2K players are back in the lab, once again trying to find the next best builds in the MyCareer mode of NBA 2K22. So here are the best builds for every position: PG, SG, SF, PF, and C.
The latest iteration in the 2K franchise has recently released, featuring classic modes like MyCareer that players of previous iterations have come to love.
This staple mode, however, comes with a twist in 2K22 as those with next gen consoles (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) will have a much different experience than those on the current gen (PS4, Xbox One).
For those looking to optimize their created players in MyCareer on current gen consoles, here are the best builds at each position and how to make them your own in NBA 2K22.
Contents
- Best Point Guard build
- Best Shooting Guard build
- Best Small Forward build
- Best Power Forward build
- Best Center build
Best Point Guard build 2K22
Archetype: Playmaking Shot Creator
This is considered by many to be the strongest build in the entire game at the moment. This meta PG build seeks to make your player unstoppable with the ball in their hands, capable of creating space and draining open shots from anywhere on the floor. Some in the community call this sort of archetype a “demi-god” build, and for good reason.
The focus here is to have enough speed to get around the floor with ease, enough playmaking to get open and get the ball to your teammates when they’re open, and to be able to spot up and drain threes when the team needs a clutch bucket.
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Here are the essentials to get this build started, walking through each step in the building process with the author’s explanations for each decision.
- Trait pie chart: Green/Orange dominant
- You are on the floor to score and to help your teammates score. This gives you the ability to earn Hall of Fame badges in both Playmaking and Shooting and leaves plenty of room for Defense and Finishing to get some love of their own.
- Physical pie chart: Agility dominant
- This will sound like a broken record by the time you are done reading, but speed is a key stat in 2K22. It has always been important to be able to zip by opponents and get ahead on a fast break, things that are especially important for a PG.
- Stat potential: Max out Shooting, max out Playmaking, max out Finishing stats related to driving (layups, dunks), and disperse remaining stats into Defense stats that will help you be a pest on the perimeter. This should leave you with a badge potential spread of 1-25-24-4 (Finishing, Shooting, Playmaking, Defense).
- This spread keeps you highly volatile on both sides of the ball and gives an impressive amount of badges (54 total).
- Height: Approximately 6’2″
- Here, you don’t want to be too small to get dominated constantly, but quickness is imperative. You can go bigger if you’d rather have more height to get blocked less, but know it will cost you in speed and fast-break potential.
- Weight: 165 lbs.
- There’s no reason not to go minimum weight here, as strength does nothing for this build. Thin down, and watch your speed stat climb into the 90’s.
- Wingspan: Approximately 81
- This one has some wiggle room. There have been claims that 2K22 will make shooting easier with lower shooting stats, which could be a reason to go higher and be more of a defensive threat. But, if you’d rather stay on the safe side and be a sure offensive demi-god, feel free to go lower than 81. This just seemed like a happy medium.
- Takeover: Spot Up Shooter
- When you are getting hot, scoring is the best thing this build can do. Spot Up Shooter is, and likely always will be, a dominant takeover choice to go with.
- Badges to try:
- Shooting: Hot Zone Hunter, Chef, Deadeye, Lucky #7, Blinders
- Playmaking: Bullet Passer, Quick First Step, Bail Out, Handles For Days
Other guard builds to consider
Best Shooting Guard build 2K22
Archetype: Sharpshooting Facilitator
In an ideal world, you will be relying on a good, distributing Point Guard to help carry the load in assists in any given game, leaving the Shooting Guard to rack up the points. This scoring-first build hopes that to at least somewhat be the case while leaving room for distributing the ball if you end up stuck at point occasionally.
But, simply put, this is your classic spot-up three-point shooter build. The kind of build that, in the hands of the right player, can go 10/10 from three in a rec center game, while also getting a sneaky 5-10 assists. If you’re good at timing your shot and enjoy scoring in bunches, the Sharpshooting Facilitator may be for you. Essentials below.
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- Trait pie chart: Green dominant
- Scoring. That is the purpose of this build in a nutshell. Don’t overcomplicate it too much, and make sure to get plenty of the stats you need.
- Physical pie chart: Agility dominant
- As a guard, there is definitely no reason for strength. You’ll need to be as quick as possible to run to your corner where you drain those threes, right?
- Stat potential: Max out Shooting with the exception of Post Fade. Just get that high enough to get up to 30 badges for Shooting. Max out Defense, max Finishing stats related to driving (layups, dunks), and put the rest in Playmaking. This should leave you with a 1-30-11-9 (Finishing, Shooting, Playmaking, Defense) badge spread.
- This gets you the Shooting stats and badges you need, most importantly, but also makes you a rounded player defensively.
- Height: 6’2″
- This, like the Point Guard build, is a nice middle road for guards. Go smaller for more speed, or taller for more of an inside-outside threat as you fancy.
- Weight: 166
- One pound above the minimum, because why not? But really, speed is key and this is where you really are able to get it in bunches. If you need to, make your player burly to feel tougher.
- Wingspan: Max wingspan
- This may be a controversial take, but this build has so much Shooting potential that you can afford to make your player’s wingspan bigger. This will make you a surprising problem on the defensive end.
- Takeover: Spot Up Shooter
- A must-pick. You’ll want this during takeover time to become the scoring machine you always wanted to be.
- Badges to try:
- Shooting: Hot Zone Hunter, Catch & Shoot, Chef, Deadeye, Lucky #7, Blinders, Stop & Pop, Corner Specialist
Other guard builds to consider
Best Small Forward build 2K22
Archetype: 2-Way Slasher
In truth, Small Forward may be the most difficult position to properly build in 2K this year, due to the dominance of either speed and shooting, or all-out post defense. One could easily argue to try and build a Small Forward small, almost like a pseudo guard, but what if there was another way?
