NBA 2K23: 6 star players with shockingly low attribute ratings

6. (BONUS) NBA 2K23 gave Marcus Smart a 90 hustle rating.

So Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart may not be a star by conventional wisdom, but his status took a significant boost through these NBA Playoffs and in becoming the first backcourt player to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award since the great Gary Payton. While he may be a step below the rest of the players on the list, this discrepancy was significant enough to warrant a bonus addition to this piece.

There are 65 players with a higher hustle attribute rating than Marcus Smart in NBA 2K23 – that sounds like something that would really tick him off.

Few players, if any, pride themselves on the way they leave it all on the court as Smart does. He’s constantly diving for loose balls, jumping into the stands, pouncing on defense and fighting for rebounds. Smart plays every possession like it’ll be his last, getting under the skin of opponents with his relentless ways.

Hustle is a matter of heart over skill. Any player could have incredible hustle if they commit themselves to do the dirty work. But for someone like Smart, hustle is what got him to the NBA in the first place. He didn’t have any overwhelmingly elite skills entering the league, but his grit, determination and fight on defense made him a worthy candidate to reach the pros.

There is absolutely no way in this world that there are 65 players who hustle harder than Smart.