NBA 2K22 worst badges: 10 worst picks for shooting, defense, finishing, and playmaking

NBA 2K22 has dozens of badges players can use to augment their MyPlayer builds, but not all of them effectively give your baller a worthwhile buff. We’ve already covered some of the best badges and MyPlayer builds you can use to get a leg up on the competition, so now let’s look at some of the worst picks. Here are 10 of the worst badges in NBA 2K22 spread across shooting, defense, finishing, and playmaking.

As is the case with all topics related to MyPlayer Builds, just because we deem these badges to be the 10 worst badges in the game, that doesn’t mean they can’t ever be helpful for a particular build class. There are limitless ways to build an effective MyPlayer in NBA 2K22, but these are 10 badges that we feel won’t cut most arrangements.

Worst shooting badges in NBA 2K22

• Slippery Off Ball: This badge is designed to help players work their way through traffic when getting open off screens. The animations are a bit faster and more helpful in ensuring your man gets the ball. Generally speaking, this badge is useless unless your MyPlayer is tailored for off-ball offense. Some may swear by keeping this badge on bronze or silver, but going any higher than that is a process of diminishing returns.
• Set Shooter: This badge gives you a shot boost when standing still while taking a shot. It may be helpful for certain sharpshooters, but you’ll rarely get great opportunities from a total standstill to begin with, making this badge less effective in the long run.
• Circus Threes: Circus Threes boosts your stepback and other difficult shots. With that in mind, this is a badge that won’t be very effective for new or moderately skilled players. Seasoned veterans with a strong three-point build may see value in this badge, but you have to be attempting those tricky shots to reap its rewards. In short, this badge has a high skill ceiling.
• Lucky #7: This badge boosts your scoring chances when shooting early in the shot clock. That’s such a specific circumstance that this badge isn’t worth grinding for. It’s possible that Lucky #7 could be the very worst badge of all in NBA 2K22.

Worst playmaking badges in NBA 2K22

• Triple Threat Juke: This increases the effectiveness of triple threat fakes, jabs, and go moves. It’s is a new badge based on a new feature in NBA 2K22, so it’s not being leveraged in the meta right now. That may change as the year carries on, but there aren’t many content creators singing the praises of this badge right now.
• Downhill: Downhill increases your speed on fastbreak opportunities. If you didn’t build a baller designed around the fastbreak, having Downhill in your badge repertoire won’t mean much of anything.
• Tight Handles: Tight Handles has been a part of the NBA 2K series for awhile now, but it’s become less relevant in recent years. Unless you really want to make yourself a dribble god, the advantages this badge offers aren’t good enough. You can improve the handles on your player fine enough by tweaking stats alone.

Worst finishing badges in NBA 2K22

• Dream Shake: This badge increases the chances that defenders fall for pump fakes in the post. Your shooting stats also increase after pump fakes or post moves. Deep Fades and Deep Hooks outclass this badge because they offer more substantial buffs to the types of post-work you’ll often be doing.

Worst defensive badges in NBA 2K22

• Tireless Defender: This badge allows defenders to play more aggressively without losing energy. It’s is another badge that some players might swear by keeping on bronze or silver even though its stamina returns aren’t always game-changing. Still, with defense being as powerful as in NBA 2K22, there has to be a better way to spend your badge points than this.
• Off Ball Pest: This last badge makes your player more challenging to get around when playing off-ball. As a result, they square up better and get their ankles broken less frequently. Again, unless you plan on focusing on off-ball play, this badge won’t be very helpful. It also ends up having a reasonably high skill ceiling because its best advantages aren’t activated until you reach Gold or Hall of Fame. This badge can be awesome if you put time into it, but it may not be worth the intense grind.