Season 3 of the NBA 2K League came to an epic conclusion with Wizards DG taking down Warriors Gaming Squad, 3-1, in the NBA 2K League Finals, which means it’s time for everyone’s favorite offseason tradition, team-by-team recaps! We’ll start with the teams that didn’t make the postseason and go through their respective seasons first before jumping into the playoff teams from Season 3. Small disclaimer, the offseason needs are based off Season 3 performance. We obviously don’t know how 2K21 is going to affect the league meta yet, so we are not anticipating that in this article. Check out Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

Lakers Gaming

(3-13, 23rd seed)

Few things seemed to go right for Lakers Gaming in Season 3. Their defense surrendered 73.5 points per game (22nd in the league) and their offense revolved around SAV scoring a ton of points without a ton of efficiency. They were rotating their starting lineup all the way to the last couple weeks of the season and while they have some talent, they have a lot of work to do on this roster in the offseason. They’re off to a good start with retaining Sav and Tactuk, but that leaves some holes they need to fill, even with the No. 1 overall pick potentially being in the cards.

Most Important Player: Sav

Well, the dude can score. A lot. He put in almost 33 PPG along with 8.7 APG, but an eFG% of 61.7 leaves something to be desired. His usage rate of over 50% was one of the highest ever recorded in league history, but he also had to do that just so they could put points on the board. Sav has potential, but we still aren’t really sure what his best skills are because he was leaned on so heavily to score.

Offseason Needs: Blue-chip players

This team needs more talent. Period. Sav needs guys to take the offensive pressure off him and Tactuk was on an island defensively no matter where he played. Securing a top pick and hitting on those selections would do wonders for this team. A trade may also be in the works, but the Knicks Gaming model of drafting upside and seeing what happens could be their best strategy.

Retained Players: Sav, Tactuk

A good combo to start an official rebuild around! Sav gives them a premier option at PG with superstar upside and Tactuk is an excellent wing who can play multiple positions and play at a high level. A top-flight center will be a major goal with this team before nabbing another player to pair with Sav in the backcourt.

Pistons GT

(3-13, 22nd seed)

Despite the blockbuster trade for Ramo in the offseason, this team was in the bottom third of the league in points per game (64.2 PPG). Demon JT was a bold trade with decent upside, but ultimately he was overshadowed while playing in the league’s deepest position. Defensively, they were pretty good and got better as the season went along. Their 1st round pick, Charger, was a bright spot at both lock and PF and it’s definitely something to build on heading into Season 4. That said, they need a PG. That’s the main focus. Unless Ramo decides to play Point Guard full time, of course.

Most Important Player: Ramo

Ramo went through the ringer this season. He went back and forth between PF and C until he eventually found HIMSELF playing PG! Ramo playing PG, 2020 is real weird. The good news is that Ramo is one of the best 2K players in the world and t doesn’t really matter what position he playing. Having him on your team is always better than not, just got to hope Pistons GT can surround him with a few guards that can take the pressure off him.

Offseason Needs: Point Guard

Short and sweet. Get a point guard, figure out the rest later.

Retained Players: Ramo, Charger

Retained players don’t change too much, though it does officially confirm to us that Pistons are going into the offseason looking for a PG. Charger and Ramo are a great combo at the 4-5 or with Charger at the 3 as a lock, but this team needs a huge influx of offensive firepower.

Pacers Gaming

(4-12, 21st seed)

Pacers Gaming took a big swing at No. 4 overall with BOHIO and their season went as he went. The pick itself was logical — they were seemingly banking on upside and team culture and hoped that combination would carry them back to the playoffs after they traded Ramo. Unfortunately for them, they fell short of their goal, and now for the 4th consecutive year, they are hunting for a top-flight PG. They still have a good core roster, with Jomar being added to Wolf and Swizurk, so all they need is a top PG. Simple right? It never is.

Most Important Player: Jomar

This was a tough call between Swizurk and Jomar, but I’m going to go with Jomar just for the fact that he played almost every position between the 1-5 and played them all relatively well. He finished the year with a decent stat line — 12.5 PPG, 4.1 APG, 8.2 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.8 BPG, and his 2-way ability was awesome to watch game to game.

Offseason Needs: Point Guard

Short and sweet again. Nothing else matters for this team until they get a long term solution at PG. Everything else is gravy.

Retained Players: Swizurk, Jomar, WoLF

It’s a great trio to build around for Pacers Gaming, but the need for a point guard is obvious. Swizurz is a great sharp and Jomar/WoLF are a quality defensive duo no matter where you put them. Pacers Gaming is hoping they hit it big in the lottery and land the PG that has alluded them through three seasons.

Cavs Legion GC

(4-12, 20th seed)

Cavs Legion GC were a gritty team defensively that had a ton of low-scoring, close games, but they could never quite get it going offensively. Doza and Strainer at PG just couldn’t keep up with the other elite PGs around the league and it was reflected with them dropping their last nine regular-season games. Defensively, they were incredibly solid. Godddof2k had another great season at lock and oLarry was one of the league’s premier rim defenders. With the glaring need for a point guard, this is a team that could have a very active offseason and potentially look a lot different at the start of Season 4.

Most Important Player: Strainer

Strainer took a big step forward this season from an efficiency standpoint. 21.7 PPG and 4.1 APG on 55.8 FG% and 45.8 3P% is just an excellent season from the 2nd year sharp. I thought he played quite well at PG, however he just didn’t have that extra level of scoring that some other PGs had. He’s an excellent sharp/secondary ball-handler who would be even better with a top-flight PG next to him. Easy piece to build around and a player who keeps getting better.

