard as well?
78 - Harden (Ast'd 31.1%)

Stop being so damn conservative when it comes to a player who has clearly shown himself to be an elite scorer in this league!

And good god 2K Sports, 75 Consistency for Harden? On par with Greivis Vasquez, J.R. Smith, and Danilo Gallinari? DOES ANYONE ON YOUR RATINGS TEAM KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY ARE DOING?

Rashidi's Rating: 89
Position Rank: 3rd

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Marcus Morris
68 Overall (+3)
83 Inside (+2)
85 Close (+1)
78 3pt (+20)
69 FT (-6)
72 Traffic (+3)
62 Hook (+5)
54 Block (+9)
62 Steal (+6)
65 OffReb (+7)
61 DefReb (+1)
55 Consistency (+10)
76 Potential (+4)

2013
Inside: 41-63 (63.4%)
Close: 18-46 (39.1%)
Med: 9-27 (33.3%)
3pt: 43-114 (37.7%)
FT: 6-8 (75.0%)
BLK%: 1.2
STL%: 1.2
ORB%: 6.1
DRB%: 14.5
PER: 13.2

2012
Inside: 4-10 (40.0%)
Close: 6-15 (40.0%)
Med: 4-12 (33.3%)
3pt: 2-17 (11.8%)
FT: 37-53 (69.8%)
BLK%: 1.2
STL%: 0.8
ORB%: 4.6
DRB%: 10.2
PER: 3.8

Morris, a faceup bigman by trade, finally had his 3pt rating boosted to the point where he can make them in games. I have no idea why any of his other shot ratings would go up though.

I suppose it also wouldn't be a 2K roster update if there weren't a block rating increase that made absolutely no sense.

90 Sanders (9.3 BLK%) - LOL do the math on this and wonder again why 2K's so conservative with him
89 Lopez (6.0 BLK%)
72 Brand (4.5 BLK%)
70 Bargnani (1.7 BLK%) - Well gee, that's not at all weird.
65 Nowitzki (1.2 BLK%) - 2012 production
65 Gallinari (1.0 BLK%) - Compare to Sanders plz
54 Morris (1.2 BLK%)
50 George (1.5 BLK%)
49 Harden (1.0 BLK%) - Glossed over it above but his clearly doesn't make sense either.
42 Iguodala (1.3 BLK%)
42 Boozer (1.2 BLK%)
33 Vasquez (0.3 BLK%)
31 J.R. Smith (1.0 BLK%)

There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to the block ratings in this game and it's because 2K openly defies using their own formula. I guess they decided they couldn't remember which block formula they were using this week so they decided to make Morris the happy medium between Dirk and Boozer.

Rashidi's Rating: 69
Position Rank: 57th

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Goran Dragic
78 Overall (+1)
83 Inside (-5)
71 Close (-7)
73 Med (+5)
71 FT (-10)
72 Traffic (+3)
86 Handle (+2)
82 OHD (+2)
82 Security (+2)
82 OffAwr (+2)
71 DefAwr (+3)

2013
Inside: 70-108 (64.8%)
Close: 27-76 (35.5%)
Med: 23-50 (46.0%)
3pt: 44-129 (34.1%)
FT: 153-190 (80.5%)
PER: 18.6

2012
Inside: 130-183 (71.0%)
Close: 52-143 (36.3%)
Med: 27-72 (37.5%)
3pt: 68-202 (33.7%)
FT: 93-132 (70.5%)
PER: 18.0

Dragic finally has ball handling ratings more appropriate with a PG of his skill level.

Rashidi's Rating: 80
Position Rank: 21st

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J.J. Hickson
76 Overall (+3)
93 OffReb (+13)
84 DefReb (+11)
80 Stamina (+2)
86 Hustle (+5)

2013
Inside: 110-178 (61.8%)
Close: 42-102 (41.1%)
Med: 12-19 (63.2%)
3pt: 0-1 (0%)
ORB%: 15.5 (3rd in league)
DRB%: 28.4 (6th in league)
PER: 20.5

2012
Inside: 106-168 (63.1%)
Close: 53-149 (35.5%)
Med: 25-74 (33.8%)
3pt: 0-2 (0%)
ORB%: 11.7
DRB%: 19.0
PER: 14.9

Hickson was the only player edited that didn't have any of his shot ratings touched - a bit puzzling considering his improvements from Close and Mid-range.

As with Vucevic, I'm not sure why 2K is being so conservative with one of the best defensive rebounders in the league.

Rashidi's Rating: 80
Position Rank: 17th

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David Lee
84 Overall (+3)
94 Close (+2)
82 Med (+4)
82 FT (+4)
78 Hook (+2)
51 Pass (+5)
90 DefReb (+4)
87 OffAwr (+6)
85 Consistency (+5)
84 Stamina (+2)
82 Hustle (+16)
83 Durability (+13)

2013
Inside: 129-184 (70.1%)
Close: 88-207 (42.5%)
Med: 55-117 (47.0%)
3pt: 0-2 (0%)
AST%: 17.4
DRB%: 22.7
PER: 20.8

2012
Inside: 242-352 (68.8%)
Close: 155-393 (39.4%)
Med: 67-172 (39.0%)
3pt: 0-5 (0%)
AST%: 13.6
DRB%: 19.9
PER: 19.7

Crazy to me how Lee is widely known to be one of the league's best passing big men, yet his pass rating dwarfs that of many other players who saw updates this week.

AST%
19.2 Iguodala (75)
19.2 George (59)
17.4 Lee (51)
11.4 Gallinari (55)

You know what else is crazy to me? How 2K was so conservative with Sanders, Vucevic, and Hickson yet they had no trouble boosting Lee's defensive rebound rating (which was overrated to begin with!) due to his popularity.

DRB%
28.7 Hickson (84) - 6th in league
27.3 Sanders (80) - 9th in league
26.5 Vucevic (75) - 10th in league
22.7 Lee (90)

Keep embarrassing yourselves, 2K Sports.

Rashidi's Rating: 84
Position Rank: 9th

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Stephen Curry
83 Overall (+1)
78 Inside (+7)
77 Close (+6)
88 Med (-4)
89 FT (-1)
84 SOD (+2)
84 Security (+4)
83 Pass (+4)
77 Steal (-5)
90 OffAwr (+2)
71 DefAwr (+4)
80 Consistency (+5)

2013
Inside: 26-46 (56.5%)
Close: 33-91 (36.2%)
Med: 72-172 (41.9%)
3pt: 99-220 (45.0%)
AST%: 28.6
STL%: 2.1
PER: 18.9

2012
Inside: 18-32 (56.2%)
Close: 15-54 (27.7%)
Med: 57-89 (64.0%)
3pt: 55-121 (45.5%)
AST%: 32.3
STL%: 2.8
PER: 21.1

Strange that Curry's pass rating would go up when his assist rate has gone down (his 3.3 Assist to Bad Pass Ratio is also well below average for a PG).

Rashidi's Rating: 83
Position Rank: 9th

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COACHING CHANGES?

Avery Johnson is still coach of the Brooklyn Nets. Since everyone just got back from holiday break, I assume there wasn't enough time to program in P.J. Carlesimo (who will probably last through the remainder of the season).

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INJURED PLAYERS

2K either read my blog or heard other's complaints, as Anderson Varejao (out since 12/18) finally hit the injured list.

NEW
Anderson Varejao (76/C, Cavaliers)
Sam Young (68/SF, Pacers)

RECOVERED
Trevor Ariza (76/SF, Wizards)

INJURED LIST
76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C)
Bobcats: Tyrus Thomas (71/PF), Byron Mullens (69/PF)
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (76/C)
Celtics: Chris Wilcox (64/PF)
Clippers: Chauncey Billups (81/PG), Grant Hill (77/SF), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: Quincy Pondexter (61/SF)
Hawks: Devin Harris (76/PG), Anthony Morrow (66/SG)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: N/A
Jazz: Mo Williams (78/PG), Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: Tyreke Evans (80/SG), Marcus Thornton (75/SG)
Knicks: Iman Shumpert (80/SG), Raymond Felton (79/PG), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Steve Blake (68/PG)
Magic: Glen Davis (73/PF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: N/A
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: Wilson Chandler (80/SF)
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF), Sam Young (68/SF)
Pistons: N/A
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Jonas Valanciunas (68/C)
Rockets: Royce White (68/PF)
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Brandon Roy (80/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Andrew Bogut (79/C), Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: John Wall (82/PG), Trevor Booker (67/PF), A.J. Price (55/PG)

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MISSING PLAYERS

No new players were added.

