$260,000.

That’s how much is on the line as THE TURN Powered by AT&T is here once again. The single-elimination tournament begins Wednesday and serves as both a great playoff primer and a fresh look at some of the teams out of the playoff race that could make a serious run at THE TICKET in a few weeks. Don’t forget, archetype bans are back this season and will surely add to the chaos of this tournament. It will end up being the deciding factor in some matches, so we’ll break down the most likely archetypes to be banned to finish things off. First, we’ll go through a couple of favorites for the tournament as well as a few dark horses to watch. Check out the full rules here.

 

OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT SEEDING

1. Raptors Uprising GC
2. Jazz Gaming
3. Wizards District Gaming
4. Warriors Gaming Squad
5. Kings Guard Gaming
6. Mavs Gaming
7. Hornets Venom GT
8. T-Wolves Gaming
9. NetsGC
10. Bucks Gaming
11. Grizz Gaming
12. Knicks Gaming
13. Blazer5 Gaming
14. 76ers GC
15. Cavs Legion GC
16. Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai
17. Magic Gaming
18. Hawks Talon GC
19. Heat Check Gaming
20. Pacers Gaming
21. Pistons GT
22. Lakers Gaming
23. Celtics Crossover Gaming

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4 Favorites To Watch

Raptors Uprising GC

When you’re 13-0 and won THE TIPOFF powered by AT&T, you’re the instant favorite for any remaining tournament. This Raptors Uprising GC team is chasing history as the best team of all-time as is looking to further that case by winning the first two tournaments of the year, something no team in 2KL history has done up to this point. Kenny Got Work is on his way to polishing off a potential MVP campaign, while TimelyCook might be just as close at DPOY. The only real conversation to have about this team is whether or not losing in THE TURN counts as their undefeated streak ending. This is the best team in the league by a decent margin and we should see that on display again during this tournament.

X-Factor: TimelyCook

The archetype bans add a really fun caveat to this tournament and with TimelyCook, it’ll mean that much more. He’s been using the 2-way Sharpshooter build at the 2 and has so far been having arguably the best Lock season in the history of NBA 2K, shooting 72.6% from the floor and 70.9% from 3 while leading the league in steals. His build will likely get banned, so seeing what build he plays on will definitely change the way Raptors GC plays. Considering how well Timely has played this season, it might not matter all that much.

Jazz Gaming

Jazz Gaming has been extremely consistent this season and has only dropped games to Kings Guard Gaming and then recently in an incredible series to Bucks Gaming. By most metrics, this is the 2nd best team in the league right now and with Splashy heating up as of recent, they have as good of a chance as anyone to make a deep run. They get the winners of Cavs Legion vs. Hawks Talon GC in the 2nd Round and they may inevitably take on Bucks Gaming with a chance to get some revenge on the upstart Bucks. The team hasn’t changed their archetypes all that much this season, so the bans might end up hitting them pretty hard, especially down low with Lord Beezus and Ria exclusively playing the Glass Cleaner and 2-Way Athletic Finisher builds this season.

X-Factor: Ria

The Two-Way Athletic Center build is arguably the best Center build in League history. That isn’t to say that Centers wouldn’t be as good with out it, but that build has defined the Center position in Season 3. Ria losing the build hurts him as much as any Center, but there are few teams that rely on their big man more than Jazz Gaming does and with good reason. Ria is 4th in the entire league in PIE (Player Impact Estimate) and has been a menace on both ends this season, even getting some MVP murmurs from the 2K community. Without that build, he will be a bit hindered, but considering the guy he is going up against won’t have it either, it may actually help Ria over the course of the tournament.

Wizards DG

Wizards DG disappointed in THE TIPOFF by not making it out of the Group Stage, so this unit is looking for a little vengeance. It’s a very talented team that plays as good team basketball as any in the league. Dayfri and JBM are the main stat stuffers, but this team wins and loses as a whole. The build bans might actually help this team more than you may think, their versatility on the wing is unmatched across the league. Let’s say they take away a build at the 2 and 3 that force ReeceDaGod and Awkward to move spots. Well, since both of them are fine playing at either spot, they’ll just switch and have Awkward play the lock and the 3 and have Reece play the sharp at the 2. Sure, other teams have that ability, but once you throw Newdini into the mix as well, not many teams can seamlessly switch all three wing positions on a whim. This is a hungry team looking to make a deep run and they might just get their wish.

