ESNY predicts the NBA 2K19 rating for every New York Knicks player and if you plan on buying the game, you may want to pick another team.
The New York Knicks are not set up for success next season on the court or on your video game console. With only one bonafide star, the Knicks are sure to be one of the worst teams in NBA 2K19. The game is set to drop on Sept. 11.
Here are predictions for each and every Knick’s rating in one of the most popular video game franchises around.
Kristaps Porzingis 89
Kristaps Porzingis should see a slight bump to his final rating of 88 from 2K18. Before succumbing to injury, KP was having his best season yet. He developed into a primary scoring option on offense and a dominant defender. At the time of his injury, Porzingis led the league in blocks per game with 2.4. Not to mention he was scoring a career-high 22.7 points per game.
Porzingis’ low rebounding and assist numbers will keep him slightly below that coveted 90 rating. He’ll fall just short of other elite big men like DeMarcus Cousins (90) and Karl-Anthony Towns (91).
Enes Kanter 83
Enes Kanter was an 83 rating for the final 20 weeks of the season in NBA 2K18. There’s no reason to believe Ronnie 2K and the developers at 2K sports plan to change this. Although Kanter has his deficiencies—namely as a defender and outside shooter—he’s very good at what he can do.
Kanter is a rugged player that can provide scoring in the post and he can rebound the heck out of the ball. His 11 rebounds per game—along with 3.8 offensive rebounds per game—make Kanter an easy decision for the developers. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Kanter stays at 83.
Tim Hardaway Jr. 81
Tim Hardaway Jr. put up some of his best offensive numbers of his career last year. But was he impressive enough to see a jump from his final 2K18 rating of 79? If he was, it’s not by much. THJ is a close call, but career-high per game averages in scoring (17.5), rebounding (3.9) and assists (2.7) is enough to move the needle slightly.
But he did have a career-high in minutes per game as well so don’t expect to see Hardaway’s rating higher than anything in the low 80s.
Trey Burke 80
It’s hard to believe that a player who dropped 42 points and 12 assists in a game last season would be anywhere below an 80 rating. Trey Burke will see one of the highest bumps on the Knicks. The diminutive guard was likely on one of his final auditions in the league last season before catching fire in a few games for New York.
With a new coach, running a more modern offense, Burke’s value should go way up. Perhaps David Fizdale will incorporate more pick-and-roll into the Knicks’ offense and effectively utilized one of best aspects of Burke’s game.
Mario Hezonja 79
Mario Hezonja saw steady growth in his 2K18 rating as the season went on. He started at a 73 and never fell below that mark. He eventually finished with a 76 rating. Perhaps the developers will be generous with Hezonja. A new team, new coach, and new system could help the former lottery pick with heaps of talent.
Pencil Hezonja in at a 79, but this one could be a little high.
Kevin Knox 76
Kevin Knox is coming into his rookie season with quite a bit of fanfare. He’s already being compared to the likes of Jayson Tatum and (don’t laugh) Kevin Durant. He has yet to prove anything besides the fact that he can make a highlight reel with some of his high-flying dunks.
But he’s still seen as a possible favorite to win Rookie of the Year next season, among the likes of Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton and others. The developers are kind to the rookie with a 76.
Frank Ntilikina 76
Frank Ntilikina finally escapes his teenage years and although he looked lost at times during his rookie season, he’s bound to show some steady improvement next year. Ntilikina showed an increased aggressiveness in the Las Vegas Summer League and although those games mean absolutely nothing, we’re talking about a video game here.
The French Prince taking a step back would be a huge surprise. After an up-and-down rookie campaign, expect more consistency from the second-year player. He gets a bump up to 76 based partly on the workout videos he’s released this offseason.
Noah Vonleh 74
Noah Vonleh played his best basketball of the season in his short stint with the Chicago Bulls last season. He averaged 6.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in just 19 minutes of action per game. He finished the NBA 2K18 season at a 74 rating and the former lottery pick probably won’t move much off this number.
