NBA 2K23 How to Play Defense

Tips on How to Get Steals

• Anticipate the ball handler switching hands and then attempt a steal for a good chance at getting a pluck.
• As an Off-Ball defender, look for opportunities to 'Blitz' the ball handler when they're moving toward you. This is just running into the ball side hand and going for a reach.
• Learn how to 'Bait' the passing lanes. You can sometimes fool the ball handler into thinking your man is open when in reality you've been waiting for him to throw that pass.
• Learn the sweet spots on the court to help you be the most effective when looking for lane steals.
• Sometimes it's not about getting the steal, but setting up your teammate for that steal instead. Pressuring your defender to one side of the court or forcing him out of bounds may force them to throw a bad pass, giving your team an opportunity to capitalize and steal the ball.

Choosing the Correct Badges and Badge Levels

The best defensive badges for a Perimeter Lockdown include Clamps, Challenger, Glove and Interceptor. Having these badges will give you the best chance to stay in front of your man and generate turnovers giving your team valuable extra positions. If you have a 70 Block rating or higher, using the Chase Down Artist badge even on Bronze can help you get the right animations for a swat at the rim. Also, Perimeter Lockdowns should be using Pick Dodger as high as they can AFTER you've equipped your primary badges.

For Interior Defense, the best badge to have equipped would be the Anchor badge. Having Hall of Fame Anchor on defense will be your best bet to get a stop in the paint. With good positioning and timing on your block attempt, you can be very effective in getting stops at the rim. You'll also want to make sure you have the Boxout Beast badge in order to help your team get easy rebounds. Most bigs will aim to get Boxout Beast to at least Hall of Fame with a 94 Defensive or Offensive Rebound. Pogo Stick can be useful for taller builds as well but it's not as high of a priority as the other badges. If you find yourself going against stronger players with more post control and Close Shot, the Post Lockdown badge can help you hold your ground better and even give you a better chance to strip the ball when timed correctly. If this badge fits your playstyle, it can be worth using but not the biggest priority.

Then there are some badges that sound good in theory, but in reality they don't provide enough boost to justify spending your badge points. These badges include Menace, Off-Ball Pest, and Ankle Braces for non competitive players. If you're more of a visual person, we made a video ranking all the defensive badges in a tier list for all playstyles and you can view that video here:

Defense Works Best as a Team

Defense isn't a one man show, and in NBA 2K23 it can sometimes be hard to get a stop which is why a big key in learning how to play defense comes from learning to play off your teammates and vice versa. Figuring out where and when to help cut off lanes as an on and off ball defender can play a huge role in making it hard for the ball handler to score.

Learn your opponents tendencies

There's a good chance you'll see the same dribble combo from the ball handler multiple times a game if not every possession, or maybe you'll see that the PG likes to pass more than score. If you can learn these tendencies, it will be easier for you to dictate the flow of the game on defense. Learn to anticipate their moves when you find their tendencies and this will surely lead to more steals and just general success on defense.