Whether you’re an avid gamer or a video game novice, there’s no denying the cultural significance of a game like the NBA 2K series. With each coming year, the relevance of NBA 2K seems to only grow. As a result, it’s no wonder that so many people pay attention to NBA 2K’a rating system. NBA players themselves often openly boast—or bemoan—about their ratings on social media, which in turns only makes the rating more meaningful. When NBA players care about something, the general public has no choice but to double down as well.
Now, despite the cultural significance of the NBA 2K series, many believe they don’t always get it right when it comes to their ratings. Every year, when the initial set of ratings are released, there’s always a select few which appear to be intentionally offensive—just for the sheer sake of controversy. And this year isn’t any different. Below is a list of what are in no particular order, the three most egregious ratings given to members of the 2024-2025 Chicago Bulls.
The Three Most Egregiously Rated Chicago Bulls Players in NBA 2k25
Coby White: 81
Coby White’s overall rating of 81 is far too low, and perhaps the most disrespectful overall rating on the Bulls’ roster. Apparently, the developers at NBA2K were not overly impressed with White’s second-place finish in last year’s Most Improved Player award race. After more than doubling his points per game scoring output—9.7 to 19.1—and showing signs of real All-Star upside, White still finds himself with the same overall as teammate Nikola Vucevic. With Vucevic’s career clearly trending downwards and White’s career in clear ascension, them sharing the same rating makes little to no sense.
Given White’s age and the environment he finds himself in, there’s no reason to believe that his 2023-2024 season wasn’t just a taste of what he’s truly capable of. All indications point towards White both being Chicago’s number one option and a 25 point per game scorer. A player with those sorts of capabilities should not be rated lower than Jonas Valanciunas (82), Jalen Suggs (82), or Kyle Kuzma (83). An 81 overall rating is not ludicrous for a player who, just over a year ago, many thought of as nothing more than a bench spark-plug. But the current iteration of White feels far more deserving of a rating closer to 83.
Josh Giddey: 79
Despite seemingly everyone, other than members of the Bulls’ organization, being down on Josh Giddey nowadays, his overall rating of 79 still feels a touch too low. Giddey’s rating puts him just outside the top 100 rated players in NBA 2K25, which just doesn’t sit right. Giddey has been a starting-caliber NBA player from the moment he first stepped on the court. From the time Giddey entered the NBA at just 19 years old, he’s never once come off the bench during the regular season. Now Giddey has his shortcomings to be sure, and his inability to make significant strides as a perimeter shooter do limit his long term appeal. But Giddey can be a scintillating passing, fast break initiator, and offensive organizer. These qualities dwarf those of many other players who hold a similar rating.
Giddey may not be the kind of player who is particularly ‘fun’ to play with in NBA 2K. He’s not the kind of player who’s likely to bombard the opposing team with a flurry of deep three balls. he’a also unlikely to be a consistent supplier of posterizing dunks. Giddey can however be a consistent supplier of things like elite positional rebounding, and high-level basketball IQ. Traits like these are often hard to measure and calculate into a video game rating, but they should be more than enough to give Giddey’s 79 a boost. Given the opportunity Giddey is going to have within the Bulls offense, his rating will more than likely receive a sizable upgrade throughout the season. Even as things currently stand, an 81 overall feels like a much better representation with all that Giddey has to offer.
Patrick Williams: 76
Patrick Williams ’ 76 overall is too high for my taste. Forgive me for being harsh, but I am genuinely curious as to whatWilliams has done to deserve that rating. I understand the draft pedigree—fourth overall pick—but through four mostly injury riddled seasons, Williams has been a clear disappointment. As far as numbers are concerned, Williams is essentially the same player he was coming out of college. He averaged 9.2 points as a rookie, and he averaged 10.0 points last year. The idea of Williams still remains intriguing—an athletic six-foot-seven, 215-pound wing with a career 41.0% hit rate from deep—but at a certain point being ‘intriguing’ isn’t enough. At least it shouldn’t be. Over the offseason, the Bulls awarded Williams with one of the strangest contracts extensions in recent memory when he signed for five years and $90 million.
Williams could certainly justify his rating with a healthy season filled with solid play. But based on what we’ve seen thus far from the former Florida State standout, a 76 feels a bit optimistic. Williams has made the playoffs just once in four seasons, during which he and his Bulls lasted just five games. It is fair to question then, why is he rated ahead of a handful of other players who’ve held significant roles on teams who’ve made significant playoff runs. Royce O’Neale, Kevin Huerter, and Nicolas Batum are all proven veterans who find themselves ranked just behind Williams, at 75 overall. Williams may be the more exciting player—in theory—but what has he done in actuality to be ranked ahead of them. Until other evidence is provided, Williams feels much more representative of a 74 or 75 overall.
