With the release of NBA 2K25 looming, the Los Angeles Lakers are receiving an early look at the general consensus of what the basketball community thinks of their roster. Player ratings in the 2K franchise will always cause debate, but generally speaking, they're at least somewhat accurate to the widespread interpretation of a player.
That could either bode well for the Lakers in 2024-25 or suggest that the team's top-heavy rotation will be its undoing this coming season.
Los Angeles is rated fairly near the top of the roster, with LeBron James receiving a rating of 95 and Anthony Davis checking in at 94. As such, both are top 10 players in the game this year, with James checking in at No. 6 and Davis tying for No. 9 overall.
It's a great place to start considering the Lakers are looking to win a championship in 2024-25, and both Davis and James were named All-NBA in 2023-24.
Full Lakers 2K25 ratings suggest team is too top-heavy to contend
From there, the roster begins to see a precipitous decline to the point of all but absent depth. It's put off by Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell receiving respective ratings of 81, which places them comfortably in the tier of starting-caliber players.
It's the rest of the roster, however, that resides somewhere in between underrated and concerningly low if these ratings are to be accepted as accurate
Player | Rating |
|---|---|
LeBron James | 95 |
Anthony Davis | 94 |
Austin Reaves | 81 |
D'Angelo Russell | 81 |
Rui Hachimura | 79 |
Jarred Vanderbilt | 79 |
Gabe Vincent | 74 |
Christian Wood | 74 |
Max Christie | 73 |
Jaxson Hayes | 73 |
Cam Reddish | 73 |
Jalen Hood-Schifino | 72 |
Dalton Knecht | 70 |
Maxwell Lewis | 69 |
Bronny James | 68 |
Colin Castleton | 67 |
Rui Hachimura surprisingly misses the mark of an 80 with a 79 that seems to undersell the impact of Darvin Ham. Hachimura played at an exceptionally high level when given consistent playing time, but the absence of it was ultimately his undoing in 2023-24.
For perspective, Hachimura averaged 17.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game on .558/.425/.741 shooting when he played at least 30 minutes—but only received 30-plus minutes in 24 games.
After Hachimura, defensive specialist Jarred Vanderbilt is the only other player rated higher than 75. Gabe Vincent, who played a crucial role when the Miami Heat reached the 2023 NBA Finals, has plumetted to a 74 after an injury-plagued 2023-24 campaign.
Surprisingly, that has him with the same rating as Lakers reserves Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish, who played more but haven't reached the still somewhat recent peaks of Vincent's career.
Second-year guard Jalen Hood-Schifino checks in at a 72, while key rookie Dalton Knecht received a rating of a mere 70. It's yet another example of how the Lakers' young core is viewed as below standard by the outside community.
The question is: Can the Lakers' supporting players prove 2K wrong during a 2024-25 season that will be flush with opportunities to do so?