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Think of this role as the true fill player. Able to slash and cut to the basket, lead fastbreaks, and play just about anywhere on the floor on defense. Jack of all trades. This build will make you a handful to cover and will make you an absolute menace for the opposition. Below is a guide on current gen consoles, but we’ve also got a guide for next gen players.
- Trait pie chart: Blue dominant
- You are a Slasher, after all, and you must be elite at finishing at the rim. This will ensure it, even if it means being slightly less elite on D.
- Physical pie chart: Agility dominant
- Slashers simply must be quick, there’s no way around it. Noticing a trend?
- Stat potential: Max Finishing minus Post Hook, max Playmaking, and put the rest in Defense. This will give a nice 30-1-21-7 (Finishing, Shooting, Playmaking, Defense) spread of future badge potential.
- This will make you feel more in control of the game than you otherwise would be, and can even captain an offense when needed. Defense gives just enough to get the job done and get gold badges where you need them.
- Height: Approximately 6’6″
- This is where you can play around with this build quite a bit. Favor feeling more like a guard? Drop down to 6’5″. Favor bullying a bit more down low? Maybe even bump this up to 6’7″.
- Weight: 178
- This gets you precisely enough value to keep your speed high and stay solid.
- Wingspan: Max wingspan
- No need for shooting, this is where you really start to become a 2-way player and a finisher.
- Takeover: Slasher
- You’ll be a regular Lightning McQueen with this one. But, truth be told, this one is up to the player, as locking down opponents has its own value.
- Badges to try:
- Finishing: Giant Slayer, Unstrippable, Fearless Finisher, Posterizer, Slithery Finisher, Fast Twitch
Best Power Forward build 2K22
Archetype: Glass-Cleaning Finisher
This is the author’s personal choice for Best in Show. Power Forwards have a lot to love and probably the most flexibility of any role in the game. In this build, players get all the perks of being a big man, with the feeling of playing a guard.
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The core idea behind this is that speed kills, especially for big men. Unless you want to lumber around with a 7’3″ Center and hate your life, this is the way to play big in 2K. Enough Defense stats to rebound and contend down low, enough Finishing to score consistently, and a frame that allows for excellent mobility.
- Trait pie chart: Red dominant
- The core of this build is rebounding and being a menace on defense. Some others may recommend going red/blue to get Hall of Fame badges on Finishing, but that doesn’t seem as important as being undoubtedly solid on D.
- Physical pie chart: Agility dominant
- Speed is key, even for big men. This is the start of you being able to fly by other 4s in the game.
- Stat potential: Get Defense to 30 badges with inside D stats, but leave off some on Steal, Lateral Quickness, and Perimeter Defense. From there, put a lot into Finishing until you have the following spread: 17-1-6-30 (Finishing, Shooting, Playmaking, Defense).
- At 54 potential badges, this matches the Point Guard build above for the highest total. With these, you can get Hall of Fame on all the important defensive badges and have plenty of gold on Finishing.
- Height: 6’8″
- This is what makes this build feel so unique and powerful. At this height, you can still zip around the court, matching pace with guards and Small Forwards. But, with the stats you’ll have and a little bit of height, you’ll still contend on rebounds.
- Weight: Approximately 190
- This is a build that gives you some flexibility here. On the one hand, being quick is huge. On the other, you may feel a bit weak inside the smaller and thinner you go. Choose accordingly.
- Wingspan: Max wingspan
- Once again, there’s no need for shooting. You’ll need some extra help bumping up those Defense and Finishing stats and this does just the trick.
- Takeover: Glass Cleaner
- Getting rebounds is such a powerful part of this game and Glass Cleaner is one of the best ways to ensure you’re snagging them.
- Badges to try:
- Defense: Rim Protector, Rebound Chaser, Post Lockdown, Menace, Intimidator (must-pick), Box, Brick Wall
Best Center build 2K22
Archetype: Glass-Cleaning Lockdown
Go big, or go home.
But, really, that’s what this build is all about. If you want to ditch the Agility meta that seems incoming and maybe even try and counter it down low, this could be the golden ticket to doing so. If you want to get every rebound in a game and still stay relevant on fast breaks, check this out.
- Trait pie chart: Red dominant
- This is all about Defense, everything else comes second.
- Physical pie chart: Agility dominant
- This one is a toss-up, potentially. Agility is the best option here, most would agree, but if you want to take that knowledge and try to counter it with Strength for some extra oomph down low, that is an option. But, you will feel slow, especially at 7’0″.
- Stat potential: Get Defense to 30 badges, but leave off some on Steal, Lateral Quickness, and Perimeter Defense, just like the Power Forward build. Finishing to 15 badges, and the rest can get thrown into Playmaking for a spread of 15-1-1-30 (Finishing, Shooting, Playmaking, Defense).
- This is the lowest badge spread on the list, which is just the reality for most Center builds. But, that’s made up for in the fact that you’re a goliath, after all.
- Height: 7’0″
- Players will undoubtedly want to go higher here but resist the urge. This will have you dominating Power Forwards in the post and staying up with the team on breaks, unlike your 7’3″ counterparts.
- Weight: Approximately 212
- Heavy enough to stay dangerous, this weight felt like the best value of the bunch.
- Wingspan: Max wingspan
- Again, all Defense. Absolutely no need for anything but max here.
- Takeover: Glass Cleaner
- Glass Cleaner is really core for this build, as you’ll be able to snag just about every rebound once you’ve hit the Takeover.
- Badges to try:
- Defense: Rim Protector, Rebound Chaser, Post Lockdown, Menace, Intimidator (must-pick), Box, Brick Wall, Pogo Stick