Between the Damian Lillard trade questions that remain unanswered and the expectations for rookie point guard Scoot Henderson – not to mention what kind of leap Shaedon Sharpe might make or what other moves general manager Joe Cronin has in mind with the roster – the Portland Trail Blazers are in for an interesting season.
And based on the initial team and player ratings for NBA 2k24, the team is set for an interesting virtual season, as well.
Blazers will have 2 different 2K24 ratings – one with Damian Lillard, one without
The latest edition of the NBA’s most popular video game dropped on Sept. 8, and Portland fans should be prepared for a roller-coaster ride of a computer-generated campaign.
Unsurprisingly, Lillard is the highest-rated Blazer, coming in at a 94 overall on the date of release. Anfernee Simons has an 83 rating, while Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic round out the top four with ratings of 81.
Henderson – the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft – debuts with a rating of 78, which is the second-highest for a rookie behind the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama.
The rest of the Portland roster ratings are as follows:
- Shaedon Sharpe – 78
- Matisse Thybulle – 76
- Nassir Little – 75
- Kris Murray – 72
- Moses Brown – 72
- Jabari Walker – 71
- Keon Johnson – 70
- Rayan Rupert – 69
- Ibou Badji – 67
- John Butler Jr. – 67
The Blazers have a team rating of 81, which puts them on equal footing with playoff squads such as the Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and, ironically, the Miami Heat
What will the Blazers look like in NBA 2K24 without Damian Lillard?
Without Dame, Portland’s team rating will surely drop significantly. The Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards and Spurs are the worst teams in the game, each listed at 79 overall. Once Lillard is inevitably traded (and Simons is the highest-rated player left on the team at 83), the Blazers can expect to drop into that group.
And just to pour salt in Blazers fans’ wounds – if Dame is traded to Miami, he, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo will give the Heat the best trio of players in the game.