The Phoenix Suns, by MT 2K23 an extremely thin margin, had the third-best defense in the regular season in the year before; they could've very well been first. A united effort is needed to sustain this quality over the course of 82 games. Fourth-year forward Mikal Bridges played an important role in the process. He was not only a part of all 82 games , it was also a highly efficient defender on the team.
But that's not the case in his overall 2K23 the perimeter defense rating. His overall rating did not increase from 2K22 - it maintained 83. In addition, his perimeter defense score is the 82 (A-minus) which is second on the team , behind Chris Paul's 90. As a player who came in second in Defensive Player of the Award last season the two ratings ought to be higher.
Moving on to one of the players that is under-rated in the NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams is next on the list for two different reasons. One is the perimeter defense in which the 27-year-old has gained his name in Oklahoma. He's aggressive, tough to beat in the line of attack and is a formidable player in one-on-one scenarios and, in general, much better than he gets credit for. He's in the ninth spot on the team in defensive perimeters, just behind players like Ty Jerome and Aleksej Poku?evski This shouldn't happen.
On the other hand Williams has the fifth-highest 3-point percentage on the team, and despite finishing 10th overall in 3-point percentage during the season. He was 33.9% . 0.8 points per game. Williams' profile may not be fully accurate, but the figure of 75 overall is a reasonable starting point (even the fact that it should actually be more like 77).
Russell Westbrook's first homecoming game with The Los Angeles Lakers did not run as planned. The Lakers' star started the season with total of 86 but then slowly fell following a poor performance throughout the season. The former league MVP is now at 78 overall, which is third highest on the team , and that's where it was at the end of 2K22. There's no doubt that he's still the player he was in 2016but it's pretty harsh to drop him until he's an average of 78 in a season. His shot IQ also stands at 25 which is one of the lowest scores in the game although it's not really surprising.
For comparison's sake, other players rated 78 in total include Patrick Beverley, Westbrook's new teammate, Cole Anthony, Jakob Poeltl and rookies Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith Jr. Isn't it obvious that Westbrook could have been rated somewhere between 80-83? This isn't so much a snub, moreso it's a "How is it that he keeps getting high ratings?"
Kind of snubs for other players. Porzi? The numbers are solid, however, when you watch himplay, it's evident he's a shell of the pre-ACL tear version. That's why Porzi?s numbers are solid, but the Dallas Mavericks moved on from him. However, after posting some intriguing figures (22.1 points, 8.8 rebound, 2.9 assists, on a shooting divided) in 17 games for the Washington Wizards, Porzi? is now 85 overall average in NBA 2K23 MT despite starting 2K22 at 84 overall.