Patrick Beverley was recently bought-out of his Russian contract by the Rockets and will be joining the team as soon as he gets FIBA clearance. I assume he would take the roster spot of Scott Machado.

Terrel Harris was waived by the Heat today, 5 days before his contract became guaranteed. There is a chance the team will bring him back later in the season on a 10-day contract.

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UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (8 games, 6.5 mpg)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Celtics (5 games, 3.6 mpg)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (3 games, 3.0 mpg)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (0 games, currently injured, played 22 games and 8.1 mpg last season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (13 games, 9.8 mpg)
Scott Machado (PG) - Rockets (5 games, 3.8 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (6 games, 5.0 mpg)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (17 games, 1.6 mpg)
TOTAL: 8

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PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS

Dominic McGuire (66/SF) - Hornets
Daequan Cook (63/SG) - Free Agent

McGuire was waived by the Hornets yesterday afternoon. 2K still has him on the active roster over Al-Farouq Aminu.

While the move is not yet official, the Bulls are in the process of signing Daequan Cook who just cleared waivers.

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INCORRECT LINEUPS

CAVALIERS
Kyrie Irving (PG), Dion Waiters (SG), Alonzo Gee (SF), Tristan Thompson (PF), Tyler Zeller (C)
Dion Waiters has played his last two games off the bench, reprising the sixth man role he played at Syracuse. C.J. Miles moved to the starting lineup, as he's played much better in that role.

KNICKS
Jason Kidd (PG), Ronnie Brewer (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Amare Stoudemire (PF), Tyson Chandler (C)
It has been widely reported that Amare Stoudemire will be coming off the bench for the foreseeable future. Marcus Camby has been starting (and prior to that, Kurt Thomas). A bit mind-boggling why 2K would start him when they are bringing Dirk Nowitzki off the Mavericks bench.

MAGIC
Jameer Nelson (PG), Arron Afflalo (SG), Maurice Harkless (SF), Andrew Nicholson (PF), Nikola Vucevic (C)
DeQuan Jones replaced the struggling Harkless in the starting lineup on 12/31.

MAVERICKS
Darren Collison (PG), O.J. Mayo (SG), Dahntay Jones (SF), Shawn Marion (PF), Chris Kaman (C)
Dirk Nowitzki was expected to enter the starting lineup on Saturday, and did so (shifting Marion back to SF).

SUNS
Goran Dragic (PG), Shannon Brown (SG), Michael Beasley (SF), Markieff Morris (PF), Marcin Gortat (C)
Beasley lost his starting job to Jared Dudley on 12/8. Morris lost his job to Luis Scola on 12/12. How 2K can go a month (SEVEN ROSTER UPDATES!!!) without paying attention to an entire team, I'll never know.

WIZARDS
Shelvin Mack (PG), Bradley Beal (SG), Martell Webster (SF), Nene (PF), Emeka Okafor (C)
2K seriously just added Wizards starting PG Garrett Temple to the game and didn't put him in the starting lineup. I have no words.

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Liked the in-depth breakdown of 2K Sports' roster update? Check out Rashidi's roster, The Real NBA 2K13.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 1/3/13

2013-01-03T08:04:00.004-05:00

2K Sports returned from Christmas vacation. With this roster update, one has to wonder when they'll actually return to work.

Sure, we had Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash return from injury two weeks after the fact, Eric Gordon, Amare Stoudemire and a collection of other players return, and even Avery Bradley after making his debut just last night. Did they bother to do anything else? Read on.

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COACHING CHANGES?

Avery Johnson is still coach of the Brooklyn Nets. Since everyone just got back from holiday break, I assume there wasn't enough time to program in P.J. Carlesimo.

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PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

Lance Stephenson
64 Overall (+5)
75 3pt (+47)

16 days and the only attribute 2K could be bothered to change was Lance Stephenson's blatantly terrible 3pt rating. This is what the company accomplished over the holidays. It's officially time to rename their marquee feature "NBA Yesterday".

For the record, 2K also switched Kyle Korver's position to Small Forward three months late. While this lead to a change in Overall rating (63, +1), this does NOT qualify as an attribute change.

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INJURED PLAYERS

As you will read about in 2K and various gamer outlet's plugs, 2K focused on injuries this update!
(Oh boy! Focusing on a feature nobody wanted to see in the first place!)
Well, here's the list of what changed.

NEW
Byron Mullens (69/PF, Bobcats)
Chris Wilcox (64/PF, Celtics)
Quincy Pondexter (61/SF, Grizzlies)
Devin Harris (76/PG, Hawks)
Anthony Morrow (66/SG, Hawks)
Mo Williams (78/PG, Jazz)
Tyreke Evans (80/SG, Kings)
Marcus Thornton (75/SG, Kings)
Raymond Felton (79/PG, Knicks)
Rasheed Wallace (71/PF, Knicks)
Glen Davis (73/PF, Magic)
Jonas Valanciunas (68/C, Raptors)

RECOVERED
Beno Udrih (68/PG, Bucks)
Tobias Harris (68/SF, Bucks)
Richard Hamilton (73/SG, Bulls)
Avery Bradley (79/SG, Celtics)
Eric Gordon (84/SG, Hornets)
Jason Smith (60/C, Hornets)
Amare Stoudemire (83/PF, Knicks)
Marcus Camby (73/C, Knicks)
Steve Nash (87/PG, Lakers)
Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF, Magic)
Dirk Nowitzki (84/PF, Mavericks)
Lance Stephenson (59/SG, Pacers)
Kyle Lowry (82/PG, Raptors)
Landry Fields (73/SF, Raptors)
Patrick Patterson (75/PF, Rockets)
Richard Jefferson (74/SF, Warriors)

MISSING
Anderson Varejao (76/C, Cavaliers) - Last played on 12/18

INJURED LIST

76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C)
Bobcats: Tyrus Thomas (71/PF), Byron Mullens (69/PF)
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: N/A
Celtics: Chris Wilcox (64/PF)
Clippers: Chauncey Billups (81/PG), Grant Hill (77/SF), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: Quincy Pondexter (61/SF)
Hawks: Devin Harris (76/PG), Anthony Morrow (66/SG)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: N/A
Jazz: Mo Williams (78/PG), Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: Tyreke Evans (80/SG), Marcus Thornton (75/SG)
Knicks: Iman Shumpert (80/SG), Raymond Felton (79/PG), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Steve Blake (68/PG)
Magic: Glen Davis (73/PF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: N/A
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: Wilson Chandler (80/SF)
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF)
Pistons: N/A
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Jonas Valanciunas (68/C)
Rockets: Royce White (68/PF)
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Brandon Roy (80/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Andrew Bogut (79/C), Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: John Wall (82/PG), Trevor Ariza (76/SF), Trevor Booker (67/PF), A.J. Price (55/PG)

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MISSING PLAYERS

64 - Garrett Temple (SG/PG) - Wizards (5 games, 28.0 mpg, 3 starts)

Temple absolutely needed to be added as he's taken over starting PG duties due to all the injuries in Washington. He was previously in 2K12 so his addition shouldn't have been difficult.

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UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (8 games, 6.5 mpg)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Celtics (4 games, 3.5 mpg)
Terrel Harris (SG) - Heat (7 games, 4.1 mpg, played 22 games and 14.5 mpg last season)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (3 games, 3.0 mpg)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (0 games, currently injured, played 22 games and 8.1 mpg last season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (12 games, 9.1 mpg)
Scott Machado (PG) - Rockets (5 games, 3.8 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (6 games, 5.0 mpg)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (17 games, 1.6 mpg)
TOTAL: 9

No pressing needs.
Hansbrough overtook D.J. Augustin for backup PG minutes but has been thoroughly unimpressive (and was probably just done to light a fire under the struggling Augustin).
Varnado, the newest addition to the list, has played well in his limited playing time.