X-Factor: JBM

It’s almost a foregone conclusion that teams are going to take the scoring machine build from him at PG and while he’s used other builds before, that’s the only one he’s really used since the middle of May. JBM hasn’t been putting up ROY numbers, mostly because he hasn’t really had to since his team is so fluid, but this is a huge chance for the No. 1 overall pick to make a true statement on Season 3. He’ll either get to face fellow rookie Glennratty or one of the best tournament PGs of all-time in Radiant in Round 2, so it’ll be a tricky task no matter what. Despite how good the team is, this tournament is all about who gets hot and who can carry that all the way to the end. If JBM gets hot, this Wizards team might find themselves a whole lot richer.

Kings Guard Gaming

There might not be any team in the league that is better equipped to do with archetype bans than Kings Guard Gaming. They have played multiple different lineups this year before landing on one that they’ve stuck with, but their core is very suited to play other spots. Bash will likely stay at PG, but Seem and Crush can play anywhere on the wing, and Yusuf and Dat Boy Shotz can switch between PF and C with relative ease. This team dropped a chance to enter the 10-win club against Bucks Gaming last Thursday, so they have a chance to get their season back on track during the tournament, but also show another higher level of play. We’ve seen it at times, but not consistent enough recently.

X-Factor: Bash

Similar to Wizards DG, Bash has had a good season, but he hasn’t had to be elite for this team to be good. He’s done enough this season to make Kings Guard one of the best teams in the league, but this is his time to step up. Teams will likely ban the builds of other players against the Kings, so Bash will be free to use the build of his choice at PG. If he gets hot and makes up the scoring difference of the other guys on his team playing off-hand builds, than this Kings team could make an run right to the Finals. They are on the unfortunate side of the bracket that sees them likely taking on both Warriors Gamin Squad and Raptors Uprising GC, so it’ll be a tough road regardless. If Bash takes a leap, it might not matter.

 

4 Dark Horses To Watch

76ers GC

Talk about getting hot at the right time! 76ersGC take their five-game winning streak into THE TURN as they have clawed their way from the bottom of the league to the 14th seed. Their new lineup with Steez at lock and BreadwinnerLA at Center has reinvigorated this team and given them new hope for a possible run at THE TICKET. First, they’ll have to fight through THE TURN, an interesting challenge since they haven’t really experimented with new archetypes since they’ve gotten on this recent win streak. A match-up with Heat Check Gaming will start the tournament chaos before possible taking on Wizards DG in Round 2.

X-Factor: Radiant

Maybe the best tournament player in league history, 76ersGC is going to need that and more if they want to win this tournament. They fell short in the Finals of this tournament last season, but it’s a different season and this is not the same team. Radiant is going to have to play his best ball of the season for them to win the tournament and it still might not be enough. However, with the season they are having, getting into the quarterfinals will be enough of a success to call it a win. All eyes on Radiant, as usual.

Blazer5 Gaming

Blazer5 Gaming was the No. 1 seed when we went to Las Vegas for THE TURN last season. Safe to say, it has not been that kind of season for Blazer5 Gaming. A 5-6 record is not what this team had in mind at this point in the season, but THE TURN gives them a chance to rectify things. They won this tournament back in Season 1 and this team has the ability to get hot at any time. Whether they can keep their composure and actually do it is another question.

X-Factor: MaJes7ic

It’s weird to say, but Mama and Walnut aren’t the most important players on the team for this tournament. Both of their favorite builds are likely going to be banned, so a lot more pressure is going to be put on Majes7ic to make an impact. They’ll likely need more than the 9.9 PPG he’s been giving them at sharp the past few weeks. If B5 wants to win this tournament, Majes7ic is going to have to take a leap.

Bucks Gaming

This team is an enigma. Sometimes they are taking down top echelon teams in the league like Jazz Gaming or Kings Guard and other times they drop huge games to teams like NetsGC and Magic Gaming. It’s an odd bunch, but their recent win over the Kings is really the only one that matters. We saw Regg evolve from inconsistent rookie to the front runner for Rookie of the Year. At 7-6, making the playoffs is still going to be a challenge, but in the meantime, THE TURN offers them a huge opportunity to get hot at the right time. Things are starting to come together for this group, especially for Arooks who averaged 23 PPG against Kings Guard, his highest of the season. Perhaps a deep tournament run is just what this squad needs.

