The NBA 2K23 Summer League has come and gone which means, unfortunately, we've officially reached the dog days of the offseason.
On the other hand, it's perhaps as good of a time as any to go over some rating predictions. While there have been memes floating around in recent weeks regarding NBA 2K23's ratings, 2K has yet to release any official numbers and likely won't for another couple of weeks. As such, here are our top five small forward ratings predictions for NBA 2K23.
NBA 2K23 Ratings Predictions: 5 Best Small Forwards
5. DeMar DeRozan (90 OVR)
Last year, DeMar DeRozan had a season that was not only easily a career-best, but also one that was so good that it's perhaps unfair to expect something like that from him again. Deebo put up a career-high 27.9 PPG on a career-high 35% shooting from three and 50% shooting from the field.
4. Jimmy Butler (91 OVR)
This man did it again during the playoffs. After coasting through the regular season putting up barely any threes and missing time because of injury, Jimmy G. Buckets was, at times, the best player in the postseason. It's still unclear what exactly Miami's starting five is going to be after losing P.J. Tucker, but Butler should still be elite regardless.
3. Jayson Tatum (92 OVR)
After storming to the NBA finals and notoriously struggling against Steph Curry and company, Jayson Tatum could get perhaps get his revenge this year. In today's "position-less" game, Tatum spends a ton of time at both forward spots, but the main point is that he's one of the best wings in the league.
2. Kawhi Leonard (94 OVR)
Despite missing all of last season with a partially torn ACL in his right knee, it would be disrespectful to put the Klaw any lower. Until we get a reason to think otherwise, Kawhi Leonard is still one of the game's absolute best when healthy.
1. LeBron James (96 OVR)
Last but not least, who better to lead the way for the small forwards in NBA 2K23 than the one and only King James. Despite taking home a modest All-NBA Third Team selection last season after playing just 56 games for the 33-49 Los Angeles Lakers, the 37-year-old clearly looked like he has plenty left in the tank.
NBA 2K23 is set to release worldwide for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC (via Steam) on Sept. 9, 2022.
For more on NBA 2K23, be sure to check out:
- NBA 2K23 Ratings Predictions: 5 Best Point Guards
- NBA 2K23 Ratings Predictions: 5 Best Shooting Guards
This article was originally published on dbltap as NBA 2K23 Ratings Predictions: 5 Best Small Forwards.