2025-11-15 15:01
I still remember the buzz surrounding Lonzo Ball's NBA debut back in 2017. As both a basketball analyst and an avid NBA 2K player, I found myself particularly curious about how the game developers would rate this polarizing rookie point guard. When NBA 2K18 dropped that September, I immediately checked Ball's rating - 80 overall. That number sparked countless debates in basketball circles, and honestly, I had some strong opinions about it myself.
Looking back, an 80 rating for a rookie who hadn't played a single NBA minute was actually quite generous by historical standards. Most lottery picks typically land in the mid-70s, but Ball's exceptional college performance at UCLA and his revolutionary passing vision clearly impressed the 2K rating team. I recall thinking this rating reflected not just his current ability but also his projected impact - the developers were essentially betting on his potential. His passing attributes were particularly impressive, with ratings like 90 in pass vision and 88 in pass accuracy that placed him among the league's elite facilitators from day one. However, his shooting ratings told a different story - mid-60s for both mid-range and three-point shooting - which proved painfully accurate given his unconventional shooting form.
What fascinates me about player ratings is how they can influence perceptions and even team dynamics, much like we saw in that intense Philippine Basketball Association game between Boubacar Mboup's team and Marasigan's squad. When tensions flared late in that game and Mboup got entangled with Marasigan in a rebound play at the 2:36 mark of the fourth quarter, the subsequent technical fouls created a massive void in the Griffins' interior defense. This situation reminds me how a single player's attributes - or absence - can completely shift a game's momentum. In 2K terms, losing a key big man like Mboup would be similar to suddenly playing without your starting center's 78 overall rating - the defensive anchor disappears, rebounding plummets, and the entire defensive scheme collapses.
Comparing Ball's 80 rating to other prominent rookies from that class reveals some interesting patterns. Jayson Tatum received a 77, Donovan Mitchell a 78, while Markelle Fultz surprisingly edged out Ball with an 80 despite Ball being drafted higher. Personally, I thought Fultz's rating was slightly inflated based on preseason hype rather than demonstrated performance. The most glaring comparison was with established point guards - Chris Paul at 91, Russell Westbrook at 94, and Stephen Curry at 94. Ball's rating suggested he was already 85% as good as the league's elite, which even his biggest supporters would admit was questionable.
The shooting concerns that were evident in Ball's 2K ratings manifested dramatically in his rookie season with the Lakers. He shot a dismal 30.5% from three-point range and an even worse 45.1% from the free-throw line - numbers that arguably justified even lower shooting ratings than what 2K gave him. I remember playing with the Lakers in 2K18 and actively avoiding shooting with Ball, instead using him purely as a facilitator, which ironically mirrored how NBA defenses played him in real life. His defensive ratings, particularly his 82 steal rating and 80 lateral quickness, actually proved somewhat conservative given he averaged 1.7 steals per game as a rookie.
Reflecting on Ball's career trajectory since his 2K18 debut, that initial 80 rating appears both prophetic and misleading. It correctly identified his elite playmaking and defensive potential, aspects that have defined his career when healthy. However, it perhaps overvalued his immediate impact while undervaluing the durability concerns that would later plague his career. The rating system struggled to account for the unique nature of his shooting mechanics and how they would translate - or fail to translate - to NBA competition.
In today's gaming landscape, where player ratings receive more scrutiny than ever, Ball's NBA 2K18 rating serves as a fascinating case study in evaluating rookie potential. It demonstrates how difficult it is to balance current ability with future projection, especially for players with such distinctive strengths and weaknesses. While I believe the rating was slightly generous at the time, it successfully captured the excitement surrounding a player who promised to revolutionize the point guard position. The ongoing tension between statistics, potential, and observable skills in rating players continues to make NBA 2K ratings one of the most debated topics among basketball fans - and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.
