Utah Jazz: Royce O’Neale 2K rating revealed (and mocked by Joe Ingles)

Utah Jazz standout Royce O’Neale had his 2K rating revealed (and subsequently mocked by hilarious teammate Joe Ingles).

Although Donovan Mitchell has been the Utah Jazz star who’s helped the team reach new heights in terms of both basketball prowess and off-court popularity, fellow second-year player Royce O’Neale has enjoyed some of the limelight alongside him. O’Neale accompanied Mitchell out to NBA All-Star Weekend, was present at the NBA Awards and was recently in Houston where he participated in James Harden‘s charity softball game along with Donovan.

The undrafted rookie proved his worth this season by being a defensive ace and a serviceable offensive option that forced his way into the Jazz rotation. And as an improved basketball player and friend to Mitchell, he’s clearly growing in recognition among NBA fans as well.

As such, he was one of the fortunate players to receive an early look at his NBA 2K rating. Royce O’Neale will come into the 2018-19 season with a mark of 74. That’s a pretty average rating, and you can see Royce’s reaction to it below–

First of all, I like his attitude about the situation. Some players whine and complain about their rating (despite how truly inconsequential it is and how it should be perceived), but instead O’Neale simply used it as a challenge to better himself. O’Neale’s defense was certainly better than 74 level last season, so if he maintains that same prowess on that end of the floor while expanding his offensive game, besting his preseason rating will be entirely doable.

Honestly, I think the rating is pretty fair. O’Neale impressed me a lot last year and was especially good in the playoffs as a defender. However, he needs to prove that he can be a capable rotation piece over the course of the entire season and he needs to get his shooting efficiency up before I’m willing to assign him a ranking that’s much higher than what he received.

Fortunately, I also think he’s more than capable of living up to his own self-given challenge and will be able to play well enough to raise that rating throughout the year.

As several Twitter users mentioned in comments on the tweet, Royce should at a bare minimum be glad that at least this year his 2K player actually resembles him, because last season that certainly wasn’t the case. Such a trend is a nice metaphor for O’Neale’s career – going from a relative unknown in 2017-18 to a bona fide NBA rotation player this season. He’s certainly a recognizable talent, both in real life and now in 2K.

And lastly, what would his tweet be without a jab from teammate Joe Ingles, who couldn’t help but poke fun at O’Neale’s NBA 2K rating and appearance with the following tweet below–

Ah, Joe. You never fail to disappoint. So brief yet so harsh.

This Utah Jazz team is just too much fun, both on and off the court as well as on social media. But I’ve got to say, as much as I love seeing them interact this way and be the beneficiaries of offseason news, I simply can’t wait to see their chemistry and cohesion in action on the basketball court once again instead.

Fortunately, we’re less than two months away from witnessing just that. Royce’s improvements will be one of the most intriguing things to watch this upcoming year, as will the relentless antics, both among teammates and foes alike, of Joe Ingles.