Offseason Needs: Point Guard

This is a guard’s league and you’ll likely go as far as your PG will take you. If Cavs Legion doesn’t get a top tier PG, it’s tough to see them — or any team really — building a true championship contender. The rest of the team has great complementary pieces. Strainer and Godddof2K are all league-worthy players, but they need a true head of the snake to take them over the edge.

Retained Players: Godddof2k, Strainer

It seems that Cavs Legion may want to put Strainer at sharp, so PG remains a huge need for this team. With them not retaining Larry, it also opens up a big hole at Center. So now, Cavs Legion has to replace arguably the two most important positions on the court in one offseason. It’s a daunting task, but it could pay off in a huge way.

CLTX Gaming

(4-12, 19th seed)

This was not the season CLTX Gaming envisioned. They struggled on the wing for the first half of the season and didn’t have a consistent lineup until the latter 1/3rd of the season. Throw in an oFab suspension for the 2nd straight year and it’s a season that CLTX Gaming is just going to put behind them and forget about. There were some positives though. Their late-season acquisition of FT sparked a couple huge wins and gave them some momentum heading into next season. It may have been due to the fact that defenses had no film to know how to play against him, but scoring 36.3 PPG on 67.3 TS% is no joke.

Most Important Player: FT

I’m doing it! He was so good to end the year, it’s a bit baffling he didn’t get drafted. Some of his success may be attributed to his relatively unknown status, but no matter how you shake it out, he’s a really good 2K player. He’s been in the 2K community for a long time and really took advantage of his time in the league. I just said it, but I’m saying it again. Scoring 36.3 PPG on 67.3 TS% is no accident, the dude can play.

Offseason Needs: Wings and Bigs

If I were CLTX Gaming, I would pick one of FT or Fab, add in Mel East, then just start over. The other guys on this team are talented, but the combination just didn’t work out. The other teams in the league figured them out defensively from the start of the season until the end and sometimes it’s just time to rebuild. It’s time to bring in some fresh faces and see what they can do with their star PG.

Retained Players: FT, Fab, Bulleyy

Well, they kept both PGs and decided to keep Bulleyy for a 3rd season. It’s an interesting group, but it gives them two premier scorers and allows them to focus on building up their frontcourt heading into Season 4. Center is such a massive component for any team and depending on who they pick as their long-term PG between Fab and FT, it could have a huge impact on who they pick up at the 5.

Heat Check Gaming

(5-11, 18th seed)

The media darling coming out the Draft didn’t hit the expectation that many pundits, including yours truly, saw for this team. They just didn’t have enough scoring and couldn’t get enough stops. It was really that simple. The Glennratty-Delusion combo didn’t catch fire and defensively, they had a lot of holes. Hotshot had a fine season and TBShiftay actually had a great year down the stretch at lock, but those were the main bright spots.

Most Important Player: Hotshot

More things change, the more they stay the same. Despite some rumblings that maybe he wasn’t the same player, he still ended up finishing 2nd in scoring among centers (14.9 PPG) to go with 13.4 RPG and 4.2 APG. He’s just nasty. There just aren’t many guys in the world who are as good at 2K as Hotshot. He’s a true superstar.

Offseason Needs: Guards

Heat Check have been looking for a PG for three years and the search continues. Glennratty was fine, but he just didn’t have the ceiling this year that other rookie PGs demonstrated. Delusion falls in the same boat as a secondary/sharp so Heat Check will definitely be in the market for a blue-chip guard. PF is a need as well, but Hotshot is so good, that it definitely isn’t a top concern. They need a top guard and their whole offseason will likely be focused on getting one.

Retained Players: Hotshot, TBShiftay, Deedz

Not retaining Glennratty is a bit of a surprise, but this is a decent core for any rookie PG to walk into. This doesn’t change their offseason needs, they still need top picks at both backcourt positions.

Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai

(6-10, 17th seed)

It was a solid first season for Gen.G, but they didn’t finish the season as they wanted to. They made the Final Four of THE TIPOFF Powered by AT&T and left the tournament at 5-3 and as a clear darkhorse in the league. As you can tell by their final record, they didn’t finish that way. They gave up 73.9 PPG (last in the league) and their offense sputtered a bit down the stretch. The good news is, this team still has a great core and is probably one big trade away from being a serious contender. ShiftyKaii is one of the best young players in the entire league and was a Rookie of the Year candidate until the very end. Turnup had another solid season as well and will return for another year in LA. They’re a good team that finished poorly, but if another blue-chip player arrives, this team could be in business.

Most Important Player: ShiftyKaii

29.4 PPG, 8.5 APG, 2.9 SPG and a 26.1 PIE as a rookie! This kid is good. Real good. Potential super star-level good. He was the best player on this team from Day 1 and was one of the best players in the league all season long. However, he slowed down a bit down the stretch as the league adjusted to him and he didn’t adjust back. Combine that with poor 3-point shooting numbers compared to the rest of his position, 36.2%, and you end up with a guy that has a ton of potential but still needs grow.

Offseason Needs: Center

There might not be a team in the league that needs a center more than Gen.G. Kaii needs a big man to play the pick and roll with and their defense was desperate for a rim protector all season long. Deadeye was fine, but with how stacked the position is, they need someone who can play with the elite big men. A trade could be on the way or they could look to the draft, but either way, they need an anchor.

Retained Players: ShiftyKaii, Turnupdefense

Gen.G went as expected with their retained players and have a fascinating challenge ahead of them. How do you build around ShiftyKaii? A star Center would be massive for this team, but finding a back-court partner for him might be just as important. Exciting offseason coming for Gen.G.