Golden State Warriors: Predicting 2k17 Ratings

Warriors’ Bench

Instead of breaking down every single player on the Warriors bench, I will group them together and give you a little background on some of the top guys. The bench will undoubtedly look much different  than last season.

The exit of Leandro Barbosa, Brandon Rush, Marreese Speights, and many others are tough to swallow but the Warriors have done a great job at finding equal, or close to equal replacements for just about all of them, which has many thinking that the bench could be on par with last years productive squad.

Andre Iguodala

For a third straight year, Andre Iguodala will be the first man off the bench. It is a formula that has worked well, and while Andre would still likely rather start, being the sixth man has become a norm for him.

With that being said, Andre will turn 33 during the season, and his career is on it’s tail end, however, coming off of a Finals MVP in 2015 and a close sixth man of the year award in 2016, Andre still has a ton to give.

Andre has admitted that he has never really been the type of player to be the first scoring option on a team. He was forced to do so during some of his years in Philadelphia and Denver, but once he became a Warrior that responsibility was left to others.

He averaged just seven points per game last season, but as has been said countless times, it is what Andre does that doesn’t show up in the box score that makes him so important.

Over the past few seasons his 2k rating has steadily gone down from 85, to 82, to 77. While that is normal for a a player who is winding down his career, I wouldn’t expect a decrease this time around, and if there is, it shouldn’t be much.

2k17 rating prediction: 79

Shaun Livingston

Shaun Livingston has shown that he could be a starting point guard in the NBA. After sustaining one of the leagues most gruesome injuries, he became a journeyman of sorts, bouncing from team to team multiple times a year.

He finally signed his first multi-year deal with the Warriors since his injury over a decade ago, and the Livingston signing has really paid off. After years of searching for a reliable back-up for Steph, Livingston finally became the guy.

As for his 2k rating, last season he came in as a 73. It’s nothing to scoff at, but it could definitely be better. Much like Iguodala, Livingston does a lot that doesn’t show up in the box score.

Whatever his final rating is, one thing is a fact: Livingston’s turn around jumper is money, so expect that to be very high.

2k17 rating prediction: 77

Ian Clark

Ian Clark was a guy who was relatively unknown to the casual NBA fan. While that still may be the case, his time with the Warriors last season has improved his stock considerably. After spending time with the Warriors summer league team a couple of seasons ago, Clark appeared in just 53 career games before finding a spot on the defending champions roster.

While the team already had a back-up two-guard in Barbosa, Clark saw minutes sparingly, but when he got them he generally made the most of them. His stock rating in 2k16 was set at just 66, likely because he was an unproven player. This year expect that number to be considerably higher.

2k17 rating prediction: 74

David West

David West is another new face that will be on the Warriors this season. The two-time All-Star’s best playing days are surly behind him, but he can be a viable replacement for the loss of Mo Speights.

Last season with the Spurs, West scored only 7.1 points in 18 minutes of action per game. While that is a far cry from the 21 points he averaged in 2008-09, West can still be productive off of the bench.

Perhaps most importantly, West is another veteran presence the Warriors will have which will be key to another deep run into the post season. After signing with the Spurs a year ago and now joining the Warriors, it is clear he wants to win a ring. He may not be a key reason they do so, but he doesn’t hurt.

2k17 rating prediction: 72

Anderson Varejao

For some reason over the past three seasons, Anerson Varejao has had a very respectable NBA 2k rating. That’s no disrespect to him. He has had a very solid NBA career, nearly all of which has been spent with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but this may be the year that his rating finally drops.

Over the past three installments of 2k, Varejao has been rated 77, 75, and 76 respectively. Howver, after being shipped off to Portland in exchange for next to nothing, then being released by the Trail Blazer, it seems like the only person who believes in him is Steve Kerr.

Much to the dismay of Warriors fans, Varejao got valuable minutes in game 7 of the NBA Finals, which has some still scratching their head. Varejao was a solid player for many years, but his best days are behind him, both on the court and in the game.

2k17 rating prediction: 71

James Michael McAdoo

James Michael McAdoo is a bit of a 2k wildcard this season. After spending his rookie season primarily with Santa Cruz, McAdoo saw more action last season, appearing in half of the games the Warriors played.

He has had a 2k rating of 67 since coming in to the league in 2014, but after some productive minutes in the 2016 postseason, he may have caught the eye of game developers just enough to bump that rating up just a bit.

2k17 rating predition: 70

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Kevon Looney

After slipping to the Warriors in the 2015 NBA Draft due to injury concerns, the Warriors saw Kevon Looney as a low risk high reward player. A standout at UCLA, Looney was a lottery pick in some mock drafts, but hip issues dropped him into the Warriors lap with the 30th overall pick.

Knowing his injury would take some time to heal, the Warriors were in no rush to get him on to the court. He played in just five games for Golden State, most of which came in garbage time. He spent more time with the D-League team in Santa Cruz, but even there he only appeared in 12 games before going back in for hip surgery.

If Looney can stay healthy, he has the potential to be a key guy off the bench, but with not much to go on last season, his 2k ratings likely won’t see much if any improvement from the already underwhelming 69 overall. If he can get some minutes and have a few good games, you may see his rating go up throughout the 2k season.

2k17 rating prediction: 68