If he does it will only be one point above or below, but for now, we’re leaving him at 74.
Courtney Lee 73
Another year wiser for Courtney Lee? Maybe, but the NBA veteran is another year older as well. The 11-year veteran will be a 33-year-old by the time the season starts and generally speaking, players don’t get better at this point in their careers.
Of course, Lee saw no dropoff in play last season. He shot the ball well from deep, provided a needed scoring touch, and still defended fairly well. But eventually, Lee’s performance has to drop off. The developers are sure to be aware of the fact that in his final 16 games of the season, Lee’s scoring average dropped to a mere 8.1 points.
Emmanuel Mudiay 73
Emmanuel Mudiay’s rating hovered around 73 for the majority of the 2017-18 season. Without showing any serious growth after his trade from the Denver Nuggets to the Knicks, is there any reason to believe he’ll see big movement one way or the other? No.
He’ll bring up the rear of the Knicks’ point guard triad and although the former lottery pick was once seen as a can’t miss prospect, now he’s viewed as a bottom-tier player.
Lance Thomas 70
Lance Thomas is just bland. He doesn’t score a whole lot. He shoots well from three, but he doesn’t shoot much. He does the little things and defends well. He’s a good guy to have in the building and around younger players, but these things don’t translate to the world of NBA 2K19.
He remained at 70 for the final 23 weeks of the 2017-18 season. There’s a better chance that the developers forget to change his rating than anything else.
Joakim Noah 69
Does anyone know what kind of player Joakim Noah is anymore? Probably not. After the former Defensive Player of the Year was exiled by former head coach Jeff Hornacek, fans were deprived of seeing Noah play in anything but a video game. His exile from last season and the complete uncertainty of his situation really hurt him in 2K19.
The complete unknown drops to a 69.
Damyean Dotson 68
Damyean Dotson is supposed to be the guy who didn’t get a fair shake last year. He is supposed to be way better than anyone thought, but was never afforded the right opportunity from Hornacek. Well, is that really true or is that what Knicks fans try to convince themselves?
If his summer league performance was any indication it’s the latter.
Mitchell Robinson 67
Mitchell Robinson is still incredibly raw. Of course, everyone knows he could have been a lottery pick if he played in college, but that doesn’t change the fact that he hasn’t played much organized ball since high school. Yes, he exceeded all expectations in Las Vegas, but as stated earlier, those games are quite meaningless.
He’ll spend a healthy amount of time in the G League and Knicks fans will wonder why he isn’t rated a 90 overall and starting in Madison Square Garden.
Ron Baker 67
Ron Baker’s best assets are his ability to play team defense, hustle, and play within the confines of the offensive system. These aren’t exactly things that translate well to the video game. Baker’s paltry numbers from last season hurt him with the developers. The fact that he missed a good chunk of last season due to injury doesn’t help his case either.
Luke Kornet 66
Luke Kornet played the 2017-18 season on a two-way deal. Although stagnant with a 65 rating for the entirety of the 2K18 season, Kornet will see a little bump in 2K19 due to his ability to knock down the three and defend the rim. Much like the other two-way player from last season, Kornet is still an unknown. But his upside in certain areas of the game allows him to make the slightest jump from his rookie year.
Isaiah Hicks 63
It’s surprising that Hicks is even coming back to the Knicks next season. A two-way player with the Knickerbockers last year, Hicks spent the better part of his rookie season in Westchester. Without making a big splash on the big boy roster last season, don’t expect the developers to be generous with Hicks’ rating.
He may have received the benefit of the doubt from the 2K Sports team last year, but don’t expect them to extend the same kindness two years in a row.
Allonzo Trier 63
Undrafted and on a two-way contract, Trier won’t see much time at all with the New York Knicks. Instead, he’ll spend most of his time in the Westchester County Center playing for the Knicks’ G League affiliate. He has the potential to develop into a solid scoring threat as a combo guard. But until he shows any of that potential, don’t expect the developers to be all that kind to the rookie.