Have you just started MyTEAM in NBA 2K17? Are you new to the cheese that is 2K? Are you unfamiliar with basketball players in general and just need a guideline of who to look for? Well you have just so happened to stumble across the right part of the internet. The beauty of NBA 2K MyTEAM is that you don’t necessarily need a diamond lineup to win games, although that is a curse for the people with those diamond lineups. The point is if you need an affordable and effective squad to get your feet wet in the mode, look no further. All you’ll need is about 25,000 MT coins and some patience to collect a few cards, which is the point of the mode anyway.
Starters
PG: Jay Williams 
HT: 6’2″ WT: 195 Lbs.
Price: FREE
I call this guy the ‘not bad Chris Paul’. He’s the first reward card that you’ll earn in the mode, likely in your first night playing it. He’s sent to your reward queue once you reach 60 cards collected and could easily lead your team until you find a higher tier gem card to replace him. As far as emerald point guards go, he’s about as good as it’s going to get. His mid-range and three-point shots are both fair in the low 80s, respectable enough to knock down when open. His passing stats are on-par, if not higher than most other PGs in his gem tier. And for some reason, he dunks as if he isn’t barely 6 feet tall.
SG: Quentin Richardson:
HT: 6’6″ WT: 220 Lbs.
Price: FREE
Meet the star of your team. This will be the hardest (but not really that hard) card to reach to complete your team. He’s sent to your reward queue once you reach 175 cards collected and is a blessing from the 2K Gods for all MyTEAM beginners this year. If his 90 three-pointer, high layup and space-creating dribble moves weren’t already enough, the next player on this list will bump him up to a level that you can’t even imagine.
SG/SF: Kyle Korver
HT: 6’7″ WT: 212 Lbs.
Price: 4,000
Meet Q-Rich’s best friend. With the new feature of dynamic duos in MyTEAM, certain players get boosts to their stats when on a team and on the court together. When paired with Korver, Quentin Richardson goes from an 84 overall sapphire to an 88 overall ruby. His three-pointer almost maxes out, his mid-range becomes more than just an open threat, and his ball control/passing go up to the level of a point guard. Essentially, as I said, he becomes your star and go-to scorer. You couldn’t ask for more than that when just starting the mode. Kyle, on the other hand, goes up to a 74 overall and becomes as good a knockdown shooter as you could ask for. Although he’s a bit of a liability on defense, it’s well worth having him on the floor to unlock Q-Rich’s true cheese potential.
PF/SF: Robert Horry
HT: 6’10” WT: 230 Lbs.
Price: FREE
Big. Shot. Bob. The man famous for winning more rings than Michael Jordan just by being on the right team at the right time to hit the right shot. I’ve heard that just saying his name sends shivers down Chris Webber’s spine, wherever he may be in the world. The same goes for this player card in 2K. You pick him up on the way to getting Quentin Richardson – at 100 cards – and with your perimeter already having good scoring potential, Horry is just meant to fill his role: knockdown threes and rebound. His rebounding is above average for a player with his skill set because truthfully he is bit more of a SF. Don’t be surprised if you see him boxing out 7 footers and skying for offensive putbacks. After all that, he’ll still be ready for that pass out to the top of the key with the clock winding down.
C: Hassan Whiteside
HT: 7’0″ WT: 265 Lbs.
Price: 2,000
The center position is the most flexible of them all in this article, but I believe Young Whiteside will give you the best bang for your buck with what he provides. The center position is already very limited at the moment and when you couple that with being on a budget, it’s hard to find someone who can do a little of everything. Whiteside is that guy. He’s going to get blocks and rebounds just as well as everyone else, but he’s also one of the most athletic options AND has a slight mid-range jumpshot to keep the defense honest (something most other centers don’t have).
Checkout the Bench for our Low Budget squad on the next page.
Bench
SG: Manu Ginobili
HT: 6’6″ WT: 205 Lbs.
Price: 3,000
Sure, when you first look at his stats Ginobli might not impress you, but he’s one of those “I don’t know why he’s so good” players. It might even sound weird, but in my time using this team he was the 2nd best player behind Q-Rich. The versatility of this card is what puts it over most others for me though, being that you can run him at the 1, 2 or 3.
PG: Kyle Lowry
HT: 6’0″ WT: 205 Lbs.
