Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving both received NBA 2K20 ratings in the 90s, but that still leaves the Brooklyn Nets duo behind two other pairs.
NBA 2K20 ratings shouldn’t matter, but they always manage to stoke a reaction from fans and players alike. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were given massive respect with a 96 and 91 rating, respectively.
However, the Brooklyn Nets duo was still behind both pairs of superstars occupying the STAPLES Center—LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Lakers and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George of the Clippers.
Debate settled. The King and AD have the highest average overall rating for best new duos. Use hashtag #2KRatings to tell us your thoughts pic.twitter.com/4mr63Haqmk
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 16, 2019
Durant is the fourth-highest rated player in the game while Irving checks in at 11. That’s not bad for a Brooklyn squad that was in shambles a few years ago.
The only downside to this news is the fact that the only place Nets fans will see Durant play next year is in a video game. The superstar forward is recovering from a ruptured Achilles he suffered in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
His timetable for return is still uncertain, but it’s hard to envision him coming back any earlier than the 2020-21 season.
That being said, Irving is one of the most incredible offensive talents in the NBA and he will shine in head coach Kenny Atkinson‘s heavy pick-and-roll system.
Last season, the New Jersey native scored 0.99 points per possession as the ballhandler in a pick-and-roll, per NBA.com. That was good in the 86th percentile in the NBA.
Moreover, he only averaged 6.6 plays as the ballhandler in a pick-and-roll per game. By comparison, D’Angelo Russell averaged 11.4 of these types of possessions per games with Brooklyn last season.
Atkinson is lauded for his player development chops. But Irving is the first real star he’ll work with as a head coach. Without a doubt, Irving will be the most talented player to play for Atkinson in Brooklyn when he takes the floor on opening night.
The duo of Durant-Irving is looming, but for now, it’s Kyrie’s team in Brooklyn.