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PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS

Donald Sloan (63/PG) - Cavaliers
Daequan Cook (63/SG) - Rockets
Shaun Livingston (62/PG) - Free Agent
James Anderson (65/SG) - Free Agent
Lazar Hayward (60/SF) - Free Agent

Sloan was waived by the Cavs on 12/25 to make room for Livingston, who was claimed off waivers and played on 1/2
Cook was waived by the Rockets on 1/2 to make room for Anderson
Hayward was signed by the Wolves on 12/31 and played on 1/2

Avery Bradley played last night and was activated. Lazar Hayward played last night and is in the free agent pool. 2K Sports can't seem to be bothered to keep up with official transactions, as minor as they might be.

For what it's worth, Josh Howard (70/SF), who was erroneously on the Timberwolves roster last update has been removed from the game. He tore his ACL and is out for the season, so this will prevent teams from signing him in Association. Whether they remember to add him back to NBA 2K14 is another story.

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INCORRECT LINEUPS

A number of teams (finally) had their lineups fixed. Naturally, a few more cropped up to take their place. Incorrect list drops from 9 to 6.

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CAVALIERS
Kyrie Irving (PG), Dion Waiters (SG), Alonzo Gee (SF), Tristan Thompson (PF), Anderson Varejao (C)
Tyler Zeller has been starting in place of the injured Varejao for two weeks. Of course, that only would matter if 2K had injured him. Regardless, Dion Waiters moved to the bench last night, and will be the team's sixth man as he was in college. C.J. Miles has moved to the starting lineup, where he has had significantly more success than off the bench.

KNICKS
Jason Kidd (PG), Ronnie Brewer (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Amare Stoudemire (PF), Tyson Chandler (C)
It has been widely reported that Amare Stoudemire will be coming off the bench for the foreseeable future. Kurt Thomas has been starting against bigger front-courts, while James White has been starting against smaller front-courts (shifting Melo to PF). A bit mind-boggling why 2K would start him when they are bringing Dirk Nowitzki off the Mavericks bench.

MAGIC
Jameer Nelson (PG), Arron Afflalo (SG), Maurice Harkless (SF), Andrew Nicholson (PF), Nikola Vucevic (C)
DeQuan Jones replaced the struggling Harkless in the starting lineup on 12/31.

MAVERICKS
Darren Collison (PG), O.J. Mayo (SG), Dahntay Jones (SF), Shawn Marion (PF), Chris Kaman (C)
Vince Carter replaced Jones in the starting lineup on 12/30.

SUNS
Goran Dragic (PG), Shannon Brown (SG), Michael Beasley (SF), Markieff Morris (PF), Marcin Gortat (C)
Beasley lost his starting job to Jared Dudley on 12/8. Morris lost his job to Luis Scola on 12/12. How 2K can go a month without paying attention to an entire team, I'll never know.

WIZARDS
Shelvin Mack (PG), Bradley Beal (SG), Martell Webster (SF), Nene (PF), Emeka Okafor (C)

2K seriously just added the Wizards starting PG to the game and didn't put him in the starting lineup. I have no words.

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SUMMARY

THE BAD
16 days
1 Missing Player Added
1 Player Edit (1 attribute edited)
1 Player Position Change
5 Players on Wrong Teams
1 Incorrect Coach
6 Incorrect Lineups

THE GOOD
12 New Injuries
16 Injury Recoveries

If 2K Sports doesn't make a larger, considerably more detailed update quickly, there will surely be hell to pay within the community, one that already knows what a shoddy job 2K does in this department.

Archive of NBA 2K13 Association Simulations

2013-01-03T06:54:00.000-05:00

Archive of simulation test results from my NBA 2K13 roster (made each time before a roster upload).

1/3 Roster

AWARDS
MVP: Russell Westbrook
ROY: Damian Lillard
6TH: Amare Stoudemire
DPY: Anderson Varejao
MIP: Robin Lopez
COY: Rick Adelman

Russell Westbrook getting MVP is a bit of a head scratcher since he isn't even the best player on his team. Blame it on 2K's engine which looks at points, rebounds, assists, but NOT shooting percentage.

Amare Stoudemire likely won't qualify for Sixth Man since he missed the first two months of the season, but could make things interesting if he plays like a star off the bench IRL.

A decrease to Dwight Howard's ratings may have cost him Defensive Player of the Year, which is a good thing since Howard is extremely unlikely to get it this year. Varejao won't get it either, as his team is 29th defensively, but it's good to see some variety here.

Robin Lopez is a worthy candidate for MIP, though Kemba Walker who won it in the last sim is probably more likely to walk with the award IRL.

ALL-NBA TEAMS
First Team: Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard
Second Team: Brandon Jennings, Jeremy Lin, LeBron James, Kevin Love, Anderson Varejao
Third Team: James Harden, Goran Dragic, Josh Smith, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan

Last week we saw Brandon Jennings make All-NBA First Team despite inferior stats to Wade/Kobe AND a losing record. This time we see Jeremy Lin make All-NBA Second Team (over James Harden!), LeBron James take a back seat to Blake Griffin on the First Team, and Anderson Varejao beat out Tim Duncan for the 2nd team.

Lin: 19.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 6.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Harden: 22.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Harden has the better statistical output (+3 points and FG%, +1 rebounds, -1 assists and steals), so 2K is certainly overvaluing either assists or steals in their All-NBA formula.

Griffin: 23.7 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.9 BPG
LeBron: 22.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Griffin actually trumps LeBron statistically. I'll have to look into why LeBron was so passive in this simulation, as his scoring was 2nd on the team behind Wade's 23.5 PPG, and we know whose #1 in the pecking order IRL.

Varejao: 11.6 PPG, 14.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Duncan: 17.5 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.3 SPG, 1.7 BPG

Seriously, when did rebounds become more important than points?

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAMS
First Team: Kyle Lowry, Jason Kidd, Blake Griffin, Josh Smith, Anderson Varejao
Second Team: Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade, Anthony Davis, Serge Ibaka, Dwight Howard

Blake Griffin takes Carlos Boozer's place in this week's "what???" selection. Griffin (like Boozer) grabs a ton of rebounds and plays for one of the NBA's best defensive teams (which probably inflates his numbers a bit in the engine).

ALL-ROOKIE TEMAS
First Team: Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Dion Waiters, Andre Drummond
Second Team: Alexey Shved, Bradley Beal, Royce White, Andrew Nicholson, Jeff Taylor

Aside from White who isn't playing due to health issues, we'll probably see this at the end of the year. Last week's sim saw Terrence Ross and Jared Sullinger make the cut over Nicholson and Taylor which is probably more realistic if the season ended today.

PLAYOFF RESULTS
Thunder (1) defeat Rockets (8) in 7 games.
Timberwolves (5) defeat Nuggets (4) in 5 games.
Spurs (6) defeat Grizzlies (3) in 5 games.
Lakers (7) defeat Clippers (2) in 7 games.

The Warriors are notably absent from the west bracket, and I will have to work to improve their ratings (they were only 7th last week).

Last week the Lakers were the #1 seed but were bounced in round one. This week I decreased most of their ratings and they came in 7th, but they managed to upset the Clippers in the battle for Los Angeles.

Heat (1) defeat Hawks (8) in 6 games.
76ers (4) defeat Nets (5) in 7 games.
Bucks (6) defeat Bulls (3) in 7 games.
Knicks (2) defeat Wizards (7) in 6 games.

I can't believe I'm writing this, but the Wizards somehow made the playoffs despite being the lowest rated team in my roster (obviously, having John Wall for 82 games was a big factor).

Thunder (1) defeat Timberwolves (5) in 6 games.
Lakers (7) defeat Spurs (6) in 6 games.
76ers (4) defeat Heat (1) in 7 games.
Knicks (2) defeat Bucks (6) in 5 games.

Heat lose to a team that may not even make the playoffs IRL (granted, they do have Andrew Bynum in these sims).

Lakers (4) defeat Thunder (1) in 4 games.
Knicks (2) defeat 76ers (4) in 4 games
Lakers (7) defeat Knicks (2) in 5 games.

