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NBA 2K19 released its latest edition of the game on 7th September. The cover page features The Greek Freak, Giannis Antentokounmpo, as the main cover athlete along with other stars in their home countries.
The ratings are mostly predictable at the top with a few surprises at the bottom of the list. Even though some of the players have been out due to injuries in the last season, their ratings are based on their previous performances.
The list mostly seems to do justice taking into consideration the kind of real-life impact these players have on their respective teams. Understandably, the new generation of superstars have found a place on this list after a great last season and playoff run.
Let us have a look at the top 10 current small forwards in this new edition of NBA 2K:
#10 Harrison Barnes
NBA 2K19 Rating - 82
Once a crucial member of a championship winning team, Harrison Barnes has been forgotten by most since his departure from the Golden State Warriors.
A 3 and D guy for the Golden State Warriors, Barnes was a key ingredient in the squad that won the championship in 2015. Harrison provided a scoring boast playing alongside the second unit while playing tenacious defense on the other end of the floor. He averaged 10.6 rebounds, 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in the playoffs as the Warriors went onto win their first championship in 40 years. Barnes also helped the Warriors win a record-breaking 73 games in the 2015-2016 NBA regular season.
Getting more touches on the ball, Barnes has had much more opportunity to assert himself in the match playing for the Dallas Mavericks and has started to play more aggressively. He averaged 18.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2 assists per game shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from beyond the arc in the 2017-2018 season.
Still, in his prime age, more of the same can be expected from Harrison Barnes as a Maverick. He is placed at the 10th spot in the NBA 2K19 top 10 current small forwards with a rating of 82.
#9 Brandon Ingram
NBA 2K19 Rating - 82
Being drafted as the 2nd overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the rookie suffered through some criticism as he was censured for not being up to the high standards set for him by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Brandon Ingram took the criticism as motivation to work hard on his game during the off-season. After having a fabulous summer league, he came out all guns blazing at the start of the 2017-2018 season. With some impressive performances, the 21-year-old started to reply back to all the criticisms. He improved his game in almost every department compared to his rookie season and averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists to go along with 47 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range.
Being placed in the top 10 current small forward list shows us the increment of Ingram over the last season. Don't be surprised to find him above number 9 in the coming years.
#8 Jayson Tatum
NBA 2K19 Rating - 87
The Boston Celtics have found a star and so has the NBA. Drafted as the number 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Tatum has surpassed all expectations as a rookie.
With Gordon Hayward out for the whole season on opening night due to a scary ankle injury, Jayson Tatum stepped up and took the responsibility of being the secondary scorer behind Kyrie Irving for the Boston Celtics. Tatum ended the regular season with 13.9 points, 5 rebound, and 1.6 assists while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and an outstanding 43.4 percent from three-point range.
With Kyrie also going down with a knee injury just before the playoffs, Tatum elevated his game to another level and was one of the major reasons for the Celtics’ deep run in the 2018 NBA playoffs. The Celtics would have reached the NBA Finals if it wasn’t for the brilliance of LeBron James.
Tatum averaged 18.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists to go along with 1.2 steals per game in 19 playoff appearances. Simmons and Tatum both deserved the Rookie of the Year award after the kind of season they had. There is little to almost nothing to separate between these two young talents.
Jayson Tatum is given an NBA 2K19 rating of 87 and totally deserves the 8th spot on the top current small forwards’ list.
#7 Ben Simmons
NBA 2K19 Rating - 87
After suffering from a broken right foot injury, many pundits doubted the strength, fitness and the scoring prowess of Ben Simmons after a full season on the sidelines. But Simmons came back strong and replied to all the criticism with some great performances in the first half of the season. He went on to become the only player in NBA history to begin a season with at least 170 points, 100 rebounds and 80 assists in his team's first 10 games. Although Simmons shot the ball poorly, his court awareness and passing ability for a big man was nothing we had ever seen before.
Simmons ended the season with 15.8 points, 8.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds shooting 54.5 percent from the field. Simmons improved his game in the playoffs as he averaged 16.3 points, 9.4 rebounds 7.7 assists, but the Philadelphia 76ers were outclassed in the second round by the Boston Celtics. At the season's end, Simmons was named the NBA Rookie of the Year and earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.
Ben Simmons is without a doubt a superstar in the making. With the kind of season that Simmon’s had last year, he deserves to be in the top 10 current small forwards list. He sits at the 7th place with an NBA 2K19 rating of 87.
#6 Gordon Hayward
NBA 2K19 Rating - 88
After playing 7 years with the Utah Jazz, Gordon Hayward was traded to the Boston Celtics in one of the blockbuster trades of the 2017-2018 NBA season. Playing alongside Kyrie Irving and a young Celtics core, the sky was the limit for the Boston Celtics and for Gordon Hayward. But only 6 minutes into the season opener against LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers, that dream plummeted to the ground when Hayward landed awkwardly on the hardwood after an attempted alley-oop off a pass from Kyrie Irving. He suffered a fractured tibia and dislocated ankle in his left leg sidelining him for the whole season.
Almost a year into his gruesome injury, Hayward has now recovered back well and will be making his return this coming season. Although the Utah Jazz got swept by the Golden State Warriors in the second round, Hayward was the pick of the players averaging 24.1 points, 6.1 rebound, and 3.4 assists while shooting a 44.1 percent from the field and an amazing 41.2 percent from beyond the arc. We and surely the Boston Celtics would be hoping for Hayward to return in the same kind of form.
