Game Review and OKC Thunder Preview

The launch of NBA 2K is one of the most anticipated events each year before the start of the NBA regular season. On September 6, NBA 2K25 will officially launch to the public, kicking off the excitement around the world for the 2024-25 season. The game’s release each summer allows fans to play with new rosters of their favorite teams and get a feel for what the league landscape could look like.

NBA 2K has continued to evolve over the years, and the latest version brings many improvements and the best of previous versions. In addition to the standard Quick Play mode, players can play their favorite modes including MyCAREER, MyNBA, MyGM, MyTeam, and more.

Overall, the game itself is clearly the most realistic yet. The fluidity of the on-field gameplay is unmatched, with several key improvements to make the product feel exactly like a live game in real life. Not only do players have shooting mechanics that mirror reality, but their dribbling movements and celebrations are just as realistic. The same goes for the more advanced game modes. The gameplay and off-field scenes are well-designed and of high quality.

As for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the game really highlights what makes this young, up-and-coming team so special. The Thunder boast five of the game’s top 100 players and have proven to be one of the The best teams in NBA 2K25. When playing Oklahoma City at home, the details of the Paycom Center are much improved over the previous iteration of the game,

Just like in real life, the Thunder roster in NBA 2K25 is led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is ranked as the fourth best player in the entire game with an overall rating of 96. After finishing second in MVP voting last season, he has established himself as one of the top five players in the league.

But at what point could Gilgeous-Alexander be considered for the title of the game’s featured athlete? NBA 2K25 features Jayson Tatum on the cover of the standard edition, but don’t be surprised if the Thunder star has a real chance of seeing himself as the game’s featured athlete in the coming years.

“I would love to say he’s a future cover athlete, hopefully one day that happens,” Ronnie 2K told Thunder on SI last week ahead of NBA 2K25’s release. “The guys we work with are authentic gamers and 2K historians. He’s a real pleasure to work with, he’s a great guy and he obviously aligns with a lot of the things we align with in fashion and music.”

Playing as Gilgeous-Alexander, what stands out most is the realism of his movements. His signature shots are very impressive, but the way he moves around the court, handles the ball and changes direction is as good as in a video game. This is thanks to the latest gameplay enhancements via ProPLAY, 2K’s revolutionary technology that translates authentic movements from real-world NBA footage into immersive gameplay that includes an extensive animation library that delivers 2K’s most realistic basketball to date.

One of the most popular topics of conversation heading into the 2024-25 season is who the Thunder will start. While it’s no guarantee, 2K25 is banking on Alex Caruso to slot into the starting lineup and fill the void left by Josh Giddey, who he was traded for.

Again, Oklahoma City has five players in the top 100 of the game, but has tremendous depth throughout the roster. Six players have grades above 80, which is extremely impressive and shows how good the Thunder should be this season.

Behind Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are set to become stars this season. One of the best features of NBA 2K25 when it comes to Williams and his rise is the addition of his signature three-point celebration. Gameplay, Powered by ProPLAY™ brings 9,000 new animations to NBA2K25, drawn from real NBA footage to seamlessly translate real NBA moments into authentic gameplay. One of these is Williams holding three fingers to his forehead, something Thunder fans saw on numerous occasions last season.

Holmgren is Oklahoma City’s second-best player at launch with an 87 rating. The 6’4″ player is known for his elite rim protection on defense, but he can also step out and space the floor, making him one of the most fun centers to play in NBA 2K25.

Perhaps most interesting of all is the ability to play as the Thunder’s two new players, Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein. Both of them are expected to be hugely important players for OKC this season, and this game is the first real chance to visually see what they might look like on the court with their new teammates, given that they won’t make their Thunder debuts until next month in the preseason.

Overall, the initial gameplay of NBA 2K25 is extremely impressive. Not only are the Thunder one of the most exciting teams to play, but every game mode, including the standard on-court play, has obvious improvements and refinements. As the season approaches and the 2024-25 campaign continues, new elements will be added to the game and ratings will continue to adjust in real-time.

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