X-Factor: Arooks

Listing Arooks as an x-factor is a bit of a surprise. He’s one of the best sharps in league history, but this season has just been…different, to say the least. His role has massively changed from Season 2 to 3, going from the leading scorer and focal point of the offense to a perimeter off-ball player. He’s been very effective this season, currently 4th among sharps in VORP, but his 14 PPG stands to be a career-low for the former 1st-team All-NBA 2K League SF. Teams are going to key in on Regg this tournament and likely force Arooks to take on a bigger role. It may actually work out better for Bucks Gaming in the long run and make them less predictable offensively for the rest of the playoff run, but for now, we may actually see him take on a secondary ball-handler role or something closer to what someone like Malik with Knicks Gaming has been doing.

Grizz Gaming

So close. Grizz Gaming almost pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the entire season when they fell in a thrilling three-game series to Jazz Gaming, an upset that would’ve put them in prime position to finish with 10 wins and secure a playoff spot. Instead, the best record they can reach is 9-7 and their playoff hopes are no longer in their own hands. Now, they look towards THE TURN, a chance to pick up a ton of cash and some momentum going into THE TICKET.

X-Factor: Vandi

The Great Vandini, at least as I like to call him, has been MVP-level good over the past month. His 33.6 PPG and 9.1 APG has brought Grizz Gaming to the brink of the playoffs. If Grizz Gaming wants to win this tournament, no build ban can get in Vandi’s way. He’s been flat-out better than he was last season, but we’re going to need to see another massive leap for them to win. The other guys on the team have been playing excellent, Goofy and AA have been on fire since THE TIPOFF as well, but this is Vandi’s magic show. Will he pull a rabbit out of that hat or will it be a dud?

Most Likely Archetypes To Be Banned At Each Position

PG: Scoring Machine

Scoring Machine, or the BP build as it became known, has dominated the PG scene over the past few months. It’s been selected 67.7% of the time and has been the favorite of all the top PGs this season from Kenny Got Work to Mama Im Dat Man. Replacements could be the Slashing Sharpshooter or the Offensive Threat, at 29.1% and 1.9% respectively, but it’s fair to say that Point Guards will be put at a slight disadvantage as that Scoring Machine build has averaged over 11 PPG vs. any other PG build. It’ll be fascinating to see how the position evolves going into the tournament.

SG: 2-Way Sharpshooter

This applies to most of the teams in the league, but not the ones who run a secondary-ball handler at the SG spot. The 2-Way Sharpshooter has been the main lock build used this season and the only one through the three seasons of the league that can shoot the ball at all. TimelyCook has used it to great effect this season and it may win him DPOY. For teams that want to keep the lock build at the 2, the 2-Way Finisher has been quite popular recently as players such as Gradient and AuthenticAfrican have taken a liking to it and have scored quite efficiently with it.

SF: 3-Level Scorer

Similar to SG, this only applies to the teams that run a sharp at the 3. Many run the Perimeter Defender build, accounting for 36.6% of all SG selections, which will definitely see it’s fair share of banning as well. If 3-Level Scorer is out, it puts the SF sharps at a big disadvantage. There are a few other usable builds at SF like the 2-Way Sharpshooter of the Sharpshooting Slasher, but nothing really comes close to it. Expect to see some wild lineups and roster changes to account for the SF shakeup.

PF: Glass Cleaner

This build is going to be banned into 2120. Accounting for 90.9% of all PF selections, the Glass Cleaner build has given PF their 1st true 2-way build in league history. We’ve seen record shooting numbers from PFs across the board and the Glass Cleaner and its immense corner shooting ability has been a huge reason behind that. With Glass Cleaner gone, the 2-Way Stretch 4 will likely see a lot of play as well as the 3-level playmaker. Both are good, but like SF, PF is going to be a mixed bag.

C: 2-Way Athletic Finisher

Arguably the best Center build in NBA 2K League history, maybe the best individual archetype ever put into the league, this build has defined the Center position in Season 3. 99.3% of selections have gone towards this build, 697 of 702, and if you think teams aren’t going to ban this thing the second they get the chance, you’re kidding yourself. None of the Center builds even come close to the 2-way effectiveness of this build, so teams are going to have to change their identities on the fly to keep up. The Slashing Rim Protector has been selected for use three times this season with the Sharpshooting Defender getting picked twice, so those are probably the best remaining options. Teams will likely roll out a shooting big man or just go full defense and ignore interior offense entirely. Of all the positions in Season 3, Center is going to get hit the hardest during THE TURN.