NBA 2k23 Best Dribble Moves & Style [Expert’s Recommendations]

Dribbling is an integral part of any basketball team as it is what allows those flashy plays to come to fruition. Point guards are the ones who focus the most on dribbling as it’s their job to pass the ball to the main scorers.

They navigate the court through their high-level perception and skills to demolish their opponents. What helps them through this is having powerful dribbling moves.

Dribbling works for all positions on the court. It allows defenders to snatch the ball from a rebound and move through the clustered enemies to get it out. Such quick plays allow you to score an easy basket.

For the scorers, it will be a space maker that will enable them to fire off quick three-pointers and dunks.

Now that you know how essential movement is let’s take a deeper look into the best dribble moves.

1. Dribble Style

Best Beginner Dribble Move

The Dribble Style is by far the most important of NBA 2K23’s signature styles. The effectiveness of your speed boost will depend on your dribbling technique and your player’s ability to switch between dribbling modes.

I strongly suggest choosing a fast dribble option if you are a point guard. Basketball requires the ability to dribble, which requires precise timing and practice.

Knowing how to dribble enables you to play defense against your opponent while still moving the ball toward the basket to score points.

In NBA 2K23, Michael Jordan has what I believe to be the best dribbling style. Your player will gain a smooth speed boost and the ability to quickly change their pace thanks to inspiration from the greatest basketball player of all time.

Simple prerequisites for the Michael Jordan Style include a ball speed of at least 75 and the ability to jump. The most popular dribble styles are those of LeBron James and Michael Jordan.

Despite your player build, each of these is easily obtainable and helps lend itself to simple combo setups. In dribbling style, tier one is Pro.

2. Signature Size-Up

Best Dribble Move For Big Guard

It will enable your player to perform some skills on the fly to deceive the opponent. One of the most noticeable applications of the Signature Size-Up dribble move is that it gives you a significant speed boost once you leave the standing stance.

This dribble shift is by far my top choice in NBA 2K23, and it allows the player to reel in opponents, opening up space for your teammates. Furthermore, you can take advantage of the speed boost and sprint past the opposing player at the exact moment.

Carmelo Anthony has been the big favorite, but this may change as the game’s meta adapts. Anthony’s size-up makes it simple to feint and transition into a combo while your opposing team is left guessing what the next move will be.

 The following are the best signature size-ups:

• Kyle Lowry’s
• Francis, Steve
• Trae Young’s
• Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons are in the S Tier.

3. Size-Up Escape Package

Best Dribble Move For Defense

The size-up escape package specifies how you exit the signature size-up. Selecting the best one for your Build will make combo dribbling much more accessible, especially for advanced combos.

If you like being able to move quickly out of narrow areas and start taking your shots, you should look through the available size-up escape package options. If you test them, you can pick the best motion more easily.

To choose the best, go with the John Wall style, which appears to be less bumpy than most styles. John’s wall style is also effective for finishing dribbles and effectively junking your opponent’s.

Lebron, John Wall, and Damien Lillard are the best size-up escape packages. Paul George and Lebron James are in the S tier, while Kobe Bryant and Luka Doncic are in the A tier.

LeBron James is ideal for Big Man builds and just requires 70 or more Ball handles. Furthermore, John Wall possesses more than 80 Ball Handles and is under 6’10”.

Damien Lillard is also the best-sized-up escape package for guards, with a ball handle of 90-plus and a height of less than 6’10”.

4. Moving Crossover

Best Dribble Move Of All Time

You can use the Moving Crossover in conjunction with the Signature Size-Up. However, it is not something that is regularly used by gamers. However, after you’ve mastered this dribble move in NBA 2K23, you’ll be able to keep your opponent guessing.

The Moving Crossover Dribble skill is when a player escapes an incoming opponent. The player accomplishes this by moving the ball between hands and adjusting their running direction.

Given that it is impossible to guard technique, it is a quick way to mislead the defender and even get fouls.

From a starting standpoint, Kevin LaVine and Michael Jordan are your leading candidates, to begin with, as both have moderate handling needs. Jayson Tatum is also a great suggestion in the meta due to his speedier animation.

The Le Melo Ball crossover style can fit you well, depending on your player form. It demands 80-plus ball skills and a height less than 6’10”.

