NBA 2K15: Dissecting Player Ratings and New Modes for Upcoming Release

There may be nearly a month of preseason games ahead before the real 2014-15 season begins, but basketball enthusiasts will be able to whet their palettes with NBA 2K15 as soon as the official North American release Tuesday.

Anticipation has been building for the release ever since Kevin Durant was unveiled as the solo cover athlete, and new features have been trickling out by the week. Also, 2K Sports slowly but surely released all the player ratings for this year's installment to give fans a distinct picture of just how effective their favorite players will be in the new game.

So many sports video games to hit the new consoles for this second go-around have made such huge strides from one year to the next, and NBA 2K15 figures to be no different. 

Let's break down the top player ratings and the features you will want to check out before all else.

Point Guards	Rating	Team
Shooting Guards	Rating	Team
Small Forwards	Rating	Team
Power Forwards	Rating	Team
Centers	Rating	Team
Chris Paul	91	Los Angeles Clippers
Stephen Curry	89	Golden State Warriors
Tony Parker	88	San Antonio Spurs
Derrick Rose	88	Chicago Bulls
Russell Westbrook	88	Oklahoma City Thunder
Damian Lillard	87	Portland Trailblazers
Kobe Bryant	89	Los Angeles Lakers
James Harden	88	Houston Rockets
Dwyane Wade	86	Miami Heat
DeMar DeRozan	85	Toronto Raptors
Lance Stephenson	84	Charlotte Hornets
Manu Ginobili	83	San Antonio Spurs
LeBron James	98	Cleveland Cavaliers
Kevin Durant	95	Oklahoma City Thunder
Carmelo Anthony	89	New York Knicks
Paul George	89	Indiana Pacers
Kawhi Leonard	85	San Antonio Spurs
Rudy Gay	82	Sacramento Kings
Tim Duncan	90	San Antonio Spurs
Blake Griffin	89	Los Angeles Clippers
Kevin Love	89	Cleveland Cavaliers
LaMarcus Aldridge	88	Portland Trail Blazers
Dirk Nowitzki	88	Dallas Mavericks
Anthony Davis	88	New Orleans Pelicans
Dwight Howard	88	Houston Rockets
Joakim Noah	87	Chicago Bulls
Al Jefferson	87	Charlotte Hornets
DeMarcus Cousins	86	Sacramento Kings
Marc Gasol	85	Memphis Grizzlies
Chris Bosh	84	Miami Heat

Note: Complete player ratings posted on NBA 2K's Facebook page.

New Modes

MyPARK

Allowing gamers to interact their MyPLAYERs online with others has been a work in progress in the NBA 2K series, and while nothing is ever a finished product in these video game franchises, MyPARK in NBA 2K15 could be awfully close.

Last year's game featured a new mode called The Park that allowed online players to navigate a handful of courts and play pickup games with random teams. The idea was fascinating and thrilled anyone who had spent tireless hours developing their MyPLAYER in games past, but as is the case in any newly unveiled mode, there were considerable improvements to be made.

Ronnie Singh of 2K Games laid out the expansions the new game will be making:

"

This year, the world is getting bigger and the stakes higher. The Old Town Flyers, Sunset Beach Ballers, and Rivet City Rough Riders are recruiting true competitors to represent their community in NBA 2K15's MyPARK mode.

Each affiliation has its own 8-court home park and unique flavor of basketball emphasized by slight boosts to various aspects of your game. Pledge your loyalty to one and start making a name for yourself.

"

Navigating the courts and hopping into street-style pickup games is right up a lot of gamers' alleys, especially after playing through rigorous NBA seasons with their MyPLAYERs. But for those who want to keep it on the indoor courts, NBA 2K15 features the Jordan Rec Center—four full-sized courts that allow folks to play in games with NBA rules. 

And what would online competition be without raising the stakes? In MyPARK, users can head to the High Rollers arena—exclusive to the PS4—and win up to 45,000 Virtual Currency in a single game. 

MyLEAGUE

Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Franchise modes have taken off in recent years. From the top-selling EA Sports games to the 2K Sports masterpieces, the level of customization and control in franchise modes is unlike ever before.

NBA 2K15 will take the next step forward for all of them with the unveiling of MyLEAGUE.

If it lives up to its billing, MyLEAGUE will give gamers more freedom and options in a franchise mode than they've ever experienced before. Operation Sports' Steve Noah conducted a full-ranging interview with 2K Sports executives that excited gamers for the new release.

Whether it's the season length, roster customizations, choosing to play with up to 30 teams and a lot in between, NBA 2K15 users will have plenty of options at their disposal to tweak and change.

You can play as long as 80 seasons in MyLEAGUE, choose from legendary teams—such as Magic Johnson's Lakers—or even Euroleague teams to see how they would fare in today's NBA. 

Face-Scanning Mode

Ever wanted to see what you'd look like going up against LeBron James in the post? Not you, obviously, but a bigger, taller and stronger version of yourself with strikingly similar facial features.

Well, NBA 2K15 is set to make your dreams come true.

With the PS4 Camera or the Xbox Kinect, a gamer can take a picture of his or her face, and NBA 2K15 will translate it into the game. Scan your face, and in minutes, you'll be going up against some of the NBA's biggest names and trying to pave your road to stardom.

It will be easier said than done to do so, but at least you'll get to try with a virtual version of yourself.