The NBA regular season begins Oct. 24. To keep hoop junkies and gamers preoccupied until then, the popular NBA 2K24 video game was released to the public a week ago on Sept. 8.
So, EmpireStakes.com - your source for NY sports betting – wanted to see if this year’s game sheds any light on the talent levels for each team in the NBA. Utilizing 2Kratings.com to see which teams have the most star power, with players graded 85+ overall, here is what we found out:
Players With 85+ Overall Ratings in NBA 2K24
Both the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets were not among the six teams that had three players rated 85+. Those teams were the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics are slight favorites to win the NBA championship on most NY sports betting apps.
Here is a closer look at the New York teams.
New York Knicks
The Knicks and 10 other teams finished with two players on the list with ratings of 85+. Power forward Julius Randle finished within the top 20 of the league’s scoring last season with 25.1 points per game (19th) and point guard Jalen Brunson ranked in the top 30 (24 ppg, 27th).
Last season New York (47-35) finished fifth in the Eastern Conference before losing to the seventh-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, 4-2. New York opens its 2023-24 campaign at home against Boston Celtics Oct. 25.
The state’s biggest operator, FanDuel NY, has the Knicks with the sixth-best odds (+1800) to win the Eastern Conference.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets, along with seven other teams, had only one player highly rated. That would be small forward Mikal Bridges, who came over from the Phoenix Suns during the 2021-22. He averaged 20.1 points per game.
After two of their best players (Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving) were traded during the season, the Nets (45-37) still finished just below the Knicks. They were sixth in the Eastern Conference and were swept by the 76ers, 4-0, in the first round. Brooklyn will host the Cleveland Cavaliers, also on Oct. 25, in the season opener for both teams. BetMGM NY has the Nets at +4000, tied with Toronto, to win the Eastern Conference.
