Utah Jazz: Predicting every starter’s NBA 2K22 rating

Utah Jazz starting shooting guard: Donovan Mitchell

Predicted NBA 2K22 rating: 89

To nobody’s surprise, Mitchell projects as the highest rated player on the Utah Jazz in NBA 2K22. In 2K21, Mitchell started the season with an 88 rating, and over the 2020-21 NBA regular season, Mitchell made incremental improvements across the board from his previous seasons. Therefore, we’re anticipating an incremental improvement in his rating.

Anybody reading this article ought to understand what Mitchell brings to the table. He is a bonafide first option on offense, capable of generating his own looks out of thin air, whether splashing contested triples (shooting 38.6% on a healthy 8.7 three-point attempts per game last season), driving inside to unleash an array of dunks and layups, or setting up his teammates (5.2 helpers-per-game through 2020-21).

We’re talking about a player who averaged 26.4 points per game last season. Donovan Mitchell has clearly reached star status at the NBA level, and NBA 2K22 will award him with a commensurate rating. There’s only one question: how can he crack 90?

The answer is reflective of the only aspect of basketball resembling a hole in Mitchell’s game: defense. Many could argue that, with such thorough responsibilities on the offensive side, it would be unfair to expect significant improvement from the young scoring guard on the defensive side of the ball. That argument has merit, but, most of 2K’s truly elite ratings are awarded to dominant two-way forces like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kawhi Leonard.

Essentially, Mitchell’s options are as follows: 1. Make significant strides on defense 2. Rattle off a historic run of 30 to 50 point games ala James Harden in 2018 or 3. Accept his still-high 89 NBA 2K22 rating.