There was a time not too long ago when it appeared that the center was going to be a relic of a bygone era. Then these bigs added passing and shooting to their already impressive finishing and defense. Now, centers have dominated the MVP conversation for several years in a row with the likes of Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. It's wise to find a build that finds its own identity as these two have found.
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This build is excellent, but preference and team composition must also be considered. No player is going to have success with a build that doesn't feel right in NBA 2K23. Feel free to take this guide and adjust it based on these factors or throw it out entirely if wanting to go at a different angle.
Body Settings
Height | 6'9" |
Weight | 242 pounds |
Wingspan | 7'7" |
There is a good deal of science behind this body type. At 6'9" with a maximum wingspan, this is the shortest a player can be and still block the tallest opponents in the game. Why go for the shortest instead of joining the tall folks? Speed. Speed is core to centers.
Those who play the game know that defending the inside is tough work. Locking down one player is easy, but centers need to be the "help" when a leak happens. This size and weight gives players the chance to disrupt any shot and still be as fast as possible. Stretch bigs will want to go for the best shooting badges available and will replace finishing with shooting, but it's a big sacrifice to speed and defense to do so.
Attribute Potential
Close Shot | 67 |
Driving Layup | 80 |
Driving Dunk | 76 |
Standing Dunk | 51 |
Post Control | 25 |
Mid-Range Shot | 28 |
Three-Point Shot | 25 |
Free Throw | 29 |
Pass Accuracy | 86 |
Ball Handle | 58 |
Speed With Ball | 35 |
Interior Defense | 99 |
Perimeter Defense | 82 |
Steal | 82 |
Block | 99 |
Offensive Rebound | 99 |
Defensive Rebound | 99 |
Speed | 79 |
Acceleration | 72 |
Strength | 74 |
Vertical | 91 |
Stamina | 98 |
Just from a simple glance, it's obvious that this build is serious about defense and rebounding, giving a maximum score of 99 to anything that has to do with interior defense. That's the selling point of the build and it makes this center a massive favorite among any team they play on.
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But don't sleep on the playmaking or finishing either. The passing accuracy is even better than what many guards will go for. When it comes to finishing at the rim, these stats are good enough to unlock the ideal finishing badges for this position.
Badges
Finishing | Giant Slayer (Hall of Fame), Slithery (Silver) |
Shooting | None |
Playmaking | Break Starter (Hall of Fame), Bail Out (Gold) |
Defense/Rebounding | Anchor (Hall of Fame), Boxout Beast (Hall of Fame), Brick Wall (Hall of Fame), Chase Down Artist (Hall of Fame), Rebound Chaser (Hall of Fame) |
This build should be setting screens and then running to the hoop for a potentially open layup. With Giant Slayer, as soon as the center has a step on the opposition (made easier with Slithery) a center can sprint toward the hoop and score against taller opponents, especially ones who aren't in position.
The defense and rebounding badges are, as expected, the highlight. Brick Wall is not only brutal on screen but it will sap the energy from opponents. Go ahead and post up with no intent to shoot every so often to get the starter out of the game in a hurry.
There are only two playmaking badges, but they are two of the best playmaking badges in the game. After grabbing a rebound (which will happen often), toss up the basketball to a breaking guard. It will hit them in stride for an easy fast break score.
Takeover
Primary Takeover | Rim Protector |
Secondary Takeover | Glass Cleaner |
The only option not selected is the Playmaker, which is useful for guards but not so much for this build. The only passing this center needs to do is to completely open teammates down the court, so a boost to their shooting percentage is redundant.
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Rim Protector makes use of those top-tier defense/rebounding badges by giving the character even more block animations and ways to keep the ball from getting close to the rim. Glass Cleaner is also a wise choice as it shows players exactly where a missed ball will land. This leads to moments of extreme offensive rebounds that ordinarily would land in the hands of the other team. Allies will be happy to know they can take three-point shots more liberally given the high probability of recovering a miss.
Best Team To Play For
There are a few teams that contend for the title of the best team to play for as a center. When choosing a team, try to find one where the starting player at the center position is ranked at a sub-80 while the rest of the team is solid, mostly 80s or 90s.
The Hornets stand out automatically as Mason Plumlee is the worst-ranked starting center in the game, so players will get the starting job very quickly. Additionally, the only other weak spot is P.J. Washington at power forward, which is strangely an advantage for this build. With the power forward largely irrelevant, this increases the opportunity for blocks in the paint and clears the scoring lane for free jams.
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