NBA 2K16: Best Young Stars to Build a Franchise Around in MyGM and MyLEAGUE

There are eight players in NBA 2K16 who are 25 years old or younger who have an overall rating of 86 or above. It’s amazing to think that three of them are former Kentucky Wildcats players.

Here’s a list of them:

• 23 years old - Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers - 87
• 25 years old - DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings - 87
• 25 years old - Paul George, Indiana Pacers - 86
• 22 years old - Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans - 92
• 24 years old - Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs - 87
• 25 years old - Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers - 86
• 25 years old - Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors - 87
• 25 years old - John Wall, Washington Wizards - 87 

The Unibrow

Chief among that group is 22-year-old cover athlete Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.

If you’re starting a MyGM—especially one with a fantasy draft—there’s no shame in picking Davis No. 1 overall. If you plan on playing multiple seasons, Davis clearly has the most upside. There’s a solid chance his rating could be as high as 97 overall with player progression in your first two seasons.

It’s crazy to think that he’s barely legal and already among the highest-rated players in the NBA. In the game, Davis’ potential rating is a 96, but his highest ratings are in shot IQ, hands and shot contest. To put it plainly, no big man in the NBA is better around the basket.

Factor in that his speed (82) and acceleration (80) are through the roof for a big, and you’ll get an understanding as to how good Davis is in NBA 2K16—and in real life. To put his speed numbers into perspective, teammate Tyreke Evans is listed as a small forward/point guard, and his numbers are identical. Wow.

Kyrie Irving and John Wall

Elsa/Getty Images

Someone asked me on Twitter: Who’s better, John Wall or Kyrie Irving? It was a tough question to answer, and it seems 2K ratings king Mike Stauffer couldn’t pick one either.

Both men check in at an 87 overall, but because Irving is two years younger, you might lean toward picking him in a fantasy draft.

A look at both players' ratings in the game proves there’s more than one route to an 87 rating. Wall is blazing fast with a speed rating of 97, which is tops in the game. Irving’s speed is just an 87—only one point higher than LeBron James in that category—but few point guards can fill it up and handle like Uncle Drew. He has an 89 standing three-point rating and an 86 moving three-point mark. 

He’s not a dunker, but he finishes at the rim as well as any point guard. His layup rating is a 94.

Wall will put someone in a virtual poster with his 86 dunk rating, but his three-point shooting is average at best. The standing three is a 74 and moving three-point rating is a 68. What style do you prefer?

The Man in the Middle

If you are looking to draft a big man, it makes no sense to pick anyone besides DeMarcus Cousins. He and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol are the top-rated players at the position with an 87 overall rating, but Cousins is five years younger.

Like Davis, Cousins has great hands (98) and shot IQ (98), but he’s also rated a 94 in strength. There’s not a better young low-post threat in the NBA or in NBA 2K16.

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