Looks like my Laker rating decreases were all for naught, as they go on to win the NBA Championship.
Kobe Bryant named Finals MVP.

RETIREMENTS
Players: Jason Terry, Grant Hill, Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Rasheed Wallace, Pablo Prigioni, Jerry Stackhouse, Andre Miller
Coaches: Lawrence Frank
HOF: Ray Allen, Jason Kidd

This list is exactly the same as last week, with Jason Terry (2 years remaining on contract!!!!!!!!!!!!) taking the place of Richard Hamilton, and Kurt Thomas for whatever reason deciding to suit up for another year at age 41 while the rest of his younger teammates call it quits. As with last time, Allen, Kidd, Camby, and Miller all have guaranteed years and few players EVER walk away from guaranteed money. It's anyone's guess as to when 2K Sports figures this out.

Lawrence Frank retiring yet again still makes as little sense last week as it does now - he's one of the league's youngest coaches.

OFFSEASON SIGNINGS
David West, J.R. Smith, and Jarrett Jack signed with the Cavaliers. One of the biggest changes I made in this roster is giving Chris Paul a max extension with the Clippers to prevent him from signing with the Cavs as he does in every single Association or MyCareer. The Cavs in turn spent their money on a better balanced team.  Bravo!
The Hawks signed Nate Robinson to backup extremely similar Louis Williams, pushing Jeff Teague to 3rd string. LOL. A possible solution in future rosters is switching Lou to SG in the future, as he's been starting there recently.
Hornets brought back Carl Landry to backup both Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson. This is the same Landry the Hornets let walk to the Warriors because they had the other two guys.
Nikola Pekovic signed with the Jazz, replacing Paul Millsap. This makes former #3 pick Enes Kanter a 3rd string behind Jefferson and Pek.
Knicks sign Jazz backups Jamaal Tinsley and Earl Watson to replace retired Kidd and Prigioni, bring in DeShawn Stevenson to replace J.R. Smith, and bring in Samuel Dalembert to replace retired Camby and Wallace.
As with last week, Dwight Howard left the Lakers, and the best replacement they could muster was Jermaine O'Neal. The major difference between the last two weeks is THE LAKERS JUST WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!  Dwight wouldn't stick around for the title defense on a better contract than any other team can offer? I find that hard to believe.
Paul Millsap signed with the Magic, which beats him completely disappearing via glitch as he did in last week's sim. Andray Blatche also signed with the Magic, as he did last week.
J.J. Hickson signed with the Pistons, turning Andre Drummond into a 3rd string (though the lack of quality PFs probably means Greg Monroe starts there).
Dwight Howard once again signed with the Rockets.  If this persists, I am likewise going to have to give him an extension with the Lakers, who are extremely likely to keep him regardless of their season results. Who else do they have for the future? While the concept of a Howard/Harden/Lin team sounds fun, turning Omer Asik into a 15 million dollar backup in 2015 is not.

Top Unsigned FAs
PG: Delonte West (73), Jeremy Pargo (72)
SG: J.J. Redick (74), Brandon Roy (73), Tony Allen (72)
SF: Stephen Jackson (73), Ronnie Brewer (72), Dahntay Jones (71), Anthony Morrow (71), Mike Dunleavy (71), Martell Webster (70), Damion James (70)
PF: Elton Brand (76), JaJuan Johnson (70)
C: Timofey Mozgov (66)

Overall, these are better results than we saw last week, despite some hiccups from 2K's simulation engine. Time to see where next week's adjustments take us!

12/25 Roster

Results from 12/25 roster. Tested with player roles, chemistry, CPU trades, and injuries turned off. No association simulations are exactly the same.

MVP: LeBron James
ROY: Damian Lillard
6TH: Ryan Anderson
DPY: Dwight Howard
MIP: Kemba Walker
COY: Mike D'Antoni

The top 3 are a given. Ryan Anderson has outplayed both Jamal Crawford and Kevin Martin even though nobody in the media is reporting it due to market differences. Dwight is a perennial DPOY when healthy, while Kemba is definitely a fine candidate for MIP. COY is given to coach of the best team so this will often go to Lakers/Heat/Thunder coaches (though the idea of D'Antoni as COY is an amusing one given our knowledge of how the NBA season has actually played out).

All-NBA 1st: Russell Westbrook, Brandon Jennings, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard
All-NBA 2nd: Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan
All-NBA 3rd: Stephen Curry, Deron Williams, Josh Smith, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMarcus Cousins

Jennings on the 1st team over Wade and Kobe stands out as really bad.
Jennungs: 21.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 7.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 41.7 FG%
Kobe: 24.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.6 SPG, 48.7 FG%
Wade: 23.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 52.5 FG%

Chalk this one up to 2K Sports not understanding the importance of shooting percentage.

All-Defense 1st: Kyle Lowry, Chris Paul, Josh Smith, Serge Ibaka, Dwight Howard
All-Defense 2nd: Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, Carlos Boozer, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins

2K's defensive teams are usually atrocious since it looks exclusively at rebounds, steals, and blocks rather than actual ability (Awareness or On-Ball/Post ratings play no factor). I've never seen non-shot blockers like Boozer (9.2 DRB, 1.4 STL, 0.5 BLK) and Cousins (9.7 DRB, 1.4 STL, 1.0 BLK) make it before though.

All-Rookie 1st: Damian Lillard, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, Dion Waiters, Andre Drummond
All-Rookie 2nd: Alexey Shved, Bradley Beal, Royce White, Terrence Ross, Jared Sullinger

Aside from White who isn't playing due to health issues, we'll probably see this at the end of the year.

PLAYOFF RESULTS
Timberwolves (8) defeat Lakers (1) in 6 games.
Grizzlies (5) defeat Clippers (4) in 7 games.
Thunder (6) defeat Spurs (3) in 7 games.
Nuggets (2) defeat Warriors (7) in 5 games.

Regardless of the order, these are the top 8 teams in the west.
The curse of the 2K sim engine strikes again, as it seems like one of the #1 seeds is destined to lose in the first round every season even though this rarely happens in reality. I understand 2K likes to keep things varied in association, but come on, the best teams should advance the majority of the time, especially with chemistry and injuries turned off.

Heat (1) defeat Pacers (8) in 5 games.
Hawks (5) defeat Knicks (4) in 5 games.
Nets (6) defeat Sixers (3) in 6 games.
Bulls (2) defeat Celtics (7) in 7 games.

Only the Sixers would be a non-playoff team if the season started today. On that note, the Bucks absence here (6th IRL) certainly nullifies Brandon Jennings' selection to All-NBA First team.

Timberwolves (8) defeat Grizzlies (5) in 6 games.
Nuggets (2) defeat Thunder (6) in 7 games.
Heat (1) defeat Hawks (5) in 6 games.
Nets (6) defeat Bulls (2) in 6 games.

The Western Conference Finals are between the west's worst two playoff teams. Go figure.

Nuggets (2) defeat Timberwolves (8) in 5 games.
Heat (1) defeat Nets (6) in 4 games.
Heat (1) defeat Nuggets (2) in 6 games.

LeBron named Finals MVP.

RETIREMENTS
Players: Richard Hamilton, Grant Hill, Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Rasheed Wallace, Pablo Prigioni, Kurt Thomas, Jerry Stackhouse, Andre Miller
Coaches: Lawrence Frank
HOF: Ray Allen, Jason Kidd

Of those players, there isn't a chance that Allen, Kidd, Camby, or Miller retire because they are all owed guaranteed money on their contracts (while Hamilton and Hill have team options). When will 2K Sports figure out that players who are under contract DON'T retire? It's ONLY been 12 years...

Lawrence Frank retiring makes no sense either considering he's only 42 years old. Since we have AGES for players, how about we get them for coaches too?