Below are a few of the top Playmaking Moves alternatives to consider:

• Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Zach LaVine, Russel Westbrook
• Donovan Mitchell and LeBron James are in the S Tier, while Michael Jordan and James Harden are in the A Tier.

5. Moving Behind The Back

Best Dribble Move For Power Forward

The Moving Behind the Back ability is very similar to the Moving Crossover ability. When using the dribble sequence, the player will swing the ball over his back and move it between his hands.

This style of play differs from others in that you intend to keep your body near the ball. Bringing the ball over your back allows you to crash with a rival who is on the losing end.

In NBA 2k23, the behind-the-back Dribble starts when the outside leg is back and just starting to go forward, and you must dribble the ball to the opposite hand. The essence of an efficient behind-the-back dribble is to keep going ahead instead of laterally.

Kyrie Irving was a strong favorite in NBA 2K22, and his style remains among the better in NBA 2K23. Damian Lillard is a strong second, but Zach LaVine is a lower-status choice.

If you choose LeBron James’ style, I already see how he shifts with intensity during his games. However, I believe that the most refined trademark style to select in NBA 2K23 for Moving Behind the Back is Zach LaVine because that matches most forms of player setups. You simply need 75-plus ball handling and a size of less than 6’10”. Tier one of the dribbling style backs includes the Pro.

The following are some of the top dribbling alternatives to consider.

Damian Lillard, Zach LaVine, and James Harden.

6. Moving Spin

Best Dribble Move For Quick Escape

Moving spin skill involves the ball handler approaching an opponent and spinning his body 360 degrees while moving laterally to create space between himself and the opponent. There isn’t much to talk about regarding the Moving Spin Dribble Move.

The moving spin allows the player to spin around the ball while keeping their back to the opponent. It’s a valuable talent to have when you need to maneuver around a confined position while keeping the ball defended.

In addition, learning the spin move is one of the most challenging aspects of learning basketball moves, but it is an essential skill for professionals to possess. It entails pulling the basketball from behind you while positioning your inner foot to step back around a defender.

The fundamental moving spin is nice, but it won’t help you much until you figure out Joel Embiid’s method, which is one of the greatest.

Although the move appears to be a little spotty to utilize in NBA 2K23, I couldn’t pick the best one after trying out many techniques. The only two styles that stuck out to us were always the fundamental and Normal Moving Spins.

From my viewpoint, both the Moving Crossover and Behind the Back are considerably superior to the Moving Spin. They give faster performance and are simpler to use. Although this, it is still a good idea to keep the move in your closet as you never know when you might require it.

• Basic and Penny Hardaway are the most excellent Moving Spin options.
• S Tier includes both Penny and Steve Nash.

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7. Moving Hesitation

Best Dribble Move For Dunk

Moving Hesitation, as opposed to Moving spin, is a considerably superior skill to concentrate on. In open-play sports, faking hesitations might confuse your opponent.

The actual purpose of the hesitation move is to persuade opponents to raise their defensive posture for a brief moment, giving you an extra option to create chances for your defender on your path to the basket. And when the defenders go off their feet, so will the fans.

The critical factor for improving the hesitation move in NBA 2K23 is maintaining a low hip position. As a result, you keep your ability to attack the defender. To fool the defender, display a slight rise in the hips. Depending on the defender’s position, holding the ball away from the side allows you to protect it from the defender.

The game only has two different Best Moving Hesitation types despite having many options. The fastest and best for certified dribbles is the Kyrie Irving technique, which comes first. However, because it calls for ball handling at or above 90, many professionals will find it inappropriate.

• The Luka Doncic style is the best alternative after that. It is straightforward to use, making it one of the most fabulous signature styles to choose from. Furthermore, you can obtain it if your ball skills exceed 75.
• Luka Doncic and Zach LeVine are included in S tier category of moving Hesitation.

8. Moving Step-back

Best Mid Game Dribble Move

Every player should be familiar with this basic maneuver. Several variables affect how effectively one performs a same-foot step-back maneuver. When you turbo-dribble to the left or right wing before taking a big step back, that is when it happens. The next choice is to either turn around and go back across the court toward the corner.

