2K14…Are You Kidding Me?

NBA 2K14 just released its player rating for the new video game and frankly it’s pathetic how off they are.  This is proof that the National Media pays no attention to the Jazz or has any idea how talented or untalented the players are that are on the roster.  I’ve listed the rating for the Jazz players below.  Give it a look.

Table provided by http://www.slcdunk.com/2013/9/25/4768920/nba-2k14-player-ratings-released-utah-jazz-roster-predictably

Anything stand out?  How about that the Jazz’s best player Gordon Hayward is rated as a 70 overall.  I can see Derrick Favors rated higher than him possibly but Trey Burke, Richard Jefferson and Alec Burks all better than Hayward?  All three of these guys are good players and could possibly be great but right now Hayward is better than all of them by a long shot.  Hayward, who on his free time is quite the gamer himself, might be motivated quite a bit by this to prove them how wrong they are.  The worst thing is that former Utah Jazz player Raja Bell is rated a 71 overall.  If for one second anyone thinks Raja Bell is a better basketball player then Gordon Hayward, they are up in the night.

The reason Gordon is rated so low is due to his horrid defensive rating.  2K14 has his defensive rating at 58 which is the worst defensive rating on the team.  Hayward might not be the best defender in the world but in my opinion he is an above average defender.  Last season at home against the Spurs, Tony Parker is shredding Mo Williams all game long when in the 4th quarter Coach Corbin decided to move Hayward on to Parker.  Hayward was quick enough and long enough to disrupt what Parker was doing.  The fact that Coach Corbin had enough faith in Hayward to make that move must mean something.  And how can you possibly rate a guy that low who can do this?

I mean come on.  Gordon somehow is labeled as a terrible defender when in all reality he isn’t.  If you watch the NBA consistently and you watch the Jazz quite often who in the entire NBA runs people down on a fast break to block a shot more than Gordon Hayward?  Probably LeBron James and that’s it.  Hayward is a much better defender then he gets credit for on this game and that’s a fact.

The other bit I thought was a joke is the defensive rating both Kanter and Favors received on the block compared to Al Jefferson.  Al Jefferson’s post defense received a B+ rating while Favors received a B rating and Kanter received a B- rating.  I personally liked Al Jefferson while he played for the Jazz but in no way is Jefferson better at any aspect of defense then Derrick Favors.  Favors is going to put fear in players when they try to come into the paint against the Jazz this season when Jefferson would simply step aside.  Both Kanter and Favors are much better defensive players then Al Jefferson.  Have you ever seen Al Jefferson do what Derrick Favors does here?

The answer to that riddle is no people you haven’t.  My intention of all this is to not rip on one player or another but to state how pathetic these ratings are given to the Jazz players by the National Media.  This season should be eye-opening for a lot of doubters of the Jazz since all of these young guys will get extended minutes and much improved numbers.  2K14 thank you for trying to motivate our players even more than they already are and giving them more of a reason to prove to the NBA that they belong.