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Mar 23, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward/guard De'Andre Hunter (12) celebrate after a three point shot against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images Peter Creveling-Imagn Images

Cleveland Cavaliers' Perimeter Shooting Snubbed by Latest NBA 2K26 Rankings

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Evan Dammarell | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 7:43 PM ET

With less than a month to go until the release date of NBA 2K26, the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't getting any love from the game's developers, 2K Games.

In the lead-up to the game's release, 2K Games has begun unveiling the top ten players in various categories, including three-point shooting, mid-range shooting, ball handling, overall speed, and even the game's top rookies. However, despite the Cavaliers boasting one of the league's best two-way attacks, none of their players have cracked the top ten so far in any of the shared categories.

Sure, Cleveland rookie guard Tyrese Proctor will likely start his season on the outside looking in on NBA 2K26's rankings. But considering how dominant the Cavaliers were last season, does 2K Games feel that Cleveland's attack was all flash and no fire, especially from the perimeter? Or is this a case of the Cavaliers being snubbed and Cleveland once again being slept on?

Let's dive into the numbers to see.

The Cavaliers were three-point assassins last season

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

While it might make sense to have Stephen Curry, arguably the greatest three-point shooter of all time, at the top of their list, the rankings stop making sense when considering how accurate Cleveland was from the perimeter.

Last season, Curry, NBA 2K26's top three-point shooter, connected on 39.7 percent of his three-point attempts. Third-placed Klay Thompson, meanwhile, only hit on 39.1 percent of his makes with fourth-placed Desmond Bane (39.2 percent) and tenth-placed Anthony Edwards (39.5 percent). While there's no denying that all four players are known for their long-range ability, these rankings become muddy when considering Cavaliers players left on the outside looking in.

Elite from long range

Here are your Top 10 shooters from beyond the arc in #NBA2K26 pic.twitter.com/AECIhLjaFy
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 11, 2025

Last season, Cleveland forward De'Andre Hunter connected on 40.5 percent of his three-point attempts while Cavaliers All-Star guard Darius Garland made 40.1 percent of his perimeter shots. Either player also boasted efficient percentages on a similar volume of attempts compared to NBA 2K26's top ten, making the snub for either player even more head-scratching.

Sure, Garland (28.6 percent) saw his perimeter completion percentage drop during the playoffs. Hunter (3.3 attempts per game) also saw far less looks from three-point range during the postseason. However, neither player's body of work from last season should be crystalized from a frustrating playoff exit at the Indiana Pacers alone.

Instead, their entire season needs to be taken into consideration when considering the very best the NBA has to offer. Hunter and Garland were vital to a Cavaliers team that finished second in the NBA in three-point percentage. Not having either in NBA 2K26's top ten makes little sense, especially with how efficient either player was.

When the season gets underway and Hunter and eventually Garland get Cleveland's perimeter attack rolling again, 2K Games will likely address their oversight. Hopefully, when they do, they include in the patch notes that this is something they should've realized before the game even launched.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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