Introduction
In the world of NBA 2K23, badges are one of the most important aspects of player progression and performance. Badges provide special boosts and abilities that can elevate your player‘s skills in various areas of the game. There are several different badge categories such as finishing, shooting, defense/rebounding, and playmaking, with each category containing a wide selection of badges that cater to different playstyles. Badges also come in four levels of effectiveness: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Hall of Fame, with the higher tiers providing greater attribute boosts.
For players looking to become elite playmakers in NBA 2K23, it‘s essential to understand which playmaking badges are the cream of the crop. Playmaking is all about having the ball on a string, breaking down defenders off the dribble, and making smart reads to generate open looks for teammates. The best playmaking badges can turn a good passer and ball handler into an offensive mastermind that puts extreme pressure on the defense. In this guide, we‘ll break down the top playmaking badges in NBA 2K23 and which ones are the most important to prioritize for different types of playmaking builds.
Best Playmaking Badges Tier List
Here are the best playmaking badges in NBA 2K23, ranked roughly in order of overall effectiveness and value:
Tier 1 (Most Effective)
- Handles for Days
- Killer Combos
- Quick First Step
- Unpluckable
- Ankle Breaker
Tier 2 (Very Strong)
- Special Delivery
- Needle Threader
- Bail Out
- Hyperdrive
- Stop & Go
Tier 3 (Situationally Useful)
- Dimer
- Floor General
- Break Starter
- Clamp Breaker
- Space Creator
In-Depth Breakdown
Now let‘s take a closer look at each of these badges and break down what makes them so impactful for playmakers:
Handles for Days – This badge is an absolute must-have for any player that wants to be a prolific dribbler. It reduces the amount of energy lost when performing consecutive dribble moves, allowing you to chain together combos more quickly and for longer stretches without getting fatigued. I‘ve found Handles For Days to be invaluable for maintaining my dribble and putting constant pressure on the defense throughout the game. If you don‘t have enough energy to explode by defenders, none of your other dribbling badges matter. That‘s why Handles for Days is a top tier necessity.
Killer Combos (previously known as Quick Chain in 2K22) – While Handles for Days gives you the energy to dribble longer, Killer Combos makes those dribble moves more effective. It boosts your ability to quickly chain together dribble moves to keep your defender off balance. With Killer Combos equipped, moves like hesitations, crossovers, and stepbacks become much tighter and quicker, making it easier to get your man leaning the wrong way. In my experience, pairing Handles For Days with Killer Combos turns you into an ankle-breaking machine. Defenders simply can‘t keep up with your lightning fast moves and combos.
Quick First Step – This badge is another dribbling staple. It provides faster and more explosive launches out of triple threat or size-up situations, making it easier to get by your man and penetrate into the lane. While it doesn‘t help you chain moves together like Handles for Days or Killer Combos, it‘s perfect for that initial explosive first step to get your drive started. I love using Quick First Step to punish defenders that play up too close on me. A quick size up or jab step and I can explode right by them with ease. It‘s a simple but extremely effective badge.
Unpluckable – With stealing being such an overpowered mechanic in recent 2Ks, Unpluckable has become a necessity for ball handlers. It decreases the chances of defenders poking the ball free on steal attempts, allowing you to be more aggressive with your dribble moves in traffic without having to worry about losing the ball. Even with high ball handling ratings, you‘re still susceptible to getting stripped by lock builds with high steal. Unpluckable negates that and makes your handles much tighter. I never feel comfortable dribbling in the halfcourt without it equipped.
Ankle Breaker – This classic badge has long been a fan favorite and it‘s still very viable in 2K23. As the name suggests, it increases the chances of defenders stumbling or falling when they bite on your stepbacks, spins, snatchbacks, and other misdirection moves. While it‘s not quite as overpowered as it used to be, it still leads to plenty of embarrassing ankle breakers that can demoralize your opponent. Ankle Breaker procs most often on well-timed stepback threes or explosive behind-the-back moves in isolation situations. It‘s the perfect badge for adding some flair and showmanship to your game.
Special Delivery – This badge is a two-in-one special as it provides boosts to both flashy passing and alley oops. It increases the chances of completing successful alley oop passes as well as acrobatic lob finishes for the receiver. As an added bonus, it even unlocks the ability to throw off-the-backboard alley oop passes. Special Delivery turns you into a nightly Top 10 highlight machine. If you like to get out in transition and throw down ridiculous lobs, this badge is an absolute must. However, it can also be highly effective in halfcourt pick and roll situations too by allowing you to throw pinpoint lobs to your big man off the roll.
Needle Threader – While not as flashy as some of the other badges on this list, Needle Threader is extremely useful for playmakers that like to make risky passes into traffic. It increases your chances of squeezing tough passes through tight windows between multiple defenders. If you enjoy making highlight reel dimes that thread the needle, this badge is for you. It‘s also highly useful for entry passes to post players or bounce passes to cutters through crowded lanes. Just be careful not to get too carried away trying to force tough passes or you may still get punished with turnovers.
