NBA 2K23: Best Point Guard (PG) Build and Tips - Outsider Gaming (2024)

As a quintessential point guard, you want to be able to lead your team while providing a potent scoring punch. This means scoring at all three levels with superior finishing and shootingcapabilities. Specifically, it’s essential to have prolific three-point shooting in your arsenal. Without this attribute, you run the risk of clogging the paint and not creating space for your teammates.

Yet, at its core, the point guard position is still all about making the players better around you. Hence, playmaking is a non-negotiable element. On top of this, the point guard’s inherent diminutive size can make them subject to targeting by the defense. This makes it imperative for them to have a defensive backbone.

To this end, the best point guard build will leave you with a 3PT SHOT CREATOR that offers a perfect blend of scoring and playmaking, providing you with a player that boasts limitless offensive capabilities. Think of the best combo guards in the league. With this build, your player will have shades of Damian Lillard’s scoring prowess, Chris Paul’s playmaking, and Jimmy Butler’s two-way versatility. Put simply, if you want the ultimate do-it-all point guard in the modern NBA, this build will deliver you a sure-fire way to do just that in 2K23.

Point guard build overview

Below, you will find the key attributes to build the best PG in NBA 2K23

• Position: Point Guard
• Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’4’’, 230 lbs, 7’1’’
• Finishing skills to prioritize: Close Shot, Driving Layup, Driving Dunk
• Shooting skills to prioritize: Mid-Range Shot, Three-Point Shot, Free Throw
• Playmaking skills to prioritize: Pass Accuracy, Ball Handle, Speed with Ball 
• Defense & Rebounding skills to prioritize: Perimeter Defense, Steal 
• Physical skills to prioritize: Speed, Acceleration, Strength, Stamina 
• Top Badges: Bully, Limitless Range, Handles For Days, Challenger
• Takeover: Limitless Range, Extreme Clamps
• Best Attributes: Speed With Ball (88), Perimeter Defense (86), Three-Point Shot (85), Strength (82), Driving Layup (80)
• NBA Player Comparisons: Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Lonzo Ball

Body profile

At 6’4” and 230 lbs, you have the size and strength to mitigate size mismatches on defense and exploit them on offense. This strength allows you to hold your ground when finishing in the paint amongst bigger defenders. Plus, you’re tall enough to see over smaller guards, which is essential for the modern point guard. With the 7’1” wingspan, you have the capacity to be a lockdown defender and wreak havoc with steals in the passing lane. The body shape to go with here is compact to keep your player’s figure skinnier at that weight.

Attributes

The 3PT Shot Creator caters towards building a well-rounded machine on the offensive and defensive end with a healthy mix of attributes across the board. There’s no real weakness in the player’s game, which bodes well against the several different types of matchups you will encounter.

Finishing attributes

Finishing at the point guard position means emphasizing Close Shot (76), Driving Layup (80), and Driving Dunk (80). Despite this attribute having the fewest potential badge points compared to the others, 16 badge points are nothing to scoff at with two Hall of Fame badges, nine silver badges, and five bronze badges. The Giant Slayer and Slithery badges are arguably most important at this size to be able to finish and evade taller defenders in the paint. The Bully badge also enables you finish through contact regardless of the defender’s size. Though this build highlights elite shooting, you want your player to still have strong finishing so that defenders respect your drives in the paint.

Shooting attributes

Now, this is where the build starts to get interesting. With 21 potential badge points, you have access to all the badges with nearly all of them either gold (seven) or Hall of Fame (five) and the remaining silver (four). In the modern NBA, shooting at all three levels (paint, mid-range, three-pointer) is crucial to being a high-level scorer. This is complemented by a 78 Mid-Range Shot, 85 Three-Point Shot, and 72 Free Throw. With tier three badges like Limitless Range and Blinders, there’s no shortage of long-distance shooting capability. On top of this, you can snag Guard Up and Middy Magician, which are vital for smaller players to shoot over the top of taller defenders.