Price: 2,000
I feel like this card always has playoffs mode enabled; either he’s having the game of his life or you want to quicksell him. But the beauty of the bench is having options to pick and choose from depending on the situation you’re in. Lowry only found his way on this bench for the sake of his dynamic duo with Demar Derozan (your secret weapon). His share of the duo boosts make him a slightly better finisher and shooter but nothing extravagant.
SG/SF: Demar DeRozan
HT: 6’7″ WT: 216 Lbs.
Price: 3,000
I wish Kyle Lowry was just a shoe bonus card so Derozan could be like this all the time. When I first saw his stats in the mode I was pretty underwhelmed, but after seeing him with the duo boost, I gained a new appreciation for them. They (the boosts) give incentive for you to actually have a team different from others for the sake of utilizing duos that make one or both players completely ridiculous. This is one of them. Although Lowry/Derozan both only go up to 82 overalls, Derozan’s is especially cheddar. A 90 contested mid range and post fade boost to go along with his already strong finishing makes him as all around of a bench go-to as one can find. Can’t beat the price either.
PF/C: Kristaps Porzingis
HT: 7’3″ WT: 220 Lbs.
Price: 2,000
What would ANY squad be without the PorzinGOD himself. I’ve heard legends that your team may be cursed with bad luck if you don’t ever have one in your collection. This is another one of those interchangeable players off the bench but I mainly chose him to have one of the lankiest and most annoying bench frontcourts possible. He makes unexpected and-1s, knocks down mid-ranges and is a great off-ball shot-blocker to protect the paint. Sometimes when you’re ballin’ on a budget, you gotta pick up some of these sweaty players.
C: Chris Anderson
HT: 6’10” WT: 230 Lbs.
Price: 2,000
95 driving dunk. A center with 95 driving dunk. I could just end his description with that but The Birdman deserves some more love than that. Just the idea of a prime Birdman is one of those fun ideas that make MyTEAM what it is. If the mode didn’t revolve around squads with the best possible players so much, he’d be one of the most perfect players to bring off your bench. He does what he does and does it well. And since the makeup of your bench is following suit to your starters, all you need is someone like him as your bench big to clean up the glass and protect the rim while your perimeter guys go to work.
PF/C: Chris Bosh
HT: 6’11” WT: 235 Lbs.
Price: 2,000
The final three players of the bench will be your situational subs. Bosh is the cheaper alternative but if you can afford it, Lamarcus Aldridge would be an improved version. However, the main reason Bosh is here is for his post game. Porzingis provides shooting along with rim protection but no source of reliable buckets down low, and this year you need at least one guy on the court who can do that at any given time.
SG/PG: J. McCollum
HT: 6’4″ WT: 200 Lbs.
Price: 3,000
Here goes Lowry’s first option replacement if he wants to start acting up. 3J McBuckets might easily be one of the most overpowered gold players in the game right now. His 90 open three-pointer just feels different than most. There’s a level of consistency in which he makes them that’s almost Curry-like. Being interchangeable at both guard positions makes him all the more fun too because his dribble moves aren’t bad at all. His true potential is unlocked when paired with Dame Lillard but Lillard isn’t necessarily required for this card to shine.
PG: Daniel Gibson
HT: 6’2″ WT: 190 Lbs.
Price: 3,000
The irony in this guy being your 13th man is that he could actually start on the team. Boobie Gibson has been a hidden gem of MyTEAM since NBA 2K13 and has come a long way since. Even being dubbed “The Gold Steph Curry” with his 93 three-pointer, he still gets slept on with his 89 acceleration, 70 driving dunk and 95 vertical; he’s definitely one of the most all-around athletic PGs in the game right now.
Even though putting this team together might take you some time, trust me when I say it’s definitely worth it for how it performs. It’s no diamond squad but, as I said, you just need a team with the right players and roles being filled to keep up in a game of 2K. From there, it’s whoever the Gods choose to win that game. If you don’t know where to start, jump into some domination and earn a few cards to get your collector level up and earn some MT for a few of these players. Eventually when you’ve saved up a bit, jump on the auction house and find as many shoes for 250-400 MT as you can and work your way up to 175 cards. After that, assemble the 2K Justice League and layeth the smackdown one time for all the people without a diamond team.
I hope this guide helped you at least lay the foundation for your first squad, and eventually as you get more familiar with the mode and everyone in it, you’ll start squad-building yourself and make an even better one than this. If you have any questions about players then be sure to hit my twitter @TheSurrealAndre and don’t forget to visit Sports Gamers Online for all your NBA 2K17 needs.