We are back and it feels so good! The NBA 2K League is back, that means we’ll have plenty of articles just like last year with recaps, power rankings, analysis, interviews, and more. Thrilled to be back and even more excited for the season we have coming up. This is without a question the most talent the league has ever had. Every team in the league has some sort of blue chip, elite talent to fall back on with plenty more having 2 or even 3 of those guys. This whole season is going to be a war and I for one can’t wait to have a front row seat to it.

 

Let’s switch gears into our first real topic, the upcoming Slam Open. Different format this year, only one week of group play before 2 weeks of high action bracket play. We have 5 groups, no conferences just like last year and of course, the community teams return to add some chaos to the equation. We’ll talk about them at the end of the week so we can see them play first, but keep an eye on them. In order to keep things easy on ourselves, let’s go group by group and break down the best and the worst and who might survive.

 

GROUP 1

Gen.G Tigers

Hornets Venom GT

Magic Gaming

NBL Oz Gaming

Pistons GT

 

Alright, the 2KL needs to relax. This group is ridiculous. You’ve got 2 reigning playoff teams, the Gallo vs. Unguardable rivalry, the endless fun of Hornets Venom GT and oh yea, only 2 of these teams will make it out of the group. Wild. Let’s start with Pistons GT, our reigning Runners-Up from 3v3. BagMotion is out and Jomar is in, about as good of a 1:1 switch as you could ask for. Maybe not as good anymore considering BagMotion is now on NBL Oz Gaming…who they will be playing against on Friday to maybe decide the fate of the group. Hornets Venom GT has FlukeLock for the entirety of the season this time, he and TreyDollaz will bring a huge boost to their league-worst 3v3 effort last season. Gen.G added 2 new starters to the fight, with LawRich going from NBL to the Tigers this offseason and Jolo coming over during the draft. Lastly, Magic Gaming looks primed for maybe the best season in franchise history. Unguardable, #3 pick Jboolin  and reigning champ LowkeyGodlike for as formidable a 3v3 trio on paper as we have in the league. Whether they get over the line and get to the playoffs, well, that’s the eternal question for all Magic Gaming teams.

 

Predicted Group Winners: Magic Gaming, Pistons GT

 

GROUP 2

Cavs Legion GC

Hawks Talon GC

Knicks Gaming

NetsGC

Raptors Uprising GC

 

First instinct when I look at this group, damn we got a lot of great guards in here. Killeyy for CLG, MDS for Hawks, Malik for Knicks, Greens for Nets, and AntoineLove for RUG is a hell of a lineup. However, it’ll likely be all the other players that decide this group. Cavs Legion looks very interesting this year, with a new revamped roster and head coach led by the aforementioned 3v3 Finals MVP Killeyy. They’ve added the former T-Wolves crew of TBShiftay, DjayTooCold, and Slaughter to the mix. Hawks have a decent roster, but are a bit light on frontcourt talent. We’ll likely see UnderratedGoat and BestBait paired  for former #1 pick MDS once his 1-game suspension is seen through. Knicks Gaming likely brings the same 3 of Malik, Stick, and Radiant to the table, but don’t discount seeing Feast out there at some point. NetsGC will be the exact same 3  we saw last season with Streetz and Steez partnering with Greens. The Raptors are probably the biggest question mark in the group with AntoineLove, Haam, and Crush forming a bit of a funky team. Great group though, it should set the tone for what we see from guards for the week.

 

Predicted Group Winners: NetsGC, Cavs Legion GC

GROUP 3

Celtics Crossover Gaming

DUX Infinitos

Heat Check Gaming

76ers GC

Wizards DG

 

A wacky group to say the least, this one is all over the place. A brand  new roster will try to defend the title this year for DUX with Ryan1of1 leading the line alongside Warnocks and Scoreo. It’ll be tough for them to live up to last year’s team, but they do have decent talent. CLTX officially ended the FT era and now it is Leche’s time to officially shine. If he struggles, 630 is behind him to pick up the  slack. Heat Check has a massive season ahead of them, we’ll truly find out this year if Ky is the kind of player you can win with or if he’s the kind that puts up flashy numbers, but not Ws. 76ersGC is a bit of a mystery. Dre, DT, and DJ are all still there but with Jyden and Gradient now on the team, what is their best lineup? Lastly, but certainly not least, Wiz DG revamped the roster by swapping Dayfri for the #1 pick and picking the big-time talent of Benzo. Everyone is patiently waiting to see him play in the league, myself included. Tough group to call, but I think I have a good feel for it.

 

Predicted Group Winners: Heat Check Gaming, 76ers GC

 

GROUP 4

Bucks Gaming

Grizz Gaming

Mavs Gaming

Pacers Gaming

T-Wolves Gaming

The fact that only 2 of these teams will make it through is why the league is both great and cruel at the same time. All 5 of these squads have the talent to make it through. The Bucks probably have the best roster of the bunch, but with Cooks now on Pacers Gaming, do they have the lead guard necessary to get back to the top? Mavs Gaming have Dayri, but the Kapp and Fanta 3v3 combo is unproven, who knows what we’ll get out of them. Speaking of unknowns, T-Wolves Gaming will likely be starting 2 rookies in Tutak and Igymo. While I’m usually supportive of that, there is no time for mistakes in this new format, they’ll have to get up to speed quick. And then, there is the Grizz, the ultimate 3v3 sleeper team. It’s so easy to forget that Vandi remains one of the best 3v3 guards in the world, he just didn’t have a chance to show it last year being behind Killeyy. Now, he’s back and looking for revenge. A very, very scary thing indeed.

 

Predicted Group Winners: Grizz Gaming, Bucks Gaming

GROUP 5

Blazer5 Gaming

Jazz Gaming

Kings Guard Gaming

Lakers Gaming

Warriors Gaming Squad

 

A very interesting group. 2 title contenders in WGS and Lakers Gaming, 2 rebuilding teams in Jazz Gaming and Kings Guard, and 1 Blazer5 Gaming who always do things their own way.. This group is all over the place. It’s a bit tough to project too since we don’t know the lineups. Blazer5 and Warriors each have 3-4 lineups they could run out and win games with, same with Lakers Gaming. Jazz and Kings have a lot of young talent like Justin and Score SZN, but it’s tough to know if that’ll translate to wins. I’ll leave my preview light for this group so we can all enjoy the chaos together, but we’ll have a ton to discuss at the end of the week, that’s for sure.

Predicted Group Winners: Warriors Gaming Squad, Lakers Gaming