Playmaking attributes

Look at the best players in the NBA and you’ll find they all have a common trait, regardless of position: superstar level playmaking. The ability to facilitate and make teammates better as the engine of an offense is necessary to be the best. This is the bread and butter of offensive hubs in the NBA, making it essential to devote as many badge points (22) as possible towards the playmaking attribute. With two Hall of Fame, five gold, and eight silver badges, your player will be equipped with tight handles and open space creation. Moreover, some of the more under-appreciated badges in the game are Quick First Step and Unpluckable, but this build values these traits tremendously. A 70 Pass Accuracy along with 87 Ball Handle and 88 Speed With Ball arms you with the playmaking abilities to slice up a defense.

Defense attributes

To round it out, this build does an exemplary job of prioritizing key defensive attributes that are appropriate for point guards (don’t be fooled by the 3PT Shot Creator moniker!). Defense is extremely important. Plenty of builds out there will overemphasize offensive skills and leave defense in the dust; however, this build does not make this mistake and instead gives your player a much-needed defensive tenacity. As a smaller player on the court, you will always be playing the passing lanes in an attempt to rack up steals and jumpstart the fastbreak. This underlines the value in having an 86 Perimeter Defense and 85 Steal attribute along with three Hall of Fame, three gold, four silver, and four bronze badges. Very few guards will have this in their arsenal, which will make your player stand out. In addition to steals, your player will be able to hold his own with badges like Menace and Challenger.

Physical attributes

Lastly, the elevated Acceleration (85) and Speed (85) attributes tie into what was mentioned earlier about Quick First Step. An elite point guard must be able to accelerate and decelerate into their spots on the court due to their lack of size. Luckily, this build fully taps into this. Coupled with the Bully badge, you’ll have a ridiculous level of Strength (82) at the position, which allows your player to finish at the glass comfortably.

Takeovers

With this build, the primary and secondary takeovers that make the most sense are Limitless Range and Extreme Clamps due to the player’s emphasis on shooting and defense. This will equip you with the ability to go on scoring barrages, just like your favorite NBA superstars. At the same time, you’ll be able to strike gold on defense and convert turnovers to get easy buckets. In turn, both takeovers will enhance each other and facilitate an all-around game that other players will envy.

Best badges to equip

Overall, these badges will solidify your player as an elite two-way guard with a deep offensive bag. You’ll be able to get your own shot at will and score in bunches while stringing together multiple defensive stops. This is where the value of this build shines. As a point guard, you want to be able to do a little bit everything. Below are the important badges to note from each attribute that encompass the value they bring to this build.

Best finishing badges

2 Hall of Fame, 9 Silver, and 5 Bronze with 16 potential badge points.

• Slithery: Your player will have an improved ability to avoid contact when attacking the rim, allowing them to slide through traffic during gathers and finishes at the rim. With a smaller frame, you’ll have the talent to sneak around bigger defenders and capitalize on your acceleration. When attacking the basket and performing a layup or dunk, your player’s chances of being stripped are drastically reduced. The best finishers in the NBA have a knack of driving to the basket without turning the ball over and this badge affords you this same power.
• Giant Slayer: Your player’s shot percentage for a layup attempt will be boosted when mismatched against a taller defender. The possibility of getting blocked will be reduced, enabling you finish comfortably among the trees as a smaller player. The pick-and-roll is the bread and butter of NBA offenses, which inevitably produces mismatches with centers guarding point guards. Thus, it’s essential to capitalize on these opportunities.
• Bully: This badge will improve your player’s ability to initiate contact and get to the rim on layup attempts. As mentioned prior, the added strength on this build massively aids in unlocking this attribute. Thus, it’ll be easier for you to finish around the rim even if you don’t get the timing exactly down.
• Limitless Takeoff: When attacking the basket, your player will start their dunk or layup gather from farther out than others. This is where the added athleticism comes into play as you now can make acrobatic finishes amongst taller defenders. It makes for an unblockable shot when your player is able to jump from the free throw line.

