While the 2020-21 season continues to go on, the developers for NBA 2K21 are constantly making changes and updates to the popular video game. Some of the best features of the franchise are its real-time adjustments of team rosters and its intricate ranking system for players.
In the game’s recent round of updates, LeBron James and Anthony Davis saw their ratings drop one point. James went from a 98 to 97 and Davis from 95 to 94. James and Davis have not had to do as much as this year due to the talent and depth on the roster, but both players still remain in the top-10 of overall rankings.
James is still the No.1 overall ranked player, while Davis sits tied at No. 7 with Damian Lillard and Nikola Jokic.
Talen Horton-Tucker saw the largest increase on the Lakers, going from a 75 to 78 overall. The 20-year-old has shown that his preseason performance was not a fluke and played better than almost anyone could have expected.
Horton-Tucker has yet to be a consistent rotation player for Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, but has impressed whenever given any run.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope continues to rise in the rankings as he was given a two-point boost that brings him up to a 79 overall. Caldwell-Pope had been on a tear in recent weeks though cooled off during the road trip.
He arguably been the Laker’s third-best player and his steady shooting has been a boon for one of the league’s best offenses.
Montrezl Harrell and Alex Caruso also received one-point boosts to their rankings. Harrell now sits at an 82 overall while Caruso is at a modest 76. Both players have entrenched themselves as valuable pieces off the bench and are often the the energizers on a Los Angeles team that can sometimes take its foot off the gas.
Marc Gasol (76 overall), Kyle Kuzma (75 overall), Markieff Morris (74 overall), and Wesley Matthews (74 overall) all dipped one point. Each player has been up and down so far, but there is plenty of time for them to bounce back.
Lakers not playing up to their potential
Every championship team experiences some sort of title hangover, and the Lakers are no different. They have sleepwalked through large portions of multiple games this season before turning it up late.
However, Los Angeles has also flashed how dominant they can be when they are in engaged which should leave some optimism they will eventually figure things out. Come playoff time, expect the purple and gold to play up to the standard they are capable of.
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