NBA 2K23: Best Playmaking Badges

One aspect of NBA 2K23 that you will quickly realize how important it is to the game, is that of player badges. With MyCAREER and MyTEAM being two of the most popular game modes in NBA 2K23, player badges are vital to understand before equipping them on your player or applying them to one.

There’s a lot of different types of badges in NBA 2K23, whether they are shooting, finishing, or defensive to name a few. But one of the most important sets of badges to get a good feel for is that of the playmaking badges.

READ MORE: All Active & Expired NBA 2K23 Locker Codes – March, 2023

Playmaking entails of a lot of skills. It includes passing and ball handling, but also touches on defense and physical factors that come into play when executing your impact on the court.

That said, not all the badges are the same as far as quality goes. Some playmaking bades are designed for specific purposes or roles, while others can be used by most if not all players no matter their size or position.

On that very note, let’s jump right in and see what playmaking badges are the best to use in NBA 2K23.

NBA 2K23: Best Playmaking Badges

In order to provide you with the clarity and understanding you’re after, we’re going to analyze all of the playmaking badges to determine which are the best to have or equip in NBA 2K23. This process will entail of separating each of the badges into three levels, with one being the best and three the worst. This the list of levels:

• Level 1: Playmaking badges that will provide an impact no matter the position
• Level 2: Playmaking badges that have more of a situational purpose but are still useful
• Level 3: Playmaking badges that are mainly situational or designed for a specific position or role

With those three levels in mind, here’s our list of the best playmaking badges in NBA 2K23.

NBA 2K23 Playmaking Badges: Level 1

1. Quick First Step

One of the most well-rounded and applicable badges you will want at some point for your player, is that of Quick First Step. Whether you’re in a triple-threat position or happen to be sizing up an opponent, this badge will allow you to explode to the hoop and have access to much quicker launches. There’s no height restriction for this badge as well, which is also why it’s debatably the best playmaking badge in the game.

2. Floor General

Though this badge is designed for mostly passing-heavy positions (i.e. point guards), the Floor General badge is still a big benefit to have no matter the position you play. As soon as you step on the court, your teammates receive an offensive attribute bonus, allowing them to be significantly better by simply having you on the court. This badge doesn’t come with any height limitations as well, which makes it accessible for all player sizes.

3. Handles For Days

As we’ve noticed with NBA 2K23, a player’s energy bar can take quite the toll when they choose to dribble a lot in one sequence, and as a result, it doesn’t always lead to the success they’re after. This is where Handles For Days comes in handy, allowing that player to take less energy when stringing along several dribbling moves. To use the Handles For Days badge, players need to be no taller than 7’0″.

4. Unpluckable

Giving up turnovers in NBA 2K23 is a frustrating feeling. If you have good ball handling, you’ll encounter this less when you’re dribbling. But if you don’t, it can be really easy to lose the ball, especially as a forward or a center. This is where unpluckable comes in the clutch, making it much harder for defenders to poke the ball away with steal attempts. Whether you’re in the paint or out on the perimeter, this is a great badge to have and comes with no height limitations.

5. Dimer

When players enter the half-court with the Dimer badge, open players they deliver passes to receive a shot percentage boost. There is no height requirements to receive this badge, which is very fitting. More and more in today’s NBA, we’ve seen that great passing isn’t just limited to guards but can be executed by forwards and centers as well. So no matter your position, if you like to pass, this badge is for you.

NOW READ: NBA 2K23 MyTEAM Crossover Series – Season 5

NBA 2K23 Playmaking Badges: Level 2

1. Needle Threader

What’s important to comprehend in NBA 2K23 is that there will be times you will need to complete passes that have much smaller windows to successfully execute them. This is where Needle Threader comes into play, giving players a boost with their passing ability when executing passes through tight lanes. This badge also doesn’t come with a height limitation.

2. Clamp Breaker

Clamp Breaker is actually a new playmaking badge in NBA 2K23 and is quite incredible. What it does, is significantly improve your player’s ability to protect the ball, fight off contact, and blow by defenders. Though Clamps Breaker is geared more towards guards because of its ball handling focus, this is still a very applicable badge for forwards to have as well and does not come with any height requirements.

3. Hyperdrive

If you like to dribble and move down the court, Hyperdrive will be a great badge to have. When equipping Hyperdrive, it increases the speed at which your player can perform moving dribble moves as they progress down the court. Being able to move quickly with the ball while dribbling, can lead to a whole bunch of fast break opportunities and generate an up-tempo style of play that can be tough to slow down.

4. Mismatch Expert

This badge really applies for guards or smaller players when they’re sized up against a bigger defender. When equipped, the Mismatch Expert badge improves your player’s ability to beat taller defenders off the dribble or in one-on-one situations. The reason why this is a Level 2 badge is because of the likelihood of you finding yourself in that situation often.

5. Post Playmaker

As the name indicates, this badge is specified towards post play, which is mainly done by bigger forwards and centers. When passing out of the post or following an offensive rebound, the receivers of your passes will get a shot boost. The reason why this is a Level 2 badge for me is because offensive rebounds are common to get in a game, especially if you have a taller and bigger forward to work with.

NBA 2K23 Playmaking Badges: Level 3

1. Vice Grip

Of all the Level 3 Playmaking badges, Vice Grip is definitely the best. It increases a players ability to secure the ball against steal attempts after they’ve obtained possession from a rebound, catch, or loose ball. Ball security is big in NBA 2K23, and those three circumstances are specific, players do come across them often enough to want this badge.

2. Break Starter

As highlighted by the name, this badge serves a pretty niche situation that isn’t very constant over the course of a game. After players grab a defensive board, any deep outlet passes that are made up the court become far more accurate. That said, these passes have to be executed quickly following the defensive rebound, otherwise it won’t work. There is no height restrictions for this badge.

3. Ankle Breaker

If you have a player that’s not much of a dribbler, this badge is not worth pursuing. Essentially, this badge causes defenders to stumble or fall more frequently when biting the wrong way as your player performs stepbacks and other certain dribble moves. If you have Handles For Days, this will work hand-in-hand with that and really make you a problem with your dribbling. In addition, you cannot be any taller than 6’9″ or shorter than 5’7″ if you want to equip this playmaking badge.

4. Killer Combos

While we’re on the note of ball handling badges, here’s another that will make you quite the master at the craft should you have the player for it. Similarly to that of Handles For Days, this badge improves a player’s ability to chain together efficient dribble moves when sizing up a defender. But unlike Handles For Days, it doesn’t assist you with the losing energy aspect that comes with dribbling a lot. To equip the Killer Combos badge, your players need to be no taller than 6’10” and no shorter than 5’7″.

5. Bail Out

If you have a playmaker that can pass well, this badge could prove to be very useful, but even then, is still very specified for one purpose. In short, this badge assists you with yielding fewer errant passes than normal when passing out of a jump shot or layup. Moreover, it also helps passing out of double teams, which is not something you’ll run into often.

6. Special Delivery

If you live for tossing alley-oops and flashy passes in NBA 2K23, than the Special Delivery badge is just right for you. What this badge will do for you in short, is increase your alley-oop throw success and shot chance for your teammates after a flashy pass is completed. In addition, it also enables the ability to throw alley-oops off the backboard. Though alley-oops are trickier to complete, this badge is geared for one specific purpose that isn’t used often, making it the worst playmaking badge in the game.

READ NOW: How To Block In NBA 2K23

 Videogamer.com is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Last updated on 2024-04-22