OFFSEASON SIGNINGS
Dwight Howard signed w/ Rockets. Lakers replaced him with Samuel Dalemebert. WELP.
Chris Paul signed w/ Cavaliers, who still have Kyrie Irving. GO 2K! Paul would NEVER pick a young rebuilding team over the contender he was already on who could also offer more money/years.  2K must be saying the Clippers would let Paul walk.
David West signed w/ Jazz, replacing Millsap.
Nate Robinson and Andray Blatche become the top 2 players on the Magic.
Nikola Pekovic signed w/ Mavericks.
Paul Millsap is nowhere to be found. He disappeared. High five for 2K glitches!

As you can see, an updated roster can only take us so far.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 12/21/12

2012-12-21T18:45:00.003-05:00

2K Sports released a 12/21/12 roster "update" that changed very little. I guess they expected the world was going to end today with the Mayan Apocalypse.

I speculated in my 12/18 analysis that we would probably see 2K release a quick roster update to get Pau Gasol back into the Lakers lineup and that's exactly what they did. Unfortunately, they needed to do a lot more than that, and had time to get it done.

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PLAYER EDITS

Not a single player was edited in the past three days.

Player attribute edits per roster
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

On the bright side, I guess I won't be staying in on a Friday night.

------------------------------------------------------

INJURED PLAYERS

76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C)
Bobcats: Tyrus Thomas (71/PF)
Bucks: Beno Udrih (68/PG), Tobias Harris (68/SF)
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG), Richard Hamilton (73/SG)
Cavaliers: N/A
Celtics: Avery Bradley (79/SG)
Clippers: Chauncey Billups (81/PG), Grant Hill (77/SF), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: N/A
Hawks: N/A
Heat: N/A
Hornets: Eric Gordon (84/SG), Jason Smith (60/C)
Jazz: Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Amare Stoudemire (83/PF), Iman Shumpert (80/SG), Marcus Camby (73/C)
Lakers: Steve Nash (87/PG), Steve Blake (68/PG)
Magic: Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki (84/PF)
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: Wilson Chandler (80/SF)
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF), Lance Stephenson (59/SG)
Raptors: Kyle Lowry (82/PG), Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Landry Fields (73/SF)
Rockets: Patrick Patterson (75/PF), Royce White (68/PF)
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Brandon Roy (80/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Andrew Bogut (79/C), Richard Jefferson (74/SF), Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: John Wall (82/PG), Trevor Ariza (76/SF), Trevor Booker (67/PF), A.J. Price (55/PG)

NEW
Jason Smith (60/C, Hornets)
Marcus Camby (73/C, Knicks)
Patrick Patterson (75/PF, Rockets)

RECOVERED
Pau Gasol (81/PF, Lakers)
Stephen Jackson (78/SF, Spurs)

MISSING
Glen Davis (73/PF, Magic) - Will miss the next 4-6 weeks with a shoulder sprain.
Josh Howard (70/SF, Timberwolves) - Out for the season after tearing his ACL, shouldn't be on Timberwolves roster to begin with.

INCORRECT
Lance Stephenson (59/SG, Pacers) - Was listed as day-to-day, played on 12/18 and 12/19, and is still injured in the 12/21 roster. Pathetic.

------------------------------------------------------

MISSING PLAYERS

No new players were added (last on 12/18).

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UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (5 games, 6.6 mpg)
Terrel Harris (SG) - Heat (4 games, 5.8 mpg, played 22 games and 14.5 mpg last season)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (3 games, 3.0 mpg)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (0 games, currently injured, played 22 games and 8.1 mpg last season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (8 games, 8.5 mpg)
Scott Machado (PG) - Rockets (1 game, 3.0 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (5 games, 5.6 mpg)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (13 games, 1.3 mpg)
TOTAL: 8

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PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS

James Anderson (65/SG) - Spurs
Josh Howard (70/SF) - Timberwolves

McGuire signed with the Hornets and played on 12/16. This roster is dated 12/18. 2K Sports' continued sloppiness simply cannot and should not be tolerated.

------------------------------------------------------

INCORRECT LINEUPS

Heat finally had their lineup fixed after nearly a month. Other than that, the same errors haven't been fixed. The number of incorrect lineups is 9.

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BOBCATS
Kemba Walker (PG), Jeff Taylor (SG), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF), Byron Mullens (PF), Brendan Haywood (C)
Bismack Biyombo replaced Haywood in the starting lineup on 12/8. Gerald Henderson returned to the starting lineup on 12/15.

BUCKS
Brandon Jennings (PG), Monta Ellis (SG), Marquis Daniels (SF), John Henson (PF), Epke Udoh (C)
Larry Sanders took over starting duties from Henson on 12/5. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute moved into the starting lineup on 12/12, shifting Sanders from PF to center, and Udoh to the bench.

HAWKS
Jeff Teague (PG), Kyle Korver (SG), Josh Smith (SF), Al Horford (PF), Zaza Pachulia (C)
As I pointed out 12/5, the Hawks proper starting lineup is DeShawn Stevenson at SG, Kyle Korver at SF, Josh Smith at PF, and Al Horford at C. Korver has missed the last few games due to injury and Devin Harris has started in his place, shifting Stevenson to SF. (i.e. NOT Zaza Pachulia)

LAKERS
Chris Duhon (PG), Kobe Bryant (SG), Metta World Peace (SF), Pau Gasol (PF), Dwight Howard (C)
Jodie Meeks is the new starting SG in LA. Kobe is shifting to SF, while Metta World Peace becomes the team's 6th man.

MAGIC
Jameer Nelson (PG), Arron Afflalo (SG), Maurice Harkless (SF), Glen Davis (PF), Nikola Vucevic (C)
Glen Davis will miss the next 4-6 weeks with injury. His likely replacement in the starting lineup is Andrew Nicholson.

NETS
Deron Williams (PG), Joe Johnson (SG), Gerald Wallace (SF), Reggie Evans (PF), Brook Lopez (C)
Kris Humphries returned to the starting lineup on 12/18.

PACERS
George Hill (PG), Gerald Green (SG), Paul George (SF), David West (PF), Roy Hibbert (C)
Lance Stephenson is the starting SG, but is erroneously injured despite playing games on 12/18 and 12/19.

RAPTORS
Jose Calderon (PG), Demar DeRozan (SG), Linas Kleiza (SF), Ed Davis (PF), Jonas Valanciunas (C)
Mickael Pietrus has been starting at SF since 12/3. Kleiza has started a grand total of three games on the season.

SUNS
Goran Dragic (PG), Shannon Brown (SG), Michael Beasley (SF), Markieff Morris (PF), Marcin Gortat (C)
Beasley lost his starting job to Jared Dudley on 12/8.

------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
This was a half-assed injury update and nothing more. Three new injuries, two players who recovered, all in the span of three days. Sounds like 2K alright.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 12/18/12

2012-12-19T03:28:00.002-05:00

2K Sports released their 12/18/12 roster with little fanfare. They added four more missing players, but are quickly falling even further behind on the existing players who need adjustments based on this season's performance, not to mention all the role players who haven't received a proper adjustment in years.

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PLAYER EDITS

Eight players were edited this week, which is better than last week if you're an optimist.
If you're a realist like me, you realize 2K has only edited 9 players in the last 10 days.

Player attribute edits per roster
12/18: 8
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

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Evan Turner
82 Overall (+4)
80 Inside (-3)
77 Close (-5)
82 3pt (+18)
79 FT (+11)
73 Traffic (+5)
70 Pass (+11)
75 Hands (+2)
67 OffReb (+7)
79 OffAwr (+7)
63 DefAwr (+2)
65 Consistency (+15)
78 Hustle (+4)

2013
Inside: 38-69 (55.1%)
Close: 54-121 (44.6%)
Mid: 33-95 (34.7%)
3pt: 19-41 (46.3%)
FT: 63-78 (80.8%)
ORB%: 2.6

2012
Inside: 110-177 (62.1%)
Close: 131-332 (39.4%)
Mid: 67-180 (37.2%)
3pt: 11-55 (20.0%)
FT: 73-108 (67.6%)
ORB%: 1.7

Turner's Offensive Rebound rating going up AGAIN (it already went up 8 points in the 12/5 roster) really pisses me off considering he rarely grabs them and hasn't improved at it one bit. It has risen from 52 for absolutely no good reason, and is now 30 points overrated. If you're wondering how Evan Turner could possibly be 82 overall (i.e. a top 10 SF), this is your starting point.