Best shooting badges

5 Hall of Fame, 7 Gold, and 4 Silver with 21 potential badge points.

• Blinders: Even if a defender is a closing out in your player’s peripheral vision, the jump shot will suffer a lower penalty. The best shooters have a knack for draining buckets while appearing to be undisturbed by commotion surrounding them. This badge is necessary for a smaller player because their shot will be easier to contest otherwise.
• Limitless Range: Shooting from Stephen Curry range means extending the range from which your player can shoot three-pointers. This will only add to your offensive bag and help you reach unguardable status. The badge’s worth may be self-explanatory, but it doesn’t make it any less essential.
• Guard Up: With this badge, you have an increased ability to make jump shots when defenders fail to properly contest. Due to your smaller frame and 88 Speed With Ball, you’ll be blowing by defenders. To this end, you want to ensure you’re leveraging that first step to score baskets.
• Middy Magician: All the best offensive talents this league has seen in recent times can score at all three levels at will. While most players emphasize finishing and three-pointers, often times the mid-range can go unnoticed despite this being a crucial spot on the floor to exploit. This badge will boost the effectiveness of pullups, spin shots, and fadeaways from the mid-range area.

Best playmaking badges

2 Hall of Fame, 5 Gold, 8 Silver, and 1 Bronze with 22 potential badge points.

• Quick First Step: With this, you’ll be provided with more explosive first steps out of triple threat and size-ups. Given the build’s smaller size, the athleticism here is crucial to blowing by opponents. When driving out of triple threat or after a size-up, you’ll have access to quicker and more effective launches as the ball handler.
• Handles For Days: When your player is performing dribble moves, there will be a reduced amount of energy lost, allowing you to chain together combos quicker for longer periods of time. Given your height disadvantage on the court, it’s imperative to have the best handles.
• Mismatch Expert: After forcing the switch on a center or forward, your player will have more success when shooting over the taller defender. It greatly helps smaller players break down taller defenders when mismatched one-on-one. Pairing this with Giant Slayer is a dangerous blend.
• Killer Combos: This badge improves a dribbler’s effectiveness and ability to break down defenders with size-up dribble moves. This will make it easier to maximize your player’s smaller frame and penetrate the paint in tight windows, complementing the above playmaker badges nicely.

Best rebounding & defense badges

3 Hall of Fame, 3 Gold, 5 Silver, and 4 Bronze with 20 potential badge points.

• Interceptor: The most effective way for your build to provide value on defense is by increasing your chances at getting steals in passing lanes. This badge will greatly enhance the frequency of successfully tipped or intercepted passes.
• Challenger: This badge will enhance the effectiveness of well-timed shot contests, bolstering your tough 86 Perimeter Defense. As a point guard, it’s crucial to be a stalwart on the perimeter, or else you’ll get played off the court.
• Clamps: Your player’s defense will be able to quickly cut off moves and successfully bump and hip ride the ball handler. In order to ensure a point guard stays on the court, they have to demonstrate an ability to stick with their opponent, proving this badge to especially important.
• Menace: While guarding and staying in front of the opponent, their attributes will drop if your player plays good defense. This badge is the cream of the crop for any player hoping to showcase elite defensive ability.

What you’ll get from the PG 3PT Shot Creator build

Ultimately, the inspiration behind this build comes from watching the best NBA floor generals in the game. The new age of point guards necessitates not only being an elite combo scorer, but also a top-shelf facilitator, all while still being a defensive disruptor. This build most effectively captures these traits by spreading the talent amongst all the attributes and leaving zero room for weaknesses.

Yet, despite this build’s all-around nature, it still stays true to the modern NBA’s emphasis on three-point shooting. Each skill complements one another to make for a point guard with endless potential in 2K23.

Looking for the best badges?

NBA 2K23 Badges: Best Finishing Badges to Up Your Game in MyCareer

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Looking for the best team to play for?

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