Tim Hardaway Jr.
2K18 Rating: 79
2K19 Predicted Rating: 81
At this point it, the New York Knicks haven’t made it clear whether or not Tim Hardaway Jr. is a part of their long-term plans. Hardaway Jr. has always been an underrated player to use in 2K, as his offensive game can take over games when utilized correctly.
In Hardaway’s first year back with the Knicks, he posted a career-high for points, but wasn’t as efficient shooting the ball. His true shooting percentage took a small dip, but that can be accounted to the absence of Kristaps Porzingis for half of the season.
In this case, stats don’t tell the full story. Hardaway is a capable scorer, but isn’t a proven No. 1 option in the NBA. His defense is nothing to boast about, but since his time with the Atlanta Hawks, he’s shown improvements.
Hardaway is still young and will keep improving. With that in mind, it seemed appropriate to give him a two-point jump to start the season.
Mario Hezonja
2K18 Rating: 76
2K19 Predicted Rating: 78
After signing a one-year $6.5 million deal with the Knicks, this will be an important year for Mario Hezonja as he attempts to maintain last year’s momentum from after the All-Star Break.
Overall, there seemed to be drastic improvements in Hezonja’s offensive game after nearly doubling his scoring per game and increasing his field goal percentage by 9.7 percent from 2016-17 to 2017-18.
Hezonja’s defense is nothing to take note of, as he’s a liability defending the perimeter. After moving to the power forward spot for the Orlando Magic, however, he was able to hold his own.
At 23 years of age, Hezonja’s signs of improvement warrant a higher overall rating from last year.