Keep the ball away from the defender by attacking with your outside hand. With the same foot you’re dribbling with, lean forward and take a giant step backward. Hop backward with your front foot.

Set your feet firmly on the ground and prepare to shoot. Whatever it is, it seems to have frozen your defense when used in conjunction with Space Creator the previous year.

As the name implies, the Moving Step-back enables players to take a small step backward to make space for themselves. You can use a speed boost to escape a situation after taking a step back.

You could also take a step back to position yourself in the corner for a three-point shot and gain an extra inch to evade the opposition’s block. In either case, including the Moving Step-back as a dribble move would immensely enhance NBA 2K23.

The style you choose is even more important because some will give you an added burst of speed on the court. Having the moving step-back in your arsenal is essential, whether you’re a power guard or a point guard.

Nothing compares to Stephen Curry’s performance because it needs 90-plus ball handling, which is difficult to obtain. For this purpose, you can also choose the Giannis Antetokounmpo or John Wall motion style. These two need only 70+ ball handling and are significantly easier to obtain.

The following moving step-back categories are the better dribbling move options in 2K23:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo,
• Stephen Curry,
• Luka doni
• James Harden

9. Triple Threat Style

Best Quick Dribble Move

A triple-threat basketball position is one in which a player can dribble, pass, or shoot the ball. A player with a triple threat posture keeps their center of gravity low by backing away from the defender, advancing one step, and keeping the ball close to their hip.

The offensive player has three options against the defender, making the triple-threat position in basketball very potent. Triple-threat players have three different options for movement: passing, shooting, and dribbling. When forced into a corner after dribbling, a player can only pass.

I believe the best course of action is to keep things straightforward. Rolling with the standard style is simple to do. Because the Triple Threat Style is only a standing position, you don’t need to choose anything showy. You should be good to go if you select the best dribbles for the moving animations.

Devin Booker is one of the more well-liked choices, but there isn’t as much substantial variety among the many types available in this area.

The triple threat style includes Michael Jordan as in s tier.

Best Dribble Moves According to Build

There are numerous dribble animations and moves available in NBA 2K23. Your ability to dribble past defenders will make it simple for you to score.

Moves come in various forms, such as dribble styles, recognizable size-ups, size-up escape packages, and more. NBA 2K23 centers are exceptional at rebounding and defense, two critical aspects of winning a basketball game.

The minimum height and ball handle requirements vary for each of them.

The best dribble animations and moves for NBA 2K23’s next-gen builds are included in this guide.

BIGS (6’10” and higher)

A professional dribble style that consists of the following is the best dribble style for bigs (6’10” and up) in 2K23:

• Kevin Durant (signature size-ups),
• LeBron James (size-up escape packages),
• Donovan Mitchell (moving crossovers).

SWINGS (6’5″ to 6’9″).

The most effective dribble moves for swings (6’5″ to 6’9″) in NBA 2K23 are

• Michael Jordan’s dribble style,
• De’Aaron Fox’s recognizable size-ups,
• John Wall’s size-up escape packages,
• Donovan Mitchell’s moving crossovers.

Guards (6’4 ′′ and shorter)

The best dribble styles for swings (6’5 to 6’9″) in NBA 2K23 are:

• Chris Paul, 
• Trae Young’s signature size-ups
• James Harden’s moving crossovers.

Why Others Were Not Chosen?

1. Hard Stop/Stutter: This move requires very high ball-handling stats, along with height requirements. Hence, its use is limited so its best to avoid it.
2. Forward Lunge: The dribble move fails to prove when stuck in tight places or when multiple defenders try to stop you. Therefore, it does not prove successful to get you out of tough situations, so I do not use it.
3. Hold-off defenders: This dribble move requires precise timing and control, and there are better alternatives for this one, such as Triple Threat Style. The timing and control requirements may take some time to master, so beginners can’t use it well.

My Verdict On The Best Dribble Moves

In my opinion, dribble moves are the backbone of your gameplay, so make sure you give them the attention they deserve. I advise you to pick your playstyle and then decide which dribble move to use, as it will help you to achieve your purpose effectively.

If you have more queries, do share them in the comments section below, so I can answer them for you in my guide. 

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