The 2024 NBA 2K League season is upon us. But before it starts let’s breakdown some of the teams going into the season in our first season preview of the year.

Wizards District Gaming took the 2024 NBA 2K League Draft by storm with their selections of Point Guard Benzo at number one and Center Type at number 25 heading into the season.

Benzo is a player who had dominated the amateur Pro-Am scene for years before becoming draft-eligible. Coming into the draft, it was expected for Benzo to be taken at number one and now it is time for him to live up to the hype. Benzo will be a massive upgrade for the team after they struggled mightily to score on the offensive end during the 2023 season. His dominant scoring and playmaking are a few of the things that set him apart from this year’s draft class.

Next, bringing in a veteran and proven winner in Type was another quality selection for WDG. Something that sticks out for me is his great defensive ability and how well he rebounds on both ends of the floor. I’m very excited to see how the chemistry between the rookie phenom and the savvy vet develops over the course of the season. I thought the Wizards really nailed this draft. After a poor season last year, can Wiz DG return to the promised land in 2024?

 

 

Blazer5 Gaming headed into the draft with picks 8, 16 (after a trade with Magic Gaming), and 30. They would go on to pick Faiz at 8, May at 16, and YouBots at 30. Now the question is what direction is this team going in? While they probably are moving Faiz to lock, I was confused by the selection since Faiz has played more Shooting Guard than Lockdown so I don’t understand why B5 has two Shooting Guards on the same roster.

Having YouBots at the hash will be a decent boost for the squad as they lacked productivity on offense at Shooting Guard last season. Another question is who’s going to play Center and who’s going to play Power Forward? From my standpoint the things that Kayaus is able to do as a Power Forward on both ends of the floor are outstanding  so I would see no reason to slide him to center.

 

And when you watch May, you know he’s going to be vocal on the defensive end and he’s going to trust his instinct when reacting on a rotation with no hesitation. May also excels at offensive rebounding to often give his team second chance opportunities. While I am confused about the roster construction, if they figure things out they could surprise a lot of people. 

 

Lakers Gaming entered the 2024 draft needing to find a Point Guard to fill out their roster. With the 29th pick, Lakers Gaming selected Dvnxsty to take over the reins on a star-studded team. I liked this selection from Lakers Gaming. Dvnxsty has been on the rise since last post-draft, and after a quality pre-draft he’ll get his shot at the next level. Some things that stick out about Dvnxsty are his astounding scoring ability and his ability to dice up the defense

 

Dvnxsty joins the likes of two-time MVP finalist ShiftyKai, YooVc, GreenTooNice, and former number-one overall pick, Krazy. I expect this team to be very competitive and make the playoffs in both modes while putting up points in bunches this season.

Hornets Venom GT headed into the draft with picks 6, 14, and 17 to fill out their roster. Landing at 6 was FlukeLock. You may remember him from last year’s team as he filled in as a substitute player. FlukeLock brings a lot to the table for the Hornets, specifically defensively. His ability to stay attached to the opposing Point Guard sticks out to me.  He also often puts himself in a good position to go for a blitz or a steal to give his team extra opportunities offensively. Lastly, he is also a quality shooter from both corners on the offensive end. This was a great pick from BiggWest as he brings the core of Crown, Saint, and FlukeLock back together.

At pick 14, Hornets Venom selected Trey Dollaz. After going undrafted last season, Trey competed in the 3v3 season with amateur team Dot Squad. He was then added by Lakers Gaming during the add/drop period. Now he earns himself another opportunity to showcase what he’s made of – his ability to score, especially in late-shot scenarios, and his defense abilities. His success in 3v3 last season will be a huge benefit to Lakers Gaming after they struggled during that portion of the season.

Hornets Venom concluded their draft by picking Mooch at 17. Mooch is a solid scorer and a great game manager as well. I’m very excited to see the chemistry between Mooch and Trey as they had previous experience playing with each other in the offseason. I’m eager to see how Mooch performs in Year Two in the league after having a solid rookie year with Raptors Uprising. You can expect him to come into the season with a chip on his shoulder with a lot to prove, and I expect Hornets Venom to make the playoffs in both modes in 2024.

Pacers Gaming marches into the 2024 season looking to bounce back after a season where they missed the playoffs in both game modes. After retaining Chess, Range, JaySnags, and Reign, Pacers Gaming needed a Point Guard to complete their roster. In an offseason trade, they acquired Point Guard Cooks from Bucks Gaming.

Bringing in Cooks is an upgrade for this team after they struggled to find rhythm with the position in 2023. Cooks brings a wealth of postseason experience, including a 5v5 championship with Bucks Gaming in 2022. As a dynamic scorer and a great facilitator, he has the perfect package as a player that Pacers Gaming needs to take a leap during the 2024 season.

Returning to Pacers Gaming after a strong 2023 season is Chess, who is a very good three-point shooter and elite at being able to create open looks for himself, which will be helpful for Cooks as the backcourt looks to tally up points consistently. We have also seen quality performances from Chess in 3v3 so I’m interested to see how this team’s roster shakes out in that game mode.

Range is also headed back to Indiana where he will lead a strong defense from the 2023 season. His ability to wreak havoc on a consistent basis on the defensive end as well as create plays for himself offensively are a couple of things that make him one of the best Lockdown players the league has to offer.

JaySnags is a versatile player as he played Lockdown Defender for a large portion of the 3v3 season and Power Forward for 5v5. He is excellent at both, but specifically, his defense in the passing lanes really sticks out.  

Finally, let’s talk about Big Reign. What a year for Reign during the 2023 season. From scoring, to rebounding, to facilitating, he really elevated his game and proved that he should be mentioned among the top centers in the league. I am expecting more elite-level gameplay from Reign this upcoming season. My expectations for this team would include winning a chip in 3v3 while making the playoffs, and at least a playoff berth in 5v5. I am ready to see what Head Coach Joel Lazu, formerly of Cavs Legion, does with his new roster.