15 Best Playmaking Badges In NBA 2k22 – Newly Updated

Basketball is a fundamentally sound sport. Ask any analyst what makes LeBron James unique, and they’ll undoubtedly mention his exceptional passing ability. Setting teammates up for success is what distinguishes players in the NBA, and it is what makes gamers unbeatable in NBA 2K22.

Dribbling abilities, post moves, passing ability, and body control are all examples of playmaking. Players who invest in these abilities benefit the team, but they can also benefit themselves by breaking down defenders and getting open. These are the players in NBA 2K22 who always seem to find open shots, and these are the badges they use to get them.

Hodey Johns updated this on May 5th, 2022: NBA 2K22 playmaking is similar to NBA playmaking in that fans don’t realize how important it is until they don’t have it. No matter how good their shooting and finishing stats are, a team without playmakers is easy to defend. Every player improves with just a little bit of playmaking. Different positions and playstyles, however, necessitate different touches. While each badge is valuable, there are different levels of value to consider. Different badges will help point guards and centers improve their playmaking. To assist readers in determining which badges are appropriate for them, a subsection has been added to each entry identifying who will benefit the most from the badge. In addition, a description of what each badge does has been added at the beginning of each section.

The 15 best Playmaking Badges in NBA 2K22 (Newly Updated)

  • Break Starter
  • Quick First Step
  • Quick Chain
  • Unpluckable
  • Tight Handles
  • Bail out
  • Stop & Go
  • Handles for Days
  • Post Playmaker
  • Needle Threader
  • Glue Hands
  • Floor General
  • Downhill
  • Dimer
  • Bullet Passer

15. Break Starter

Playmaking-Badges-Break-Starter
  • Improves a player’s ability to make effective outlet passes after a rebound is grabbed.

Consider how many points were scored on the fast break or in transition at the end of an NBA game. It’s usually a staggering figure, in the 20% range or higher. Passers would do well to recognize that this is a significant portion of the scoring pie.

An effective rebound pass to a lead runner may not sound exciting, but it ensures that the player does not have to break stride after receiving a pass. Without having to slow down, this equates to guaranteed assists and points.

What Kind of Player Should Be Awarded The Break Starter Badge?

This badge is essential for rebounders. It’s one of the few badges geared towards bigs underneath the rim because guards are usually breaking after a defensive rebound, but it’ll work for anyone who crashes the boards for at least a few assists per game.

14. Quick First Step

Playmaking-Badges-QUICK-FIRST-STEP
  • Increases the number of explosive first steps out of triple threat and size ups.

There are some players who dislike the dribble moves in the game. They sap energy and frequently fail to fool the defender. Worse, defenders who get tangled up on dribble moves have plenty of time to regroup and reposition themselves by the time the move is executed.

Quick First Step comes in handy in this situation. A defender who is fooled by an explosive first step will not get a second chance; once out of position, the man with the ball will have blasted right past them to put up a shot.

What Kind of Player Should Be Appointed? The Break Begin Badge

Slashers who work off the dribble rather than the screen will maximize the value of each badge level. It’s particularly effective online against players who frequently go in for a steal or fall for a dribble move that AI opponents won’t bite at.

13. Quick Chain

Carrying the ball forward on the court is essential when you’re on offense. The Quick Chain Badge facilitates back-to-back dribble moves.

Combining the Quick Chain Badge with others that provide stamina benefits frequently produces the best results because your player will require the extra juice.

12. Unpluckable

Unpluckable
  • Reduces the likelihood of being stripped by the defender.

This year, a slew of new animations for stealing balls from slashers have been added. So the Unpluckable badge, which was already recommended last year, is now a requirement. Unless the player is literally never going to dribble, the Unpluckable badge is a minimum for most builds.

Guards, in addition to slashers, will dribble outside of the arc. Wings will dribble inside the arc. And big men who play in the post will dribble. There are few badges that cover so many scenarios, so the value of this badge is incredible.

What Kind of Player Should Be Awarded The Unpluckable Badge?

The best rookies in the game understand the importance of maintaining possession of the ball. Anyone who dribbles the ball in traffic should get at least one Unpluckable point. This should be considered a mandatory badge for slashers.