The big news though is the improvement to his 3pt shot. Turner has legitimately improved it, but 82 seems a bit steep given his low volume. Unfortunately, we know exactly how most online players will use Turner online, jacking it up multiple times a game with the wing player.

Dropping Turner's Close shot rating also doesn't make much sense when he's actually hitting a high percentage of them this season. Overall, this was a terrible adjustment by 2K Sports.

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Kemba Walker
83 Overall (+5)
72 Close (-9)
80 FT (+1)
88 Layup (+7)
75 SOD (+2)
90 Handle (+4)
88 OHD (+2)
81 Pass (+11)
84 Steal (+16)
87 Hands (+3)
35 OffReb (-6)
85 OffAwr (+5)
72 DefAwr (+6)
75 Consistency (+15)
99 Stamina (+3)
99 Speed (+4)

2013
Inside: 63-120 (52.5%)
Close: 29-79 (36.7%)
Med: 35-75 (46.7%)
3pt: 24-79 (30.4%)
AST%: 32.4
STL%: 2.9

2012
Inside: 83-166 (50.0%)
Close: 55-157 (35.0%)
Med: 74-218 (33.9%)
3pt: 69-226 (30.5%)
AST%: 30.0
STL%: 1.8

Kemba's Close shot rating went down because it was overrated dating back to last year, which is also the same reason why his Pass rating went up. His stealing on the other hand, has improved. Kemba was an excellent ball thief in college but that didn't really translate as expected in his rookie season. He appears to have gotten it together this season.

Kemba is averaging 18 points and 6 assists per game, up from 12 points and 4 assists as a rookie. At only 22 years old, his (if not the Bobcats) future looks pretty bright.

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Samuel Dalembert
73 Overall (-1)
75 Standing Dunk (-5)
88 Block (-4)
80 DefPost (-2)
81 DefAwr (-3)
50 Consistency (-15)

2013
BLK%: 5.7

2012
BLK%: 5.7

Lowering Dalembert's ratings is silly because he's performed just as well as he did last season. He just hasn't played as much due to his team's crazy front court depth, not to mention his ridiculous coach. Dalembert will likely be traded and then go right back to doing what he's been doing the last couple years (blocking shots, rebounding at a high rate, and dunking).

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Al Horford
84 Overall (+2)
96 Inside (+3)
75 Close (-7)
68 FT (-5)
55 Pass (+5)
86 Hands (+4)
88 OffReb (+2)
86 DefReb (+6)
82 OffAwr (+6)
82 Hustle (+10)
88 Potential (+2)

2013
Inside: 94-119 (79.0%)
Close: 23-73 (31.5%)
Med: 28-74 (37.8%)
3pt: 0-1 (0.0%)
FT: 36-66 (54.5%)
ORB%: 8.9
DRB%: 22.7

2012
Inside: 39-54 (72.2%)
Close: 22-42 (52.3%)
Med: 16-40 (40.0%)
3pt: 0-1 (0.0%)
FT: 22-30 (73.3%)
ORB%: 8.8
DRB%: 17.1

2011

Inside: 183-240 (76.2%)
Close: 180-401 (44.8%)
Med: 206-411 (50.1%)
3pt: 2-6 (33.3%)
FT: 150-188 (79.8%)
ORB%: 8.2
DRB%: 23.7

Included Horford's 2011 data since he missed most of last year with injury.

Horford has not beeing shooting well from Close and Medium range this season. I would agree a Close shot decrease IF he hadn't shot it so efficiently the last two years. Horford may still come around, and if anything his 82 Close was underrated going by that data. Standing pat would have been acceptable.

Horford's FT rating dropping I can agree more with since he has shot it horrifically... as long as they bump it up if he starts draining them again.

The rebound ratings going up is totally unnecessary as Horford's rebounding was OVERRATED to begin with. ORB is now 10-15 points overrated even though he hasn't increased his production here.

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Paul Millsap
83 Overall (+1)
74 3pt (+20)

2013
Inside: 68-99 (68.7%)
Close: 40-114 (35.0%)
Med: 19-51 (37.3%)
3pt: 11-24 (45.8%)

2012
Inside: 219-310 (70.6%)
Close: 137-373 (36.7%)
Med: 83-198 (41.9%)
3pt: 7-34 (20.6%)

Millsap has definitely improved as a 3pt shooter since last season (something he dedicated his summer workouts to). I would have liked to see his mid-range game take a small hit since it isn't as good as last season, but this is to be expected from 2K who will often only edit a single attribute for a player if enough people complain about it (Patrick Patterson's 3pt rating a few weeks back was another example).

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David West
81 Overall (+5)
90 Inside (+4)
75 FT (-6)
49 Pass (+13)
65 Block (+23)
60 Steal (-4)
82 Hands (+3)
80 OffReb (+5)
72 DefReb (+16)
84 OffAwr (+3)
68 DefAwr (+4)

2013
Inside: 42-67 (62.7%)
Close: 102-191 (53.4%)
Med: 41-88 (46.6%)
3pt: 0-3 (0.0%)
BLK%: 2.4
ORB%: 6.8
DRB%: 18.3

2012
Inside: 121-194 (62.4%)
Close: 207-467 (44.3%)
Med: 85-194 (43.8%)
3pt: 2-9 (22.2%)
BLK%: 1.9
ORB%: 6.9
DRB%: 19.8

Shame on 2K for raising the wrong shooting rating. West's close shot should have gone up, not his Inside which is as pedestrian as ever.

My first reaction when seeing David West's block rating, I will opt not to print as this is a family website. West's block rating was underrated at a mere 42, but only by about 10-15 points. He is not a big-time shot blocker, not that 2K seems to care as they give tons of mediocre shot blockers high ratings (and then never get around to giving higher ratings to elites like Larry Sanders).

As is the usual trend, West's rebounding hasn't even improved one iota but 2K still pumped him up. His defensive rebounding WAS underrated, but his offensive rebounding was overrated, and now is even more so. Why 2K doesn't follow their own ratings formula, I'll never know.

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Andre Drummond
66 Overall (+7)
78 Inside (+8)
75 Close (+9)
45 Med (+5)
40 FT (+10)
56 Traffic (+6)
42 Fade (+12)
53 Hook (+2)
56 Steal (+8)
55 Hands (+5)
88 OffReb (+7)
72 DefReb (+5)
56 OffPost (+7)
70 DefPost (+2)
54 OffAwr (+9)
70 DefAwr (+2)
40 Consistency (+5)
76 Stamina (+3)
64 Hustle (+8)
75 Potential (+5)

2013
Inside: 69-105 (65.7%)
Close: 6-25 (24.0%)
Med: 0-2 (0.0%)
3pt: 1-2 (50.0%)
FT: 23-54 (42.6%)
STL%: 2.2
ORB%: 16.6
DRB%: 23.7

Improvement to Inside shot was certainly warranted... improvement to Close shot was certainly not.
Puzzled why Mid-range would go up when he hasn't even hit one and doesn't even attempt them.

Drummond has the 2nd best offensive rebound rate in the NBA so his rating definitely deserved to go up... and should go up even further if he keeps it up. His defensive rebounding has also been a surprise after struggling with it in NCAA, and his rating should go up again if he continues at his pace.

Drummond's steal rating should go up more if his excellent STL% (for a center) holds steady deeper into the season. I'm surprised his block rating didn't likewise go up since his 6.1 BLK% ranks 7th in the NBA.

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Chandler Parsons
78 Overall (+4)
80 Inside (-6)
64 Close (+5)
84 3pt (+5)
75 FT (+20)
67 Traffic (+2)
70 DefReb (+5)
79 OffAwr (+12)

2013
Inside: 58-89 (65.2%)
Close: 14-43 (32.5%)
Med: 9-24 (37.5%)
3pt: 48-128 (37.5%)

ORB%: 3.6
DRB%: 16.0

2012

Inside: 131-210 (62.4%)
Close: 30-99 (30.3%)
Med: 27-62 (43.5%)
3pt: 60-178 (33.7%)
ORB%: 5.7
DRB%: 13.6

Parsons defensive rebounding has improved from last season, but it was already overrated to begin with and thus remains overrated. Even worse, his offensive rebounding has gone down, which makes his 79 ORB rating look even more dubious. Does 2K really think the Rockets could stick Parsons at PF and dominate the glass next to Asik?