While the inopportune injury might have something to do with his rating decreasing this year, Hayward is still one of the premier small forwards in the game. He is placed 6th on the top 10 current small forwards list in the NBA 2K19 with a rating of 88.
#5 Paul George
NBA 2K19 Rating - 89
One of the biggest off-season trades saw Paul George traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for guard Victor Oladipo and forward Domantas Sabonis.
The 5-time All-Star found himself in unknown territory as he was playing with two other All-Stars for the first time in his career. After struggling at the start of the season, George found his place in the team and ended the season averaging 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists along with 2 steals per game while shooting 43 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range.
The Playoffs saw Paul George crumble under the pressure and was unable to deliver in a critical game 6 as they got knocked out of the first round by a young Utah Jazz team. George averaged 24.7 points, 6 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the series.
Paul George is one of the elite small forwards the league has to offer. His prowess on both ends of the floor makes him a valuable asset. His disappointing performance in the 2018 playoffs might have to do with his rating being reduced and that is why he is placed at the 5th spot in the top 10 current small forwards list in NBA 2K19 with a rating of 89.
#4 Kawhi Leonard
NBA 2K19 Rating - 94
Kawhi Leonard had a breakout season in 2016-2017 as he averaged 25.5 points, 5.8 rebound and 3.5 assists shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 38 percent from the 3 point range and became the face of the San Antonio Spurs after the retirement of Tim Duncan. With some epic performances throughout the course of the season, many started considering him as the best two way player in the league and arguably the best in the game, even over LeBron and Durant.
But as the 2017-2018 regular season rolled around, one of the biggest stories were the reports surrounding Kawhi Leonard, his injured right quad which he suffered in game 1 of the Western Conference Finals in 2017, and the disintegrating relationship with the San Antonio Spurs which made Leonard sit out for most of the season.
Leonard, when fit, is the best two way player in the game and one of the best overall. His ability to single-handedly carry the offense for the team and still guard the best player of the opposition on the other end of the player is unparalleled. Even though Leonard played only 9 games last season due to the injury, Leonard is spotted at the 4th place on the on the top 10 current small forwards list in NBA 2K19 with a rating of 94 considering that Leonard’s absence off the court was more of a controversial decision than him being injured.
# 3 Giannis Antetokounmpo
NBA 2K19 Rating - 94
The Greek Freak has come into his own in the previous two seasons (2016-2017, 2017-2018) and has put himself on notice to the entire world. Although the Milwaukee Bucks have yet to reach the second round of the playoffs, Giannis Antetokoumpo has improved significantly with each passing season and has proved himself to be an MVP caliber player. He has established himself as the face and future of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Giannis has therefore been placed at the 3rd spot on the top 10 current small forwards in NBA 2K19 with a rating of 94. He is also sixth on the top 10 current players list.
Although the Bucks struggled as the season progressed after a red-hot start, Giannis placed splendid basketball throughout the whole year and ended the season with spectacular numbers averaging 26.9 points, 10 rebounds, and 4.8 assists to go along with 1.4 blocks and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the field.
With most of the team struggling around him, Giannis carried the Bucks on his shoulders as the playoffs arrived. He averaged 25.7 points, 9.6 boards, and 6.3 dimes while shooting 57 percent from the field as the Bucks lost in a grueling seven-game series in the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs to the Boston Celtics.
#2 Kevin Durant
NBA 2K19 Rating - 97
With two championships and two NBA Finals MVP titles in consecutive years, Kevin Durant has earned the right to be considered in the discussion for the best player in the world. Nevertheless, with LeBron James showing no signs of slowing down even in his 16th year in the league, Kevin Durant is still just a notch behind the ‘King’ and the NBA 2K19 rating seems to agree. Kevin Durant is placed at the 2nd spot in the current small forwards and also amongst the top 10 current players with a rating of 97.
After joining a team with 3 All-Stars including a former 2-time MVP, Durant’s numbers were bound to decrease compared to his stats while he played in OKC. But as gifted as Durant is, it is almost impossible to stop this 7-foot monster as many call him. Missing a few games in the 2017-2018 NBA regular season, Durant averaged 26.4 points and 5.4 assists while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and an astonishing 41.9 percentage from beyond the arc.
As all great players do, the 2014 MVP upped the ante as the 2018 Playoffs arrived and showed why he is one of the best in the league. Durant averaged 29 points, 7.8 rebound, and 4.7 assists to go along with 1.2 blocks per game. Durant had many memorable performances as the Warriors went onto win back to back championships. Durant was named the Finals MVP for a second consecutive time.
#1 LeBron James
NBA 2K19 Rating - 98
Was there ever any doubt. There is absolutely no shock to see LeBron James leading the NBA 2K19 with a rating of 98. Not only does he lead the top 10 current small forwards, he also has the highest rating amongst all the players currently playing, and why not.
LeBron James is widely recognized as the best player in the world. Even in his 15th year in the league, he put up inhuman numbers. Playing all 82 games for the first time in his career in the 2017-2018 season, LeBron averaged 27.5 points, 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game all the while shooting 54.2 percentage from the field and 36.7 percentage from beyond the arc.
If it was even possible, the 3-time champion took his game to the next level in the playoffs as he rallied a rather sub-par Cleveland Cavaliers team to yet another NBA Finals where they got swept by none another than the Golden State Warriors. The ‘King’ flirted with a triple-double throughout the duration of the 2018 playoffs and ended up averaging 34 points, 9.1 boards, and 9 dimes while shooting 53.9 percentage from the field and 34.2 percentage from three-point range.
These god-like numbers give enough justification and thus remove any doubt as to why James leads the ratings in NBA 2K19.
