NBA 2K18 ratings: One point separates LeBron James, Kevin Durant from top spot

With 2K18 out everybody wants to know who has the 10 highest ratings in the game. Here's the list.

NBA 2K18 is out and players always dig into one of two areas first. They either jump straight into the "My Career" mode, or they go into the rosters and start forming the fantasy team of their dreams. This is where player ratings come in. While the numbers are arbitrary and don't have much overall meaning, 2K ratings are a good gauge of what the video game franchise thinks of a player. Higher ratings technically mean better players.

With that in mind, here are the 12 players with the highest ratings in the game. Usual suspects like LeBron James sit at the top, but the bottom is where it gets interesting.

Rank	Name	Age	Team	Rating
1.	LeBron James	32	Cavaliers	97
2.	Kevin Durant	28	Warriors	96
T-4.	James Harden	28	Rockets	95
T-4.	Kawhi Leonard	26	Spurs	95
T-7.	Anthony Davis	24	Pelicans	94
T-7.	Russell Westbrook	28	Thunder	94
T-7.	Stephen Curry	29	Warriors	94
8.	Demarcus Cousins	27	Pelicans	92
T-12.	Giannis Antetokounmpo	22	Bucks	91
T-12.	Chris Paul	32	Clippers	91
T-12.	Paul George	27	Thunder	91
T-12.	Karl-Anthony Towns	21	Timberwolves	91

It'll be hard to find many people that disagree with James having the highest rating followed by Kevin Durant. However, there are a few interesting names on this list. 

DeMarcus Cousins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Anthony Davis have all earned top ratings and clearly there is a strong belief that their individual talent has exceeded their team's success. Towns in particular is only in his third season, but he's already leading his team in 2K rating.

Paul George and Giannis Antetokounmpo beat out guys like Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, and John Wall to get his spot, but only by one spot as all of those guys have a 90 overall rating. Meanwhile, Chris Paul is still considered a top-three point guard in the game with his 91 overall rating and that might be a little controversial since he's 32.

The ratings themselves aren't perfect, but this is a fine top of the list that can be adjusted as the season goes on. It will be interesting to see if players like Towns and Antetokounmpo are able to keep their ratings as high as they are or if an established star like Butler or Wall will overtake them later in the season.