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NBA 2K20 ratings update #3: Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden tie LeBron James in overall

By Matthew Liebl

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 04: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on December 04, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Milwaukee won the game 127-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 04: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on December 04, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Milwaukee won the game 127-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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With the latest NBA 2K20 ratings update, LeBron James now has some company at the top, while Mavericks star Luka Doncic continues to soar.

Now that we’re about a quarter of the way through the 2019-20 NBA season, things are starting to take shape. Teams are emerging as top contenders in each conference, while surprise superstars are establishing themselves as the real deal — most notably Dallas Mavericks small forward Luka Doncic, who has again received a rating increase in NBA 2K20.

The third NBA 2K20 roster update dropped today with player overall ratings adjusted to better reflect their real-life performance. There was a whole lot of movement in the two weeks between the last update and this one, with most of the action happening at the top.

Doncic, who was the big winner two weeks ago with a three-point increase that made him one of the top 10 best-rated players in the game, has jumped another three points. He’s now rated 96 overall and is now on the same level as Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard. More impressive is the fact that he started the year at an 87 overall rating.

Doncic is off to a tremendous start to the season. In 21 games played, the 20-year-old phenom is averaging 30.3 points (3rd) and 9.2 assists (2nd) per game. According to Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stas & Info), he is the 3rd player in NBA history with 600 points, 200 rebounds and 150 assists through his first 20 games of a season — a feat accomplished only by Russell Westbrook (2016-17) and Oscar Robertson (1961-62).

Doncic wasn’t the only winner with this update either. Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA 2K19 cover athlete, and Houston Rockets point guard James Harden both received one point increases to their overall rating. They are both at 97 overall which ties them with LeBron James for best-rating in the game.

Harden and Antetokounmpo the first and second-ranked scorers in the game, averaging 38.7 and 31 points per game, respectively. Antetokounmpo has been a big reason why the Bucks are atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 19-3 record.

Perhaps the biggest perceived loser in this update is Kawhi Leonard. As NBA.com notes, Leonard is having the worst shooting season of his career with an effective field goal percentage of just 47.9% (ranked 84th among 99 players with at least 200 field goal attempts). His struggles have resulted in a loss of one overall point, knocking him down to a 96 rating.

https://twitter.com/NBA2K/status/1203079949764055040

Here’s how the top of NBA 2K20 is looking right now. The parenthesis next to some of the players denotes that their ratings were adjusted with this update.

  1. LeBron James – 97 overall
  2. James Harden – 97 overall (+1)
  3. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 97 overall (+1)
  4. Kawhi Leonard – 96 overall  (-1)
  5. Luka Doncic: 96 OVR (+3)
  6. Kevin Durant – 96 overall
  7. Steph Curry – 95 overall
  8. Anthony Davis – 95 overall (+1)
  9. Paul George: 93 OVR (-1)
  10. Damian Lillard – 92 overall
  11. Karl-Anthony Towns: 91 OVR
  12. Joel Embiid: 91 OVR
  13. Kyrie Irving: 91 OVR
  14. Nikola Jovic – 90 overall

Although he’s not a top-rated player, an interesting increase was Carmelo Anthony, who received a three-point rating boost and is now rated 79 overall. Anthony has been a huge boost for the Portland Trailblazers offense as he’s averaging 16.9 points per game since signing with the team. Some believe he should be rated in the 80s, but that’ll likely come if he continues to play at this level.

Perhaps one of the most questionable omissions from the rating adjustments is Trae Young. The young Atlanta Hawks point guard remains an 89 overall, despite the fact that he’s averaging 28.7 points (4th) and 8.4 assists (5th) per game.

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Other than that, I don’t think there’s too much to complain about with this ratings update. Check out the full list of adjustments and changes here.