Russell Westbrook’s NBA 2K19 rating has been released, but is it good enough for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s MVP?
The Oklahoma City Thunder have two star players now after the Carmelo Anthony trade — Russell Westbrook and Paul George. It just so happens that both of those players have had their NBA 2K19 ratings released.
After having another All-Star season, Paul George has a 2K rating of 89. There were times during the season where he struggled, but he could have seen a higher rating. PG-13 is still one of the top wing players in the league and has had big moments in the playoffs and the regular season that should have gave him at least a 90-91 rating.
Russell Westbrook’s rating was released on Saturday. He is rated a 93.
Westbrook averaged 25.4 points, 10.3 assists and 10.1 rebounds per game last year, which marked only the third season in NBA history where a player averaged a triple-double for the entire year.
The other two instances are Oscar Robertson‘s 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game during the 1961-62 season, and Westbrook’s 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game in 2016-17.
Does Westbrook deserve a higher rating? The best way to answer that question is to look at other MVP players’ ratings, accolades and accomplishments, and compare it to what Westbrook’s rating is.
LeBron James‘ 2K rating is a 98 for this year. Kevin Durant‘s rating had yet to be released for NBA 2K19, but his rating from last year is 96. James Harden‘s 2K rating was a 96, and his new rating has yet to be released as well.
King James is a four-time MVP, three-time champion and in the top seven in total points scored in NBA history. His 98 rating is well deserved.
You can guess that Kevin Durant will have a 97 rating in the new game when you factor in he beat LeBron James in the last two Finals and he is a two-time Finals MVP.
More from Oklahoma City Thunder
- 3 Steps for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to enter the MVP race next season
- 5 NBA teams on the rise that will surprise everyone in 2023-24
- 5 players who will challenge Victor Wembanyama for Rookie of the Year
- What does Oklahoma City plan to do with an abundance of picks?
- Thunder Summer League: Notes from Holmgren’s chaotic yet magical play
He should not have a better rating than LeBron yet because he does not have as many MVPs, he is not ranked as high as LeBron in statistical categories yet and he doesn’t have as many championships as LeBron yet.
When you look Westbrook’s 2K rating, you have to look at James Harden’s rating from last year, which was a 96.
This is because when you look at Harden and Westbrook, they are almost identical in terms of having one MVP and being the best player on their teams. Neither one has a championship yet and neither one is ranked high in all-time statistical categories yet.
Westbrook has those two triple-double seasons, but that cannot be compared to what Harden does. They play two different positions and have two different skill-sets.
Westbrook plays the game faster and Harden likes to carve you up nice and slow.
Westbrook’s rating would be much better at 96 when you factor in other players and what he has done in the NBA.
It is fair to say that 2K has the badges feature — where a player’s rating can seem better than what it really is because the badges exemplify their skills — so Westbrook may be able to play at a 96 rating but not really have a 96 rating.
NBA 2K19 tries its best to simulate the real NBA, but it still does not really measure how good a player is, with Russell Westbrook being one notable example.