Reacting to updated Utah Jazz NBA 2K22 player ratings

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson 2K rating: 79 (+2)

For the first two updated Utah Jazz player ratings we’ve looked at, we were left nodding our head in agreement. This time, we’re scratching our heads so hard you’d be left wondering if we needed extra strength Head and Shoulders.

We’ve covered the atrocity that is Jordan Clarkson’s 2021-22 season at great length. Once more for those in the back (and perhaps any 2K developers reading this article), the guy is shooting 37.0% from the field, and 29.4% from downtown. His points per game have decreased to 14.8 from the 18.4 he averaged last season. Somehow, NBA 2K decided to reward him with two extra points on his rating anyway.

The best explanation we can come up with is that the game felt the 77 they initially granted him was too low of a rating for a player with Clarkson’s pedigree. He is fresh off of a Sixth Man of the Year season. The only issue is, he was actually great in that season. It seems odd to award him retroactively.

We’d have preferred to see Clarkson’s rating dip a couple of points. Players care about their 2K rating, and understandably so. It’s effectively a public valuation of their game that’s known to millions of people around the world. A 75 overall rating may have lit a fire under Clarkson.

It’s probably not a significant point either way: we’re sure Clarkson would love to hit more shots regardless of his 2K rating. We’re just not sure how the developers possibly came to this conclusion.

Utah Jazz guard Trent Forrest 2K rating: 70 (+1)

In contrast to Clarkson’s rating change, please forgive us if we’re a little less passionate about Forrest’s increased rating. Although, it is also a little puzzling.

When assessing a player who sees as little action as Forrest, it’s prudent to look at their stats per 100 possessions. On that basis, Forrest averaged 14.2 points, 7.3 assists and 7.1 rebounds last season. This year, those numbers have declined, as he’s putting up 10.1 points, 4.1 assists and 7.2 rebounds per 100 possessions.

With that established, it’s hard to understand why the game felt that Forrest deserved a higher rating. On the other hand, he was arguably never a 69 overall player to begin with. The threshold from being rated in the 60s to being rated in the 70s is a significant one, and Forrest has probably shown enough in his young NBA career to earn membership in the latter club.

That’s probably enough words to dedicate to Trent Forrest’s NBA 2K rating. Suffice it to say, we’re fine with it.

For older readers, the 2K ratings of Utah Jazz players may be a subject they don’t care to read about. For some younger readers, this may be their favorite J-Notes article since our last 2K piece. In any event, we’ll turn the focus back to the team’s real life product in the coming articles.