For defending and shooting, in a meta built around those factors, the Power Forward reigns supreme in NBA 2K20.
It appears that once more, the Power Forward reigns supreme as the dominant position in NBA 2K20, but not for the same reasons as last year.
This time it is the sheer versatility of what you can turn a PF build into during MyCareer, and later when you take that player to the Parks and online play.
There is a definite increase in how useful defensive stats and badges are in the newest iteration of the game, so being able to mix and match between last year’s massively popular stretch four to a tall, yet still, the mobile defender is a big plus. Here are a good loadout and some tips you can aim for if you decide to go with playing a big.
Best Stretch Four Build
Starting with your Skill Breakdown, select the option where shooting has the largest chunk of the chart while the other stats are all even. Then you will select the Physical Profile chart where agility is prioritized, but vertical is still set over strength. This will give you a solid set of base stats that lend themselves to being able to shoot and get open.
Next, move over to your potential sliders and make sure you get the following categories set up with a high number.
- Three-Point Shooting
- Mid-Range Shooting
- Free Throw
- Post Fade
- Pass Accuracy
- Ball Handling
- Post Moves
- Interior Defense
- Perimeter Defense
You can mix and match the last few upgrades, but this will give you a solid foundation as your career progresses. Now when you configure your player’s body, here are some presets you can play around with. Just mess with the sliders until you find the mix that works for you.
- Height: 6’9″ – 6’11”
- Weight: Lower 200 lbs
- Wingspan: Around 82.0″
And lastly, the badges are going to be pretty focused on the Shooting category. You can prioritize some over others, but here are the badges you might want to invest in when you get to that point. You can decide on how you want to class each one, but it is pretty obvious that the shooting badges need to be at least Silver or higher.
| Catch & Shoot | Boosts the chance of hitting a jump shot immediately after a catch. For a short period of time after receiving a pass, the receiver’s outside shooting attributes will get a significant boost. |
| Deadeye | Reduces the impact of a defender who is closing out |
| Deep Fades | Improves the chance of making a post fadeaway from deep range. Also, post fadeaways taken far from the basket will receive less of a distance penalty than normal. |
| Green Machine | Increases the bonus given for consecutive excellent releases, and gives an additional shot boost when consecutively achieving excellent releases on jump shots. |
| Hot Start | Improves player’s shooting ability after making first shot until a miss occurs. For every made shot from the beginning of the game, player receives a shot attribute bonus that lasts until the first missed shot attempt. |
| Intimidator | Intimidates offensive players causing them to miss shots more often. |
| Quick Draw | Speeds up the release of a jump shot. |
| Quick First Step | Badge provides more explosive first steps out of triple threat and size-ups. When driving out of a triple threat or after a size-up, ball handlers have access to quicker, and more effective, launches. |
| Range Extender | Extends the range from which a player can effectively, and adds extra distance to a player’s given shot range for both mid-range and 3PT shots. |
| Slippery Off-Ball | Strengthens the player’s ability to get open off the ball. |
| Steady Shooter | Reduces the penalties for contested shots and bonuses for open shots. Shot attempts that are contested receive less of a penalty. However, shot attempts that are open do not receive as much of a bonus. |
| Tireless Shooter | Improves a player’s ability to make shots when fatigued, and shot attributes on jump shots suffer a smaller penalty than normal when fatigued. |
| Unpluckable | Reduces the chances of getting stripped by the defender. When performing dribble moves, defenders have a tougher time poking the ball free with their steal attempts. |
As you can see, the shooting it the priority for this build, but there is still a slight focus on defensive stats rather than finishing. That is because even though Slasher has been a popular class in the past, this year, it seems to have fallen off. So if you prefer a defensive build that stays closer to the paint, here are some other options.
Best Lockdown Four Build
Here, the first change you will make is to your Skill and Physical options at the start. Instead of shooting, pick the graph that has the highest Defense and Rebounding percentage, followed by a balanced Physical graph. You will be making up for that balanced Physical loadout later, so don’t worry about strength being an issue.
Next, it is time to select your potential, and it is time to tank your shooting – for the most part. Just ignore your three-point shooting and focus on the top and bottom of the sliders.
- Close Shot
- Standing Dunk
- Post Hook
- Free Throw
- Post Fade
- Post Moves
- Interior Defense
- Perimeter Defense
- Block
- Offensive Rebound
- Defensive Rebound
Again, mix and match, however you want, but this is just a solid base. Now you are back to your player’s body, and it is time to get heavy so you can bump bodies down low.
- Height: 6’9″ – 6’11” (you probably want to be on the taller end here)
- Weight: 250 – 260 lbs
- Wingspan: At least 90.0.”
Much like with the focus and potential, the badges are going to be almost completely different. The focus moves from shooting to the defensive and rebounding sections, with a few finishing badges to top it off.
| Box | Improves player’s ability to box out opponents. |
| Brick Wall | Increases effectiveness of screens and drains energy from opponents on physical contact. This badge makes it tougher for the defense to get through or around screens. Players hit by contact from a Brick Wall lose more energy than normal. |
| Catch & Shoot | Boosts the chance of hitting a jump shot immediately after a catch. For a short period of time after receiving a pass, the receiver’s outside shooting attributes will get a significant boost. |
| Contact Finisher | Boosts the ability to convert contact layups and dunks in traffic, and slashers who play below the rim finish contact layups more successfully while dunkers are able to pull off more contact dunks. |
| Dropstepper | Improves a player’s ability to effectively use dropsteps in the post area. It also allows for more success when attempting post dropsteps and hop steps, in addition to protecting the ball better, while performing these moves in the post. |
| Fancy Footwork | Improves a player’s ability to beat defenders with an advanced layup or dunk gather. Also, players get past defenders more efficiently when performing euro, cradle, hop step, spin, and half-spin gathers. |
| Intimidator | Intimidates offensive players causing them to miss shots more often. |
| Pick Pocket | Improves a player’s ability to steal the ball from a ball-handler. |
| Pick n Roller | Increases shot percentage as the roller in a pick & roll. When rolling off the pick and roll, a shot boost is applied if the layup or dunk attempt comes within a few seconds after catching the pass. |
| Post Move Lockdown | Improves the defender’s ability to defend post moves. |
| Putback Boss | Increases shot percentage when attempting a putback after an offensive rebound. It also boosts the shot attributes of a player that attempts a putback layup or dunk right after getting an offensive rebound. |
| Rebound Chaser | Improves a player’s ability to chase down rebounds. |
| Relentless Finisher | Reduces the fatigue effects from continually finishing at the rim with contact. It improves a player’s ability to take a lot of contact by reducing the energy lost when attacking the rim for contact shots. |
| Rim Protector | Improves ability to block shots, gives boosts to the Takeover meter for blocker/teammates, as well as a player’s ability to block shots. It also unlocks special block animations and gives a boost to the Takeover meter for the blocker and blocker’s teammates following a block. |
| Tireless Defender | Reduces energy lost when exerting effort on defense. |
| Worm | Allows rebounders to swim or spin around box outs more easily. |
This build uses a lot more badges, purely because it is meant to do more on the court. If you want to be all over the place, this is the build for you. Grabbing boards, setting picks, locking down defenders, and scoring in the paint – your player will be a menace on both ends of the court and a valuable asset to any team.
In a game that has so many players focusing on shooting threes or being flashy with their dribble moves, if you want to make the biggest difference in games with random players, the Lockdown build is probably your best bet.
These are just two of many builds you can make, and though Power Forward is the most optimal position for this game, that doesn’t mean it isn’t just as viable to play a different style. As long as you aren’t a Slasher, you should be good with whatever you choose.
