The next installment in the world’s biggest basketball sim franchise is almost here, and that means NBA 2K24 ratings are already becoming the talk of the town. After some early teases featuring first-look screenshots, we’ve now learned about some of the top players in this year’s game. While last season didn’t go quite as well as the previous one for him and the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA 2K24 Luka Doncic rating still places the EuroLeague legend among the highest-rated players this year.
As the year continues, the NBA 2K24 ratings will be on the move based on real-world NBA performances that could easily see Luka Dončić climbing his way back up the pack towards that top spot, but for now, he’s taken a bit of a dip compared to last year. On top of that, Luka Dončić has once again earned a spot close to the best three-point shooters in the game. He may not be Steph Curry level just yet, but Dončić will still be a great option for players looking to score from a distance when the NBA 2K24 release date drops.
NBA 2K24 Luka Doncic rating
The NBA 2K24 Luka Doncic rating is a 95 OVR. This is a downgrade from NBA 2K23 where he started with a rating of 96 before getting a mid-season upgrade to 97. The reason for this comes down to the fact the Mavericks couldn’t contend in playoffs last season.
On paper, Luka Dončić might have been one of the highest-rated NBA rookies ever with an 87 OVR when he first arrived in NBA 2K19. However, Dončić didn’t take the same path to the NBA that most rookies do. Drafted at just 19 years old, Dončić had already become a EuroLeague star for the ages by leading Real Madrid to a EuroLeague Championship in 2018. The same year, he became the youngest EuroLeague MVP award winner of all time.
With more than 15 years of playing experience despite only turning 24 years old in 2023, the Slovenian shooter has become a cornerstone for the Dallas Mavericks. Two seasons ago, Luka Dončić almost translated that success into his first NBA Championship.
In the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Dončić and the Mavericks managed to topple Memphis in the Western Conference Semifinals, but it was the eventual NBA Champion Golden State Warriors that proved to be too much for them in the Western Conference Finals. It was the best NBA Playoffs run for the Dallas Mavericks since capturing the franchise’s first NBA Championship in 2011, but now they have to make it back there.
Despite another strong year when it came to scoring records, Luka Dončić wasn’t quite able to carry the Dallas Mavericks back into playoff contention last season. With a 38-44 regular season record, it was instead the Memphis Grizzlies (51-31) and New Orleans Pelicans (42-40) of the Southwest Division that earned their way into the bracket. Unfortunately, the NBA 2K24 Luka rating reflects this slide as he’s gone from being a 97 OVR in 2K23 to a 95 OVR this year.
This keeps Luka Dončić near the top of the NBA 2K24 ratings, but missing the playoffs is enough to make even a great player dip down a bit in the eyes of those making ratings decisions at 2K. Dončić hasn’t dipped below the mid-90s in launch ratings since his rookie season, but a rough year puts him just a hair behind some of the league’s other top names.
Luka Dončić’s 95 OVR rating in NBA 2K24 leaves him tied with Jayson Tatum and Jimmy Butler for seventh-best player in the game, but it puts him a full point behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry. He’s also a full three points behind this year’s highest-rated player, Nikola Jokić.
However, don’t allow this slight decrease to trick you into believing Luka Dončić isn’t still one of the league’s best. Dončić will have a near-perfect 98 rating in Close Shot, Mid-Range Shot, Shot IQ, Offensive Consistency, Layup, Draw Foul, Hands, Pass Accuracy, Ball Handle, Pass IQ, Pass Vision, Stamina, and Hustle. He’s also got an 87 in Three-Point Shot that has him tied with several others for the 9th best three-point shooter in the game. His weaknesses look to lie in Standing Dunk, Driving Dunk, and basically every aspect of Defending including an abysmal 51 in Block and 66 in Interior Defense.
Last season, Dončić became the fourth player since the merger to score 7,000 career points in less than 270 games, an accolade he shares with Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and LeBron James. He also became the first player in NBA history with 200+ points, 50+ rebounds, and 50+ assists in just the first six games of an NBA season.
This continued to be the story throughout the year with Dončić scoring like a madman, but his lack of defense and the struggles elsewhere among the Dallas Mavericks kept them from translating that shooting prowess into another NBA Playoffs run.
For more on NBA 2K24, which is eyeing up to be one of this year’s best sports games, check out all the changes and improvements being made to NBA 2K24 MyTeam this year. Oh, and don’t worry, NBA 2K24 Locker Codes are returning too, so there are still plenty of freebies awaiting you.