Best 2K22 builds for Center & Power Forward

Connor Knudsen
dirk Nowitzki 2k22

From a Stretch Four draining three’s to a Glass Cleaner hawking rebounds, these are the best 2K22 builds for the big men – Centers and Power Forwards.

NBA 2K22’s MyCareer mode offers an assortment of different options for players to go for in terms of builds, with each position offering its own unique choices.

Traditionally, people gravitate towards building speedy, and shooting-focused guards that can move the ball around and drain threes.

But, an underrated, even vital, position on the floor is in the post. Centers and Power Forwards can either make or break a team, especially if you know how to get the most value out of the build.

nikola jokic
Nikola Jokic is one of the craftiest bigs in the league and a great model for a build.

Best Stretch Four builds for Center & Power Forward

Sometimes, playing Center or Power Forward means stretching the floor, not just getting rebounds. If that’s the style of play you’d like to go for, then these builds will be for you.

Playing this style offers a lot to players. The biggest of all is that you will be a problem for most other big men in the game if you’re constantly spotting up outside. They will typically be too slow to get out and cover on the perimeter, not to mention this opens up the paint if you have a Slasher SF or something similar on your team.

Building these on current and next-gen has a lot of the same ideas, nevertheless, here are some tips to getting the most out of the build on both setups.

Note: the names of the builds may vary slightly, but look for some form of “Stretch Four” in the name.

Current gen build

  • Position: Power Forward
  • Pie charts: You have the option to go fully green (Shooting) or for a mostly green, with some red (Defense) depending on how much shooting you want. The choice you make here may impact the name of the build at the end, especially if you go more Defense and less Finishing. After that, choose the Agility-focused pie chart.
  • Stat potential: Here, there is definitely some flexibility, but a good rule of thumb is to max out the categories that matter most first. Pump stats into Shooting stats until you are above 20 badge upgrades, then max out Defense. With the remaining points, you can opt for more Finishing if you want to pull big’s out and drive the lane, or Playmaking if you want to dribble and get more involved with assists.
  • Height, Weight, Wingspan: For a Stretch Four, think small. Your player should be no taller than 6’9″ and no heavier than 190 lbs. Wingspan is very much up to the confidence the player has in their shooting skill. Go smaller on wingspan if you’re worried about it, but feel free to go a bit higher to get some extra points towards Defense.
  • Takeover: Your options here may vary depending on some variables from above, but Spot Up Shooter should be available either way. Choose this one.

Next-gen build

  • Position: Power Forward
  • Height, Weight, Wingspan: Again, going smaller here. You can actually go all the way down to 6’7″ on next-gen, so consider doing that for max Speed. Otherwise, weight is all about how much you value getting up and down the floor versus having Interior Defense at a high level. Wingspan is the same principle with shooting versus shot-blocking. Go lighter and smaller on wingspan for more offense, and the opposites for more defense, generally speaking.
  • Stat potential: Next-gen players will know that there is a lot of nuances to stat building, so the details of this will largely vary player-to-player. The key here is to max out key Shooting stats like Mid-Range Shot and Three-Point Shot and leave plenty of extra points for Physicals at the bottom of the builder. Make sure you can max out Speed and Acceleration. The goal is to have at least 25 badge points for Shooting, which is a key to this build.
  • Takeover: Limitless Range is a must here. The other takeover will depend on the playstyle and your goals for the player. Easy Blowbys is a favorite of this author.

A great example of this build is made by 2K content creator Uncle Demi. His varies slightly than the one listed here but is another great build with good commentary.

nba 2k22 control guides
Davis is an elite interior defender in 2K22 and a great model for a Glass Cleaner build.

Best Glass Cleaning builds for Center & Power Forward

For those wanting a more traditional take on the post positions, there are great options that prioritize finishing at the rim and dominating the boards. These are usually known as Glass Cleaners in 2K.

A common misconception with these sorts of builds is that you have to be a 7’3″ cave troll slogging around the court and only grabbing rebounds to be effective. But, that’s anything but the case.

Speed kills in 2K22, and these builds use Speed and Acceleration to a player’s advantage while keeping a seriously dominant paint beast down low, both offensively and defensively.

Note: the names of the builds may vary slightly, but look for some form of “Glass Cleaner” in the name.

Current gen build

  • Position: Power Forward
  • Pie charts: Red (Defense) dominant and Agility dominant are the two cores of this build. This will give you the foundation of being an absolute beast down low, while still being quick.
  • Stat potential: The ideal badge potential spread is something close to 17-1-6-30 (Finishing, Shooting, Playmaking, Defense). You’ll need to focus heavily on Defense first and foremost, with Finishing coming next. Prioritize everything inside-oriented, and use extras to pad speed stats like Lateral Quickness and Perimeter Defense.
  • Height, Weight, Wingspan: Even though we are building a Glass Cleaner, there’s no reason to go tall and heavy for no reason. Stay around 6’8″ and 190 lbs with a max wingspan since you’ll never be shooting any shot other than a dunk or layup.
  • Takeover: Glass Cleaner and Rim Protector will likely be your options here, both are excellent in their own right. Lean towards Rim Protector for those highlight play blocks.

Next-gen build

  • Position: Power Forward
  • Height, Weight, Wingspan: Staying right around the 6’9″ mark is completely fine here, and definitely going to want to go for max wingspan. Weight has room to play around a bit, though, just depending on how much you want to dominate the paint. Some like to hover around the 240 lb mark, but some (like myself) like to go a bit smaller, just so there’s as little penalty to Speed as possible.
  • Stat potential: The two most important things here are maxing out all Defense/Rebounding and Physicals. From there, throw some into Finishing, with the exception of Close Shot, and get Pass Accuracy to 85 to unlock gold Bullet Passer. From there, consider Free Throw or Speed With Ball dependent on what modes you like to play.
  • Takeover: Anything related to Glass Cleaning and Rim Protection are your friends here, totally up to personal preference.

These builds can be played with and have lots of room to experiment for players, heavily dependent on playstyle and what sorts of things you like to do in MyCareer. For example, Rec players will definitely need Free Throw stats much more than Park players, who will never be shooting from the charity stripe.

For more fun builds and other guides, make sure to check out more NBA 2K22 content from Dexerto, including the best badges to use, best positions to play, and tips and tricks on mastering the jump shot.

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About The Author

Connor is a former writer at Dexerto based in Oklahoma City who covered Overwatch, New World and more. A lifetime gamer, he has been covering gaming and esports since 2018, and has competed since 2010. Yet, despite all of that, he still can't aim.