The modern NBA might be relying on spreading the floor and tearing defenses down with three-pointers but a skillful post player is still a big asset. Just take a look at the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic – his crafty post moves are almost impossible to defend.
Mastering the post game can help you maximize certain 1-on-1 situations and knowing when and how to execute each post move can make a big difference in your game.
In this article, we will cover the most effective post moves in NBA 2K22, how to do them, and which ones are suited for which situation.
How to Enter the Post
All NBA 2K22 post moves start the same way: you back down the opposition player by holding L2/LT. This sets you up to execute any possible post move and the specific one you go for will depend on various factors like which player you’re controlling, who’s guarding you, where you’re standing in relation to the basket, and more.
Generally, the best players to enter the post with are centers and strong forwards, particularly when faced with smaller defenders. You don’t want to back down a good center with a power forward as the situation will be hard to maneuver and they’ll contest your shot in 80% of cases. And, if you’re entering the post with a guard, it might be better to learn how to do a floater in NBA 2K22.
On the other hand, I personally like to post up with my center any time I have a mismatch in the low post. When the opponent rotates and switches defenders, a smaller guard can find himself isolated against a center or power forward. This is a perfect situation to post up and it’s something I try to do pretty much every time when I see that happening. It’s also pretty effective because you can usually bully the defender and get under the basket.
This might force the opposition center/PF to come and help with the double team, leaving his assignment open. Your job is then either to finish if you have a good position or find that open teammate.
You can post up with good wings and guards but they’re better in high post situations – think Kobe’s unguardable fadeaway.
The Most Effective Post Moves
Now, let’s get into the best 2K22 post moves and how to execute each one.
Post Spin or Drive
This move is used to make an aggressive move towards the basket from the post. While posted up against the defender, your player will either spin towards the basket (if you’re going over the back shoulder) or drive towards the basket around the defender (if you’re going over the front shoulder).
How to post spin or drive: to execute this move, hold the L2/LT button to enter the post. While holding the button, rotate the right stick in the direction you want your player to move. He will try to go around the defender either by spinning or driving, depending on which direction you’re moving in.
Personally, I advise spinning rather than driving in most cases, since driving leaves the ball exposed and it can easily get stripped away, especially because centers have such poor handle skills.
Here is a post spin:
And here is a post drive:
Aggressive Backdown
This is one of my favorite post moves, especially when I have the ball with a strong center. If you’re faced with a smaller defender, it will take you a few seconds to aggressively push them right under the rim and score with ease.
How to do aggressive backdown: post up by holding L2/LT. Hold the Sprint button (R2/RT) and move the left stick towards the basket. Your player will start pushing with his shoulder and creating space to maneuver.
One important thing to remember here is that you can’t really do this against defenders that are stronger than you. If you try this, your player will simply deflect off the defender, unable to move him. So, check your player’s Strength attribute and reserve this move only against weaker, smaller defenders.
Here is Jokic pushing Deandre Ayton under the basket. Note that this is in MyTeam against a weak Ayton card while my Jokic is maxed out at 89 OVR and has great strength.
Post Hook
The hook is an old-school post move that can look quite smooth when pulled off properly. It helps you avoid defender contact and allows you to outsmart strong centers when you’re covered.
How to do a post hook: While holding down L2/LT, keep the left stick neutral and push and hold the right stick up and to the right. According to 2K’s guide, you can also hold the right stick up and to the left to execute this move but I found it rarely works like this while up and right works every time.
The important thing to realize here is that most players will have a very quick release on their hook. So, don’t hold the stick for too long if you want to make the shot.
Also, make sure you’re close to the basket – if you’re far away, the player might attempt a shot, fadeaway, or simply attempt a hook but fail because it’s a tough shot to make from the high post. If you have realistic game sliders set up, you really have to get the timing perfect if you are to make a hook from further away.
Post Shimmy Fade
The fadeaway is a great shot and many players’ signature move – Nowitzki, Kobe, Durant instantly come to mind. The shimmy fade is a fun variation to this move since it can confuse the defender (especially user-controlled defenders) and force them to make a move and give you more space.
So, while you can certainly use the regular fadeaway, I found shimmy fade a more effective post move, especially when playing online.
How to do a post shimmy fade: while posted up with L2/LT, keep your left stick neutral and push the right stick down and to the left/right, depending on the shoulder you want to turn over.
Post Hop
The post hop is a powerful move when you want to go around your defender and get to the rim quickly. It’s often used as a move to fake the defender out by making him think you’re about to shoot, only to have them flying over you and having the post wide open.
How to do a post hop: hold down L2 to post up, hold the left stick in the direction where you want to hop to (usually towards the basket), and tap Square/X once. Your player will automatically hop to the spot on the field and do a small pump fake to trick the defender. If you want, you can keep holding the Square/X button, and your player will attempt a shot at the end of the move.
Take a look at where we started the post hop:
And here is where we finished:
In the blink of an eye, our player is at the rim, ready to do some damage.
Howeverm be careful when hopping to the rim – a lot of defenders will try to strip the ball while your player is going through the animation so you’ll be vulnerable to steals.
Post Pump Fake
The pump fake is a very simple but effective move against both user-controlled and CPU defenders. It will get the defender off his balance and open up space for you to take a shot.
How to do a post pump fake: while posting up with L2/LT, tap on Square/X once. Your player will quickly gather and fake a shot to trick the defender. Keep in mind that, once you do a pump fake, you won’t be able to move with the ball. The only thing your player will be able to do from here is to do a layup/hook/dunk or shoot (if you’re further away).
Post Up and Under
Finally, we have the post up and under – the most effective post move if you do it right. This one is a little trickier than the others because its very specific timing and sequence but, when you master it, it will be a valuable addition to your arsenal.
The goal of the post up and under is to get the defender up by performing a pump fake and, before the defender can recover, go to the basket and score.
How to do a post up and under: this move starts with a pump fake. So, while posted up with L2/LT, tap Square/X to execute a pump fake and, before the fake is over, release L2/LT, and start moving towards the basket while holding also pushing the right stick towards the basket.
Here’s the “up”:
And here’s the “under”:
As you can see, there is a lot of coordination here so you’ll almost certainly have to practice a little bit before you get things right.
Players with the Best Post Moves
Lastly, here are some players (both current and historic) with the best post game. Of course, you can do post moves with pretty much any player in the game but these guys are known for their skills in the post and they have high grades for most attributes like Post Hook, Post Fade, Post Control, etc.
- Nikola Jokic
- Luka Doncic
- Anthony Davis
- Dirk Nowitzki
- Tim Duncan
- Kevin McHale
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- Kareem Abdul Jabbar
- Michael Jordan
- Kobe Bryant
- Lebron James
- Joel Embiid
- Kevin Durant
- Lamarcus Aldridge
- Kevin Love
- Kristaps Porzingis
Final Word
Adding the most effective and best post moves in 2K22 to your game will do wonders for your offense. You’ll be able to make the most out of every mismatch and use the best players to their full potential.
Practice these moves on your own and try to execute them in the game. Recognizing when to do each move is half of the job, the rest is just about memorizing the controls, which is a matter of repetition.
I recommend starting with the aggressive backdown and hook as the most basic moves to master that will make an instant difference.