Bail Out – This is a highly underrated badge, but one that high IQ playmakers will find very useful. It boosts your ability to complete passes out of shots or layups. So when you drive into the teeth of the defense and realize you can‘t get a clean look, you can simply jump and pass out to an open teammate on the perimeter. Bail Out leads to a lot of drive and kick threes and is great for collapsing the defense. I find it especially useful in online play, as many players like to jump the gun and attempt chase down blocks the moment you leave your feet in the paint. Bail Out takes advantage of that over-aggressiveness.
Hyperdrive – This is a newer badge introduced in 2K23 and it‘s one of the most game-breaking dribbling badges yet. It provides a serious speed burst during dribble launches in Triple Threat or after a Size-Up escape. Essentially it‘s like Quick First Step on steroids. Combining Hyperdrive with Quick First Step turns you into a blur flying by defenders left and right. However, it‘s balanced out by a large stamina hit, so you need to be selective when you activate it or you‘ll quickly run out of energy. It‘s an extremely fun badge to use though and probably the most noticeable boost out of all the playmaking badges.
Stop & Go – Another very strong dribbling badge to pair with the Handles For Days + Killer Combo combination. Stop & Go boosts the effectiveness of stutter or hesitation moves as well as starts and stops. It ensures you maintain tight control of the ball when quickly starting and stopping your dribble which is great for creating separation or hesitating to throw off your defender‘s timing. It‘s a useful badge for navigating the pick and roll and keeping your defender on their heels.
Best Playmaking Badge Combinations
While many of these badges are extremely impactful on their own, some of them become even more overpowered when paired together. Here are a few of the deadliest playmaking badge combinations in NBA 2K23:
Handles For Days + Killer Combos: The ultimate dribbling combination. With Handles for Days giving you extra stamina and Killer Combos enabling quicker chains, you‘ll be able to cook up opponents with ease. This combo is a must for any iso-heavy build.
Quick First Step + Ankle Breaker: If you enjoy creating space with stepbacks and snatchbacks, this combo is for you. Quick First Step will have you flying by defenders and Ankle Breaker will punish them anytime they bite on your fakes.
Hyperdrive + Stop & Go: An incredible combo for more advanced dribble gods. Hyperdrive will have you zooming from one end of the court to the other while Stop & Go ensures you can stop on a dime and quickly change directions. A deadly combo in transition.
Special Delivery + Needle Threader: The combo for flashy passers that like to dish out dimes. Special Delivery is perfect for throwing down highlight lobs while Needle Threader lets you squeeze passes through the tightest of windows. You‘ll rack up assists in no time.
Recommended Playmaking Badge Progression
For new players just starting a playmaking build, it can be tough to know which badges to prioritize first. With such a wide array of valuable playmaking badges, it ultimately comes down to your individual playstyle and how you like to create offense. However, here‘s a general progression that I would recommend:
If you‘re a dribble-heavy guard, start by upgrading Handles For Days and Killer Combos first. These will immediately elevate your ball handling and allow you to chain moves together smoothly.
Next, pick up Unpluckable to make sure you don‘t get stripped easily and Quick First Step to add some explosiveness on drives. Hyperdrive is also a great choice if you don‘t mind the stamina penalty.
Then start adding the passing badges like Special Delivery, Needle Threader, and Bail Out to round out your playmaking ability. These ensure you can make smart reads once you draw the defense‘s attention.
Ankle Breaker, Stop & Go, and the Tier 3 situational badges can be saved for last as the icing on the cake.
Of course, there‘s no one "right" way to allocate your playmaking badges. It all depends on how you like to play. Pure passers may want to max out their passing badges before anything else, while iso-heavy scoring guards will definitely want to prioritize the dribbling badges first and foremost. The key is to experiment with different setups until you find the perfect blend that fits your game.
Conclusion
Playmaking is one of the most important aspects of NBA 2K23 and the best playmaking badges can transform your MyPlayer into an offensive juggernaut. Hopefully this guide has shed some light on which badges are the cream of the crop for playmakers as well as some insight into the best badge combos and progressions.
The beautiful thing about NBA 2K is that there‘s no one single meta or best build. It‘s all about finding the playstyle that works for you. So get out there and start experimenting with these badges and take your playmaking to new heights. In my experience, once you find that perfect blend of badges that clicks, it makes the game infinitely more enjoyable.
Just remember badges are only one part of the equation. You still need to put in the work to master your player‘s specific animations, jumpshot, dribble moves, and offensive reads. But with practice and the right combination of these incredible playmaking badges, you‘ll be breaking ankles and dropping dimes in no time. See you on the virtual hardwood!