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Omer Asik
70 Overall (+2)
92 OffReb (+9)
88 DefReb (+12)

2013
ORB%: 11.9
DRB%: 28.3

2012
ORB%: 14.9
DRB%: 25.1

These changes aren't due to Asik's play this season; they are corrections to a player who was underrated since last season.

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INJURED PLAYERS

76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C)
Bobcats: Tyrus Thomas (71/PF)
Bucks: Beno Udrih (68/PG), Tobias Harris (68/SF)
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG), Richard Hamilton (73/SG)
Cavaliers: N/A
Celtics: Avery Bradley (79/SG)
Clippers: Chauncey Billups (81/PG), Grant Hill (77/SF), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: N/A
Hawks: N/A
Heat: N/A
Hornets: Eric Gordon (84/SG)
Jazz: Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Amare Stoudemire (83/PF), Iman Shumpert (80/SG)
Lakers: Steve Nash (87/PG), Pau Gasol (81/PF), Steve Blake (68/PG)
Magic: Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki (84/PF)
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: Wilson Chandler (80/SF)
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF), Lance Stephenson (59/SG)
Raptors: Kyle Lowry (82/PG), Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Landry Fields (73/SF)
Rockets: Royce White (68/PF)
Spurs: Stephen Jackson (78/SF)
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Brandon Roy (80/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Andrew Bogut (79/C), Richard Jefferson (74/SF), Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: John Wall (82/PG), Trevor Ariza (76/SF), Trevor Booker (67/PF), A.J. Price (55/PG)

NEW
Tobias Harris (68/SF, Bucks)
Lance Stephenson (59/SG, Pacers)
Kyle Lowry (82/PG, Raptors)
Andrea Bargnani (73/PF, Raptors)
Malcolm Lee (65/SG, Timberwolves)

RECOVERED
Brook Lopez (80/C, Nets)
Jeff Pendergraph (62/PF, Pacers)
Alan Anderson (66/SF, Raptors)
Kawhi Leonard (80/SF, Spurs)
Ricky Rubio (78/PG, Timberwolves)

MISSING
Jason Smith (60/C, Hornets) - Out since 12/12, tore shoulder labrum, out indefinitely

INCORRECT
Lance Stephenson (59/SG, Pacers) - Was listed as day-to-day and ended up playing on Tuesday.
Stephen Jackson (78/SF, Spurs) - Was available to play 12/17, and DID play on 12/18. Meanwhile 2K activated Kawhi Leonard who has still yet to return from his injury.
Pau Gasol (81/PF, Lakers) - Returned from injury on Tuesday, which he was expected to do.

Expect another roster update quickly as Laker fans will be quick to complain about Gasol's absence.

------------------------------------------------------

MISSING PLAYERS

Maalik Wayns (PG) - 63 Overall, 76ers
Addition could not have come sooner as Jrue Holiday is hurting and Wayns will play a larger role.

James White (SG/SF) - 69 Overall, Knicks
Has played in 18 games this year and will get run anytime Jason Kidd's body is sore.

Darius Johnson-Odom (SG) 68 Overall, Lakers
Has been playing a ton in the D-League, but not likely to contribute at the NBA level anytime soon (probably not until Kobe retires, IF Johnson-Odom keeps developing).

Luke Zeller (PF/C) - 59 Overall, Suns
Zeller is fringe material and best known for being Tyler and Cody's older brother. Honestly not sure why he's in the league since he didn't even play well in the D-League last season. I'm guessing the team merely wants to get brother Cody more familiar with the organization since he's a probable draft target of the team.

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UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (4 games, 5.5 mpg)
Terrel Harris (SG) - Heat (4 games, 5.8 mpg, played 22 games and 14.5 mpg last season)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (3 games, 3.0 mpg)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (0 games, currently injured, played 22 games and 8.1 mpg last season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (6 games, 8.2 mpg)
Scott Machado (PG) - Rockets (1 game, 3.0 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (5 games, 5.6 mpg)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (12 games, 1.4 mpg)
TOTAL: 8

To be perfectly honest, 2K now needs to STOP worrying about missing players and focus on the ones in the game as their ratings are falling apart right now. None of these guys NEEDS to be in the game if it means we aren't going to get updates to the players we actually ARE going to use.

If 2K feels the need to add any of these players, Ben Hansbrough (who has replaced D.J. Augustin as Indiana's backup PG) is the easy choice.

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PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS

Dominic McGuire (SF) - Free Agent

McGuire signed with the Hornets and played on 12/16. This roster is dated 12/18. 2K Sports' continued sloppiness simply cannot and should not be tolerated.

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INCORRECT LINEUPS

I have more to say that I haven't already. 2K simply hasn't been paying attention to lineup changes, which I have begun documenting by date.

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BOBCATS
Kemba Walker (PG), Jeff Taylor (SG), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF), Byron Mullens (PF), Brendan Haywood (C)
Bismack Biyombo replaced Haywood in the starting lineup on 12/8. Gerald Henderson returned to the starting lineup on 12/15.

BUCKS
Brandon Jennings (PG), Monta Ellis (SG), Marquis Daniels (SF), John Henson (PF), Epke Udoh (C)
Larry Sanders took over starting duties from Henson on 12/5. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute moved into the starting lineup on 12/12, shifting Sanders from PF to center, and Udoh to the bench.

HAWKS
Jeff Teague (PG), Kyle Korver (SG), Josh Smith (SF), Al Horford (PF), Zaza Pachulia (C)
As I pointed out 12/5, the Hawks proper starting lineup is DeShawn Stevenson at SG, Kyle Korver at SF, Josh Smith at PF, and Al Horford at C. Korver has missed the last few games due to injury and Devin Harris has started in his place, shifting Stevenson to SF. (i.e. NOT Zaza Pachulia)

HEAT
Mario Chalmers (PG), Dwyane Wade (SG), LeBron James (SF), Shane Battier (PF), Chris Bosh (C)
Battier has not started since 11/24. Udonis Haslem has been starting since 12/6.

HORNETS
Grevis Vasquez (PG), Roger Mason (SG), Al-Farouq Aminu (SF), Anthony Davis (PF), Robin Lopez (C)
Austin Rivers returned to the starting lineup on 12/11, replacing Mason.

RAPTORS
Jose Calderon (PG), Demar DeRozan (SG), Linas Kleiza (SF), Ed Davis (PF), Jonas Valanciunas (C)
Mickael Pietrus has been starting at SF since 12/3, FOUR ROSTERS AGO.

SPURS
Tony Parker (PG), Danny Green (SG), Kawhi Leonard (SF), DeJuan Blair (PF), Tim Duncan (C)
After finally getting the Spurs lineup right, 2K decided to uninjure Leonard for whatever reason. The correct Spurs lineup for the past month has been Gary Neal starting at SG with Green sliding to SF. Tiago Splitter has also moved into the starting lineup a few games ago, replacing Blair.

SUNS
Goran Dragic (PG), Shannon Brown (SG), Michael Beasley (SF), Markieff Morris (PF), Marcin Gortat (C)
Beasley lost his starting job to Jared Dudley on 12/8

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SUMMARY
Fans can finally stop complaining about missing players. They can now focus on 2K's lack of attention to everything else.

NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 12/13/12

2012-12-13T17:51:00.002-05:00

2K Sports appears to have heard the complaints of the fans (and possibly this blog) as they released another NBA 2K13 roster update after only three days (the previous roster took 18 days). Unfortunately, as with all things 2K, it seems everytime they take a step forward they take two steps back.

I've combed through the roster and posted the comprehensive details (and my thoughts) for your viewing pleasure.

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PLAYER EDITS

One player saw an attribute adjustment this week (and almost predictably, only one attribute was changed).

Player attribute edits per roster
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17: 16

It goes without saying that this is a step in the wrong direction after 2K showed much promise in their 12/8 roster. They follow up 15 players in only 3 days with 0 in 5 days, which I suppose should have been totally expected.

