Cavs: Predicting NBA 2K22 starting and ending player ratings

Cavs NBA 2K22 Player Ratings: Breaking it Down

Three types of players see their player ratings adjusted from the end of one season to the next. The first applies in large part to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and those are young players clearly expected to continue to improve. Players such as Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro should all start a point or two higher than they ended last season just based on expected growth, and if they play well enough can increase that by a similar factor (or possibly even more) over the course of the season.

The second group are those who have shown clear growth over the offseason. Sometimes a player’s development is hidden, and it’s always somewhat unpredictable until games begin. That being said, players who compete internationally or participate in NBA Summer League can demonstrate they’re added something to their game early enough to make a starting impact in the 2K ratings. That could apply to Garland or Okoro, but also would likely apply to a player like Lamar Stevens who played well in Summer League.

Finally, players who were dealing with an injury last year but look to enter the new season healthy can see a bump in their starting rating. That might apply to Dylan Windler, although his injury issues have been frequent enough that his health might not be assumed. Something similar would apply to Kevin Love, who demonstrated during his time with Team USA that he is not fully healthy; his starting rating is likely to drop even further from his 2K21 end rating.

Love headlines those players who are at risk of continuing to decline as well. He is leaving his prime and cannot seem to shake these injuries, and now he will likely come off the bench behind the future of the Cavs in Evan Mobley. If he can’t prove himself healthy, his rating will continue to spiral. Other veterans, like Larry Nance Jr. and Ricky Rubio, could bump their numbers back up a few ticks if they provide healthy and productive seasons off the bench.

Speaking of Evan Mobley, predicting where new rookies will start is always difficult. In the past top rookies tend to debut right around the 80 point mark, although that’s fluid depending on the situation. We predicted him to start at 79 and rise to 83, which for context is where Collin Sexton ended last season. That’s a lot of confidence in Mobley, but he seems deserving of it.