11. Tight Handles

Tight-Handles
  • Enhances a player’s ability to break down their opponent.

Dribbling badges are occasionally difficult to recommend because human opponents do not always fall for them. But something needs to be said about a badge that consistently puts AI opponents on their buttocks.

When the opponent is locked into an animation, the Tight Handles badge can also be used to break them down. It takes a lot of skill to use well, but once mastered, players can regularly force their defender to leave them with an open shot.

What Kind of Player Should Have Tight Handles?

Tight Handles are effective when combined with the best dribble moves. This is especially important for guards who enjoy shooting three-pointers and only require a small amount of space to do so. It’s more effective against AI than human opponents, so MyCareer players should prioritize it, but it’s useful in either case.

10. Bail out

There will be times when your Playmaker is pinned down by two players, or when you dribble into a position with no passing options. Passing the ball after jump shots or layups reduces pass success rate, but you can compensate with the Bail Out Badge, which increases a Playmaker’s pass success rate when they pass the ball during a jump shot or a layup.

09. Stop & Go

Stop & Go
  • Improves a player’s ability to begin and end a play with the ball.

Stop & Go is as good as or better than any other badge in the shooting badges category for shooters. Consider the times when the perfect shot is available, but the player is moving too quickly and performs the backward fade animation, which almost always fails because it qualifies as a difficult shot.

Imagine that instead of falling limply backward, the player comes to a complete stop and fires a perfect, clean shot. The best NBA point guards can stop on a dime, and this badge allows gamers to emulate their abilities in NBA 2K22.

What Kind of Player Should Be Awarded the Stop & Go Badge?

This is a badge for shooters who shoot off the dribble from three-point range or mid-range. Stop & Go can also help redirect movement while dribbling, which can throw overeager opponents off balance if they don’t react quickly enough to the misdirection. Point guards’ mobility with the ball will improve noticeably.

08. Handles for Days

The stamina of a Playmaker determines their ability to perform consistently. Although you may be able to perform a few flashy moves, they may be meaningless if a Playmaker loses their breath after doing so.

Handles for Days is a classic Playmaker badge that helps with stamina. Players who have the Badge will use less stamina when dribbling.

07. Post Playmaker

Post Playmaker
  • Increases the shot percentage of out-of-the-post passes to shooters.

This year, the post has completely dominated all games and modes. When a player who has invested in scoring from the post wants to shoot, the only way to prevent them from doing so is to bring in additional help.

However, this backfires. The Post Playmaker badge improves the next shot of the player who receives the ball from the post player significantly. The best power forwards in the game can be pure scorers while also contributing to the passing game with some guaranteed buckets from their teammates.

What Kind of Player Should Be Appointed? The Playmaker Badge for Posts

Straight up, players who shoot from the post are among the most lethal assist leaders available. It’s not uncommon to get 30+ assists in a few practice games. It’s useless for anyone who doesn’t play in the post, but it’s incredible for those who do, especially when hitting open players after they use double coverage to prevent the post shooter from scoring.

06. Needle Threader

NBA 2K22 Needle Threader
  • Increases the likelihood that difficult passes will be intercepted.

Everyone has been in a situation where they have no way to shoot the ball reasonably. Passing out of these situations, on the other hand, entails throwing through defensive bodies and hoping for the best. Needle Threader is the badge responsible for these miracles.

Even the best shooting guards in the league must pass more often than they shoot. Occasionally, an unguarded slashing player is poised for an easy dunk, but one defender stands in his way. This badge prevents that defender from interfering with the big play.

What Kind of Player Should Be Appointed? The Badge of a Needle Threader

This will be useful for slashing guards. When charging into the fray, the passing lanes are rarely beautiful and pristine enough to be used on a regular basis. Needle Threader ensures that these passes are not selected. Most players should earn a point for this badge simply to keep their passes from being intercepted.

05. Glue Hands

NBA 2K22 Glue Hands
  • Improves the ability to catch difficult passes and put the ball on the floor quickly.