In the past few days we've seen...
Jeremy Lin drop 38 points (after multiple rating decreases)
Tony Parker record his first career triple double
Joakim Noah go for 30/23/6
Larry Sanders record a triple double off the bench.
Carmelo Anthony tie Harden's NBA high of 45 points.

2K didn't feel any of this was worth adjusting, which shouldn't surprise anyone whose been playing 2K more than a year (I assure you, the last 12 haven't been much different).

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Paul George
79 Overall (+1)
Height 6'10" (+2)

If you didn't know before, you know now. Height affects overall rating.

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James Harden
83 Overall (0)
80 3pt (-6)

2013
Inside: 73-120 (60.8%)
Close: 20-57 (35.0%)
Med: 17-53 (32.1%)
3pt: 40-116 (34.5%)

2012
Inside: 191-281 (68.0%)
Close: 37-128 (28.9%)
Med: 27-64 (42.2%)
3pt: 146-370 (39.5%)

Odd timing for a decrease to Harden's 3pt shot given that he is 9-21 over his last three games.

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INJURED PLAYERS

76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C)
Bobcats: Tyrus Thomas (71/PF)
Bucks: Beno Udrih (68/PG)
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG), Richard Hamilton (73/SG)
Cavaliers: N/A
Celtics: Avery Bradley (79/SG)
Clippers: Chauncey Billups (81/PG), Grant Hill (77/SF), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: N/A
Hawks: N/A
Heat: N/A
Hornets: Eric Gordon (84/SG)
Jazz: Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: N/A
Knicks: Amare Stoudemire (83/PF), Iman Shumpert (80/SG)
Lakers: Steve Nash (87/PG), Pau Gasol (81/PF), Steve Blake (68/PG)
Magic: Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki (84/PF)
Nets: Brook Lopez (80/C)
Nuggets: Wilson Chandler (80/SF)
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF), Jeff Pendergraph (62/PF)
Raptors: Landry Fields (73/SF), Alan Anderson (66/SF)
Rockets: Royce White (68/PF)
Spurs: Kawhi Leonard (80/SF), Stephen Jackson (78/SF)
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Brandon Roy (80/SG), Ricky Rubio (78/PG), Chase Budinger (71/SF)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Andrew Bogut (79/C), Richard Jefferson (74/SF), Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: John Wall (82/PG), Trevor Ariza (76/SF), Trevor Booker (67/PF), A.J. Price (55/PG)

NEW
Kawhi Leonard (80/SF, Spurs)
A.J. Price (55/PG, Wizards)

RECOVERED
Kyrie Irving (85/PG, Cavaliers)
Anthony Davis (79/PF, Hornets)
Victor Claver (62/SF, Trail Blazers)

MISSING
Dion Waiters (71/SG, Cavaliers) - Out since 12/1
Kyle Korver (63/SG, Hawks) - Out since 11/28
Kyle Lowry (82/PG, Raptors) - Partial triceps tear on 12/10, will be out 10 days.
Andrea Bargnani (73/PF, Raptors) - Tore elbow ligament on 12/10

2K corrected all inaccuracies from the previous roster, but did not keep up with new injury developments. Irving and Davis returning is huge for fans of their respective teams. We will probably (hopefully) see another update over the weekend as Brook Lopez (Friday) and Ricky Rubio (Saturday) also make their returns.

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MISSING PLAYERS

No additional players were added.

Maalik Wayns has played in 9 of the last 10 games, replacing Royal Ivey as backup PG.
James White has played in 9 of the last 10 games.
Ben Hansbrough just replaced D.J. Augustin as backup PG.

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UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Maalik Waayns (PG) - 76ers
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers
Terrel Harris (SG) - Heat
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz
James White (SF/SG) - Knicks
Darius Johnson-Odom (SG) - Lakers
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers
Scott Machado (PG) - Rockets
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns
Luke Zeller (C/PF) - Suns
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors
TOTAL: 12

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INCORRECT LINEUPS

2K Sports finally fixed the Spurs lineup after nearly a month of having the injured Kawhi Leonard in the starting lineup, but they haven't kept up with other happenings in the league.

Last week 2K had 7 incorrect lineups, down from 13, which was a positive development. However instead of knocking out the rest of them, 2K seems to have rested on their laurels this week and the number has risen back up to 11.

The NBA is a fluid league where we can anticipate rotation and lineup changes happening thanks to minutes played. It is very easy to keep up with rotations on a daily basis, so 2K's inability to keep up with this is for the most part inexcusable.

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76ERS
Jrue Holiday (PG), Jason Richardson (SG), Evan Turner (SF), Thaddeus Young (PF), Kwame Brown (C)
As I pointed out on December 5th, Lavoy Allen has been starting at center, not Kwame Brown.

BOBCATS
Kemba Walker (PG), Jeff Taylor (SG), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF), Byron Mullens (PF), Brendan Haywood (C)
Bismack Biyombo replaced Haywood in the starting lineup on December 8th (three starts since).

BUCKS
Brandon Jennings (PG), Monta Ellis (SG), Marquis Daniels (SF), John Henson (PF), Epke Udoh (C)
Larry Sanders took over starting duties from Henson on December 5th. Maddeningly, Samuel Dalembert was placed in reserve even though he is still playing. Dalembert even started a game on 12/12. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has moved into the starting lineup again (Skiles couldn't resist his man-crush), shifting Sanders from PF to center.

CAVALIERS
Kyrie Irving (PG), Dion Waiters (SG), Alonzo Gee (SF), Tristan Thompson (PF), Anderson Varejao (C)
Waiters has been hurt, and C.J. Miles has been starting in his place and dropped 28 points in each of his last two games.

CELTICS
Rajon Rondo (PG), Courtney Lee (SG), Paul Pierce (SF), Brandon Bass (PF), Kevin Garnett (C)
As I pointed out November 17th, Jason Terry is the starting SG, not Courtney Lee.

HAWKS
Jeff Teague (PG), Kyle Korver (SG), Josh Smith (SF), Al Horford (PF), Zaza Pachulia (C)
As I pointed out December 5th, the Hawks proper starting lineup is DeShawn Stevenson at SG, Kyle Korver at SF, Josh Smith at PF, and Al Horford at C. Korver has missed the last few games due to injury and Devin Harris has started in his place, shifting Stevenson to SF. (i.e. NOT Zaza Pachulia)

HEAT
Mario Chalmers (PG), Dwyane Wade (SG), LeBron James (SF), Shane Battier (PF), Chris Bosh (C)
Battier has not started since November 24th. Rashard Lewis and Udonis Haslem have been taking turns starting at PF in his stead, with Haslem drawing 3 of the last 4 starts. Battier missed some games to injury, but has been coming off the bench since returning.

HORNETS
Grevis Vasquez (PG), Roger Mason (SG), Al-Farouq Aminu (SF), Anthony Davis (PF), Robin Lopez (C)
Austin Rivers returned to the starting lineup on 12/11, replacing Mason.

NETS
Deron Williams (PG), Joe Johnson (SG), Gerald Wallace (SF), Kris Humphries (PF), Andray Blatche (C)
Reggie Evans replaced Humphries in the starting lineup on 12/9.

RAPTORS
Kyle Lowry (PG), Demar DeRozan (SG), Linas Kleiza (SF), Andrea Bargnani (PF), Jonas Valanciunas (C)
Mickael Pietrus has been starting since December 3rd (6 games ago). Kleiza hasn't even been healthy, missing the last 3 games with injury. Andrea Bargnani will miss about two months to injury and Ed Davis has taken his place in the starting lineup. Lowry will miss a little over a week and Jose Calderon will start in his place.

SUNS
Goran Dragic (PG), Shannon Brown (SG), Michael Beasley (SF), Markieff Morris (PF), Marcin Gortat (C)
Beasley just lost his starting job to Jared Dudley on 12/8 and may not even have a place in the rotation by the end of the week.

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SUMMARY
This roster takes away all the good feelings built up in the December 8th roster. We had bare bones changes that have allowed the league to progress further out of date. Here's hoping 2K has something big planned for the weekend.