Although the NBA season officially begins Tuesday, basketball season began for gamers in September with the highly anticipated release of NBA 2K19.
Each year’s installment of the popular video game brings together people of all ages in search of the eternal glory of a digital Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Other hot topics once the game drops is which teams are the most fun to use. The Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics are the easy answer this campaign, as both teams boast multiple All-Stars and the shooting capability to win any dorm room matchup.
But what other squads should be fun to play with? Excluding the Warriors and Celtics, we came up with the eight most fun teams to use in 2K19.
8. Sacramento Kings
The Kings are an up-and-coming team that boasts a multitude of young talent. They are a fun team to use in the game because they have a good amount of outside shooting, and give you the opportunity to use a mixture of young players and veterans, such as Marvin Bagley III, De’Aaron Fox and Zach Randolph. Sacramento most likely is not competing for an NBA championship any time soon, but they are an entertaining young team with sneaky good talent you could use as an underdog.
7. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are another team with a lot of sneaky good talent. Denver has an excess of talented guards who are sure to help you out, including Gary Harris, Jamal Murray, Will Barton and Isaiah Thomas. If you can’t get a shot off with your guards, you always can pass the ball to All-Stars Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap. The Nuggets’ roster also features one of the most exciting rookies in Michael Porter Jr. Overall, the Nuggets are solid at every position and are a more than serviceable pick for your 2K battles.
6. Dallas Mavericks
No other team has a rookie on their roster as compelling as Luka Doncic. NBA 2K gives the average fan their first opportunity to see Doncic in action against fellow NBA players, although it is just a video game. To go along with the excitement of using the rookie for the first time, gamers still have the pleasure of taking turnaround jumpers with the great Dirk Nowitzki. Those two alone make for a fun team. But to go along with them the Mavericks also have DeAndre Jordan, Harrison Barnes and high-flying guard Dennis Smith Jr. The Mavericks aren’t the Warriors, but there are different storylines for this team that make them a must-use group right off the bat.
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder overall are a good basketball team. Skill-wise, they can compete with almost any team in the game and feature two All-NBA players in Paul George and Russell Westbrook. Over the offseason, the Thunder cut ties with future Hall of Famer, Carmelo Anthony, but they bolstered their bench with the acquisitions of former Atlanta Hawk, Dennis Schroder and Nerlens Noel. When using this team, you will have solid talent on the floor at all times and should be able to compete with anyone.
4. New Orleans Pelicans
When your roster includes an arguable top-three player in the NBA, that immediately makes your team fun to use. Anthony Davis is an absolute monster and can score from any spot on the court, which opens up the rest of the offense. When you’re not force-feeding Davis, you also could kick the ball out to other players like Jrue Holiday or Julius Randle, each of whom could get you a bucket at any time. Having two players on the 2017-18 NBA All-Defensive First Team (Davis and Holiday) means this team is lethal on defense and are sure to force a few turnovers against your opponents.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are one of the best teams in the NBA and as a result are one of the best teams in NBA 2K19. There aren’t many teams that have the blend of ball handlers, size and shooting that the 76ers do, so they are a match up nightmare for your opponents. Joel Embiid has become one of the most popular players in the NBA and also is one of the most fun players to use because of his size and shooting ability. Using Philadelphia also gives you the opportunity to use Markelle Fultz, which either can lead to some insane plays or gross misses. Another fun thing to do when using the 76ers is attempt to take threes with guard Ben Simmons to see if they will ever go in. Overall, Philadelphia is a very good team with many talented players that could compete with anyone.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are fun because they give you the opportunity to use a lot of young players as well as the best player in the game. LeBron James is a monster and is similar to Anthony Davis in the sense that he can hit a shot anywhere on the floor. To go along with James, you also get to use up-and-coming players, such as Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma. The Lakers’ roster also includes eccentric veterans Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley, JaVale McGee and Lance Stephenson. Those four veterans alone make a team fun because of all the crazy storylines they’re sure to have throughout the season. All those factors make the Lakers a must-use 2K team.
1. Houston Rockets
If you’re looking to destroy one of your friends in 2K and aren’t allowed to use the Celtics or Warriors, the Rockets are the next closest team. Houston most likely is the best outside shooting team, outside of the Warriors, and includes players such as James Harden, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony. It doesn’t matter if your starters or reserves are in as almost every player on the roster can shoot the lights out of the gym. There isn’t much young talent to get excited about when using this team, but if you have the opportunity to pick them, your opponent will be sorry.