If you decide to build a big man and want to become the ultimate paint beater, you'll need to use the best offensive and defensive badges that are appropriate for the position.
How to Create a Potential Paint Beast in NBA 2K21
The first thing you'll need to do in order to be a paint monster in NBA 2K21 is to create your MyPlayer as a big man or a dominant positionless player, such as LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo. Once you've created your ideal center or positionless dynamo, you'll need to get to work in the game modes, devoting time to earning player points in order to advance your abilities. In MyCareer, you can use VC which works similarly to 2K21 MT, to upgrade your player overall.
Hakeem Olajuwon is a textbook example of a complete 2K21 paint beast. He is one of the best finishers at the rim, and he also serves as the team's defensive anchor on the other end of the court.
As a result, when upgrading, make sure to follow Olajuwon's instructions. If you want to dominate other big men, you need to be able to finish well; this is what will set you apart from the player who stands tall by the goal post. After that, make them defensively robust and capable of absorbing contact. Optimizing the strengths of your MyPlayer will grant you access to the necessary paint badges that will allow you to upgrade your playstyle.
How to Make Use of Paint Badges in NBA 2K21
The last few NBA 2K releases have made it more difficult for big men to set up easy shots. It's even more difficult in NBA 2K21, as most of the paint badges from the previous year's game haven't made it over to this year's title. The developers, Visual Concepts, have done an excellent job of balancing things out by nerfing the big men, which has also helped to bring a bit more parity to the badge selection, allowing for more variations in your MyPlayer builds. Once obtained, you can level-up your paint badges from Bronze to Hall of Fame to increase their effectiveness inside the shaded area. These badges are intended to either improve a big man's finishing ability or his defensive prowess.
The key is to distribute attribute points to the best paint badges so that your MyPlayer becomes more effective in key paint beast areas of play. To accomplish this, you will, of course, need to use the best paint badges available. Interestingly, you can choose to be a one-trick pony and concentrate solely on offense, but in order to become a true paint beast, you'll need to improve on the more passive aspects of the game, such as absorbing body contact and leaping ability.
The Best Paint Beast Badges in the Year 2K21
To truly excel in the paint, you should look to develop a MyPlayer who can absorb contact while also crashing the offensive glass for those crucial second-chance points. So, keeping in mind that you need a build that is physically dominant on both ends of the court, here are the best NBA 2K21 paint beast badges that you should strive to get as many as possible for your MyPlayer.
1. Unafraid of the finish line
It's significantly more difficult to play as a big man in NBA 2K21 because there aren't any easy layups or hook shots to take advantage of. These crucial offensive maneuvers, on the other hand, can be made even more effective by equipping the Fearless Finisher badge, which reduces the likelihood of missing the mark. Applying Fearless Finisher as one of the best paint beast badges will also assist you in closing the gap when you make a mistimed shot. This lowers your chances of missing a layup even when the defender is late to arrive.
2. Hook Spectacularist
The best paint beasts in NBA 2K21 have the ability to play with their backs to the basket. You have two options from here: a pump fake or a hook shot. Increasing the hook shot ability of your MyPlayer with the Hook Specialist badge will result in a higher conversion rate by the time the game is over. It will work particularly well if you create a player in the mold of DeMarcus Cousins or Joel Embiid. Hook Specialists can also position themselves to create excellent three-point play opportunities. Once you've mastered the art of pushing your defender, it's possible to convert a three-point play.
Punisher, Take a Step Back
The Back Down Punisher badge is probably the most important of the best badges for a paint beast in 2K21: it is what makes a big man more effective when backing down other bigs in the low post area. When you apply this badge to your build, you will have a higher conversion rate when attempting layups and dunks. For the best results from the Back Down Punisher, you'll want to pair it with fellow best paint beast badge Hook Specialist, with the two of them working together to turn you into a tyrant on the offensive end.
4. The Rebound Chaser
Rebound Chaser assists you in making your MyPlayer extremely effective on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. The badge improves your ability to predict where the ball will land, allowing you to track down rebounds from greater distances than usual. Using this top paint beast badge will increase your chances of converting second-chance opportunities.
5. The Putback Boss
The Putback Boss badge works best when combined with the Rebound Chaser badge, as it comes in handy when you have a high offensive rebound rating. When you use the badge, your shot attributes are improved even when you come into contact with another player or a lagging defensive rebounder.
