NBA 2K14: Most Improved Players Who Users Will Dominate with in This Year's Game

In addition to the new features and improved gameplay, part of what makes sports video games like NBA 2K14 great are the changes in player ratings from one year to the next. 

While basketball geniuses like LeBron James and Kevin Durant will be top-rated talents in 2K Sports' beloved basketball sim until they call it quits, there are a handful of explosive players looking to challenge those superstars for supremacy in the virtual world.

Here, I'll highlight three of the most improved players in NBA 2K14.

*NBA 2K14 player ratings courtesy of 2K Sports via OperationSports.com. 

Paul George, Indiana Pacers, SG

Indiana Pacers superstar Paul George has been steadily improving since he entered the league in 2010. Last year, the former Fresno State guard averaged more than 37 minutes per game, and the results were phenomenal for the Pacers.

As a result of George's superb regular season and postseason explosion—highlighted by his posterization of Chris "Birdman" Andersen in the Eastern Conference Finals—the 6'9" talent received a significant ratings boost in NBA 2K14. Now boasting an 87 overall rating, George has become the fourth-best shooting guard in the game.

Only Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and James Harden sport better overall ratings at that position. 

But none of those players improved from last year to this year. Bryant lost two rating points while Wade and Harden stayed the same. George is up four points from an 83 and is sure to make the Pacers a fun team to play with, finally.

Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers, PF

Surprisingly, Sixers big man Thaddeus Young is one of the most improved players in NBA 2K14, rising five rating points to a 79 overall. 

While Young's solid 2012-13 season in Philly certainly didn't catch the eye of many, believe me when I say that it was one of the veteran's better seasons. He started in 76 games, averaged nearly 15 points per night on 53.1 percent shooting from the floor and averaged a career-best 7.5 rebounds per game.

If you enjoy battling in the low post and taking the game inside the arc, Young is an underrated player you'll thrive with. After jacking up 164 threes in his sophomore season, Young has been content to dominate on the inside in recent years, and his shooting numbers have increased as a result. 

He's attempted just 12 total three-pointers over the past two seasons and is hitting 53 percent of his field-goal attempts since the start of 2010. You may not have noticed—but those in charge at 2K Sports certainly have.

Wayne Ellington, Dallas Mavericks, SG

After being traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, overlooked shooting guard Wayne Ellington flourished, averaging a career-high 10.4 points in just 26 minutes of action per night.

Consequently, the former North Carolina sharpshooter is up eight rating points in NBA 2K14, putting him in the same class as Nick Young and Alec Burks. 

While 10 points per game may not seem like a lot, you have to remember that we're talking about a role player who was unable to average more than 6.6 in three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ellington had been shooting 40 percent for his NBA career through three-and-a-half seasons but quickly figured things out in 38 games with Cleveland, shooting a career-best 44 percent with the Cavs.

Dallas signed Ellington to a two-year deal this past summer, which means users looking to play with Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks will have a secret weapon to unleash on unsuspecting foes. 

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