Nothing ruins a good drive like having to slow down and re-settle to receive a pass. Players with Glue Hands can receive a pass and immediately resume dribbling. This has far-reaching consequences for driving players and perimeter passers.

The description implies that this only applies to dribbling, but it also applies to catch and shoot. The shorter the duration of these shots, the more difficult it is for defenders to close in. When combined with shooting badges and glue hands, three-point shooters become unstoppable.

What Kind of Player Should Have Glue Hands?

It is critical to beat the defense by shortening the time between receiving the ball and shooting it. Anyone who shoots off the dribble or in a catch and shoot situation will want this badge. The perfect custom jump shot is also important, but it’s useless against a blocker who has time to set up.

04. Floor General

NBA 2K22 Floor General
  • When a player enters the game, teammates receive an offensive attribute bonus.

Every team requires at least one Floor General badge holder. This is a free offensive point to any attribute for any player on the court. Players are suddenly hitting shots they would normally miss and even dunking balls they can’t normally dunk.

Most badges require a specific event to occur in order for them to function. However, Floor General assists everyone without any prerequisites. It doesn’t work for the player with the badge, only their teammates, but that’s the whole point of being a passer.

What Kind of Player Should Take The Field?

General Badge Online, decide with friends which one or two players should receive the badge (two will confer the bonus to everyone). If no one has it, the team will be at a constant disadvantage. It helps teammates make their shots more often in MyCareer, resulting in higher assist totals as long as their shot animations are good enough.

03. Downhill

Downhill
  • Increases overall ball speed in transition.

Gamers must stop acting as if transition scores are uncommon occurrences. Every possession begins with a transition, whether it’s a jump ball, a rebound, an inbound pass, or a turnover. Point guards in the NBA have a good reason to pause for a few seconds to assess the defense, but gamers should not feel the same way.

The Downhill badge increases speed during transition, allowing players to outrun defenders who would normally match their speed. Slashers don’t even have to pass the ball; they can simply blow past their defender as quickly as possible.

What Kind of Player Deserves the Downhill Badge?

This should be used specifically for quick guards who get into transition instead of crashing the boards. When you combine the Downhill badge with the best dribble moves, even fast defenders can’t stop the free points. It’s even better if the rebounders on the team have average or better passing accuracy.

02. Dimer

NBA 2K22 Dimer
  • Increases the shot percentage for open teammates after catching a pass.

This is the most recognizable of the playmaking badges, providing a flat increase in shot percentage to any player who receives a pass from a passer with the Dimer badge. It doesn’t get much better than this for anyone looking for an assist-generating badge.

It is not just about statistics. Passing to open men on the perimeter is how players live and die in online play. Giving three-ball shooters their best shots is critical to winning games, and most games only provide two or three of these chances.

What Kind of Player Deserves the Dimer Badge?

It’s as simple as this: get the Dimer badge if you want to focus on passing. This badge will greatly increase the chances of a jump shot going in, whether beyond the arc or inside. Dimer will benefit teams that focus on the three most, but everyone will hope that the person passing to them has at least one point in this badge.

01. Bullet Passer

NBA 2K22 Bullet Passer
  • Improves a player’s ability to pass the ball quickly.

Passing is more about timing than finding an open man. A successful alley-oop and a bad turnover are separated by a fraction of a second. Bullet Passer directs the ball to open players as quickly as possible.

This allows an offense to take more risks with short windows. Getting a step on a defender is difficult, but if the passer cannot take advantage of this single step, then beating a defender at all feels unsatisfying. This badge ensures that the moments are not wasted.

What Kind of Player Should Be Awarded The Bullet Passer Badge?

The rapid passage of time speaks for itself. Being open for even a fraction of a second takes effort, but it is all for naught if the passer cannot get the ball there in that timeframe. This is a must-have for point guards, but it’s useful for just about anyone.

NBA 2K22 was released on September 9, 2021 for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Conclusion

Some badges may appear to be clear winners when compared to other alternatives, but your playstyle will be the deciding factor when selecting the best Badge for your Playmaker. If you prefer dribbling over passing, your Badge selection should reflect that.

Most players try to strike a good balance when selecting their Badges, but choosing a style and matching badges can help you be more successful in the long run.

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