10. Philadelphia 76ers
This is including a healthy Ben Simmons (it’s a video game). If you’ve ever used Joel Embiid in 2K, you know he’s a beast. With Embiid—and Jahlil Okafor coming off the bench—at center, there’s an advantage at that position against almost every other team in the game.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves
Like Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns is a great player to use in 2K. Fellow young, budding superstar Andrew Wiggins glides all over the court in 2K. Another athletic player, Kris Dunn, can come off the bench and give the team a boost.
8. Oklahoma City Thunder
Russell Westbrook isn’t great from three in the NBA 2K, but he can still take over the (video) game. He and Victor Oladipo form a great defensive tandem at the guard spot, and they can both get out and run on the fastbreak.
7. Portland Trail Blazers
Despite a disappointing season in real life to this point, the Blazers are among the best teams to use in 2K17. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum can both get buckets, which keeps whoever is using them in the game.
6. New Orleans Pelicans
With two near-seven-footers that can step out and hit the three ball, the Pelicans are a tough matchup. Jrue Holiday is an excellent third option that can both drain threes and drive to the rack. It might take some adjusting to get used to the Pelicans, but if mastered they can be a mismatch versus any other team.
5. Washington Wizards
Similar to the Blazers, the Wizards have a great one-two combo at guard. Wall and Beal might not knock down threes at the rate of Lillard and McCollum, but their defense will help against some of the other top teams in the game.
4. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are a nightmare to face in 2K17. Their starting lineup with Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, Luc Mbah a Moute, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan is among the best in the league, but the bench is where you can really do some damage. Jamal Crawford is probably the best player of the bench in the game, then they also have Austin Rivers, Marreese Speights, and Paul Pierce.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
Well, they just added Deron Williams (not reflected in the roster update yet) to give LeBron the playmaker he’s been looking for, making the Cavaliers one of the deepest teams in the game. LeBron, Irving, and Love alone make the Cavaliers a fun team to use, but now the second unit can really make a big difference.
2. Houston Rockets
It’s a video game, and the Rockets can score. The centerpiece, James Harden, is nearly unstoppable when he gets going in NBA 2K17. They also just added Lou Williams to get buckets, and of course they have Eric Gordon—an easy knock-down shooter in the game. The Rockets might be the team best suited to outscore the number one team on the list.
1. Golden State Warriors
This isn’t even a debate. If Curry, Thompson, or Durant is open from three, it’s going in. The defense is legit. Andre Iguodala leads one of the best bench units. The small ball lineup is deadly. It’s kind of messed up if you use the Warriors against a friend if you aren’t even a Warriors fan.