10 Best NBA 2K25 Playbooks

A playbook is more than a list of plays to choose from — it’s an identity. Think of any great NBA team you’ve ever seen in your lifetime, and you’ll notice that it isn’t just an eclectic cast of characters balling out. Every team you’ve ever enjoyed watching had a distinct identity that set it apart from every other team. And the way NBA 2K25 emulates this is by incorporating unique, team-specific playbooks in order to encourage a certain style of play.

In NBA 2K25, every team has its own playbook built around that team’s real-life playstyle. Obviously, choosing the “best” of these playbooks is a difficult task, especially when taking into account that every 2K player is going to want to play a different kind of basketball. With that in mind, try not to think of this list as being in any particular order.

Here are the 10 best NBA 2K25 playbooks.

10 Best NBA 2K25 Playbooks

Chicago Bulls Playbook

Style: Isolation and interior play

Despite their struggles in real life, the Bulls have a solid playbook all focused on iso play and penetration. In summary, a player like DeMar DeRozan — or any kind of small forward or bigger guard — will excel in this kind of system.

Milwaukee Bucks Playbook

Style: Heavy on pick-and-roll and post plays

When you have a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo on your squad, you can afford to have a pretty big bag of tricks. Just as in real life, the Bucks’ playbook is built around basketball fundamentals such as the pick-and-roll, creating space, and post-up play. If you have a versatile big man who can play on both the interior and perimeter, give this playbook a spin.

Miami Heat Playbook

Style: Inside-out basketball, perfect for mid-range and long-range shooting

Not every team that prefers to play on the interior is looking for points in the paint — some are just creating space for your shooters on the perimeter. This is a perfect system for a clutch 3-point shooter such as Jimmy Butler (even though the Bulls offloaded him to the Warriors this season).

Toronto Raptors Playbook

Style: Transition and fast breaks

Much like how some boxers prefer to react to situations and win through counter-punching, some NBA teams excel in transition and catching their opponents off guard. The Raptors’ playbook is pretty much built around this principle. If you have a team full of versatile athletes, then give this playbook a try.

Phoenix Suns Playbook

Style: Prioritizes mid-range jumpers and off-ball movement

While many teams in the modern NBA live and die by the three-pointer or prefer to play in the paint, many teams prefer the mid-range to be their sweet spot. The Phoenix Suns’ playbook operates similarly to the Bucks’ in that both are based around movement and utilizing pick-and-rolls. But if your team has better mid-range shooters than it does long, the Suns’ set of plays are what you should use.

Los Angeles Lakers Playbook

Style: Interior play, movement, and finishing

When you have a player as dominant as LeBron James on your team — easily one of the greatest to ever step on an NBA court — it’s likely you’ll build your playbook around getting that player the ball and allowing them multiple opportunities to drive to the basket and have a big finish. Most teams don’t have any such player, but if yours does, then pick the Lakers playbook and let your star player posterize some fools.

New York Knicks Playbook

Style: Isolation

I’m putting this one in for me, seeing as I’m a Knicks fan and still kind of sad that they’ve parted ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau. If you’re a fan of iso-style basketball where you’re constantly trying to get your star players some open looks, this playbook should play just fan. Just be sure to actually play interior ball, too, if you have a dominant big man such as Karl-Anthony Towns on your team.

Boston Celtics Playbook

Style: Long-range shooting

Everybody knows that the Boston Celtics live and die by the three-pointer. And to be fair, it’s worked out for them for a while now. If you have a litany of effective field goal shooters on your team, then the Celtics’ playbook is just the natural choice. It’s a risky approach as teams with good perimeter defense can stop it, but it’ll pay massive dividends when it’s working.

Golden State Warriors Playbook

Style: Dynamic offense and off-ball movement

When you have a shooter like Steph Curry and an interior pest such as Draymond Green, the possibilities are pretty much endless as it pertains to what kind of plays you can call on the court. The Warriors can score from anywhere, and their dynamic movement when in possession is sure to make some things happen.

1996 Chicago Bulls Playbook

Style: Triangle Offense, scoring from the wings and post

The 1996 Bulls are one of the most celebrated and touted sports teams of all time. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman — this is a team that can beat you pretty much anywhere on the floor. While the playbook is built around one star player, it offers a ton of scoring opportunities and will overwhelm opposing defenses. But only if you have the right players for it.