Warriors Reign Supreme Hornets Fall Short (Season 10 NBA 2K25)

Simon Carver

Hey everybody, welcome back to another episode of the 2k Bros Podcast. Simon Carver here, and as always I'm joined by Jimbo. This time, we're diving right into a bit of history: Phillip's just wrapped up a flawless 14-0 regular season—again. That's two for two on perfect slates. Only this one, gives Phillip his 5th 2K trophy, tying up Joe .....Pretty wild, Jimbo.

Jimbo

Yeah, Simon, I mean, this was genuine domination from start to finish. And it's not just that regular season perfection. They powered through the playoffs 9-2, took the title, and never really looked vulnerable. Their offense was just, like, rolling all year—over 64 points a game, and a 13.8 average margin? That’s tough to keep up with for anyone.

Simon Carver

You look up and down that roster, and it's kinda like when I won my first local trivia contest—no one person totally carried us, but there was always somebody who'd give you that random answer to push you over the top. Here, Kevin Durant’s that offensive focal point, almost 13 points a night, but Bam Adebayo and Deandre Ayton—man, those two just never let up. Ayton as sixth man, Adebayo hitting playoff threes—that’s balance. And, of course, R.J. Barrett! Dude averaged around 8-9 per game, but then—boom—Finals MVP with a thirty-point eruption when it mattered most, in Game 3. His highest all season..was 15, just goes to show, anybody can step up.

Jimbo

Absolutely, R.J.'s Finals outburst was just nuts. But what really gets me is how every guy on that squad understood their moment. Barrett steps up, Durant stays steady, and even the role players—everybody brings something. VanVleet, Caldwell-Pope, Ayton, all those guys hit double figures in Finals games. It’s almost like the team doesn’t need one guy to have a fifty-burger because anyone can give you twenty or thirty on a given night.

Simon Carver

Yeah, and this is what stands out compared to, say, the streaky volume offense we saw with the Rockets one season or Joe’s Knicks defense from that grind-it-out Finals. The Warriors prove again it’s about having options, right? In 2K, if you rely too heavily on one scorer or one system, sooner or later it breaks down. But a roster like this, you scheme for Durant and Barrett’s running off screens, and suddenly Adebayo’s popping out to hit a three, or Ayton’s crashing for a putback. Depth really just wins in these post-draft, nobody’s-safe seasons.

Jimbo

And I mean, not to put salt in it, but this is probably the best wire-to-wire run since Miami’s last season. That’s something, with this many resets and this much player churn each year.

Jimbo

I wanna dig in just a little bit, though—how do the Warriors keep elevating their game in the playoffs? It's one thing to run teams off the floor for 14 games, but the playoffs are a different animal. Suddenly the free throw percentage jumps from 62% to almost 75%? Five different guys hit double figures across multiple Finals games, they bump the three point percentage up to 45, 46%. I’m looking at the box scores like, “How do you even defend this?” Simon, what did you see?

Simon Carver

You hit it, Jimbo. That Game 3 especially—Barrett with 30 and 9 on twelve outta sixteen? That's just surgical. Then Durant lays in 29 with six threes, Adebayo chips in twenty, VanVleet, Ayton, they’re all getting theirs. It reads like a sitcom guest list—everybody pops in, steals a scene. But the other angle: look at those plus/minus numbers. Caldwell-Pope, +6.5 in the playoffs, Simmons, an eye-popping +8.5. It’s not always scoring, sometimes it’s the unsung dirty work—switching on defense, extra possessions, keeping the offense ticking when KD or Barrett sit.

Jimbo

Right, and that kind of rotational stability’s rare. You look at the Finals specifically, five dudes over double digits in scoring for the clincher, Barrett explodes for his moment, but like… Durant still got 29, Adebayo was close behind. Every game’s a little different, but everyone is always ready. I also noticed, even when the stars had a quiet game—like Durant only drops ten in Game 2—they still win by double digits. That’s bench trust, man.

Simon Carver

It’s the little in-game tweaks, too. I’m always a little nervous breaking down playoff defensive switches—whiteboard time, right?—but you watch this team, they buy in on both ends. Offensive fluidity, never stuck with one look. Defensively, Simmons and Gobert change matchups, Caldwell-Pope closes out shooters, Bam starts popping out for those pick-and-pop threes, even as a big. The lineup just has no built-in weak spots. And if your Plan A doesn’t deliver, Plan B and C are actually good.

Jimbo

That’s a perfect way to put it. We’ve talked about it before, how playoff runs are about adaptability, and how in other seasons it’s the team with more looks who comes out on top—like Joe’s Knicks with defensive adjustments one year, or Phillip’s Celtics with scoring versatility. Warriors just found a different way to always have an answer, pretty much every single night.

Simon Carver

Totally, and it’s why, when you get five players putting up big numbers in clinching games and every playoff plus/minus is in the green, you don’t even need fluky nights—you just need your system to hold up. Built for every moment. It’s kinda the model for how this format can be won, right?

Simon Carver

So, we gotta talk about the flipside—Joe’s Charlotte Hornets. For most of the regular season, they look built for a deep run: 10-4, crazy efficient three-point shooting, disciplined spacing. Jalen Brunson’s numbers are solid, Max Strus is just flames from deep, and hey, the Hornets are the two seed. But postseason hits, and it kinda falls apart. They get swept by the Knicks in round one, outscored by 2.5 per game, scoring drops to 47 a night—what do you make of it, Jimbo?

Jimbo

Man, it hurts. Strus hits over 50% from deep in the regular season, Brunson goes almost 17-and-a-half per in the playoffs, but the support just vanishes. Their plus/minus falls off a cliff. Top-heavy is the word—Brunson and Jimmy Butler hold up okay, but guys like Mamukelashvili and Harrison Barnes post -7 in two games, Strus goes from vital stretch sniper to a tough -8. You see it more and more—it’s not just “do you have stars,” it’s “who’s showing up when they load up on your main guy?” And here, the answer was…nobody else, not when it counted.

Simon Carver

It’s what we talked about a few podcasts ago—the playoffs expose your soft spots. During the season, maybe Brunson can paper over some cracks and Strus is automatic, but once you can be scouted and mapped out, those support roles get tested hard. Honestly, I feel for Joe. It’s a little like me and, uh, advanced defense coverage. I always get cold sweats when the Xs and Os get too thick! Hornets just couldn’t change up their system fast enough. Suddenly spacing’s gone, deep shooting dries up under more pressure, and the supporting cast is searching for answers.

Jimbo

Right, and it’s not unique—remember Joes Bulls from a couple seasons ago, Simon? Undefeated, out first round. The playoffs brutalize one-dimensional teams. If your Plan A isn’t enough, or you can’t go to Plan B on the fly, the margin’s razor-thin—and teams like the Knicks just pounce on that. Really makes you wonder: What separates the playoff-ready squads from the ones who, yeah, look good until the lights get bright?

Simon Carver

Yeah, this format just keeps serving up lessons. You can’t shortcut the grind. For Joe, maybe next year they rethink how to get more out of that bench, or maybe Give your star player a little extra help. But, that’s the fun—every season, a fresh start, gotta solve the puzzle all over again.

Jimbo

Yup. And hey, speaking of fresh starts, that’s all we’ve got for this one. Phillip wins, another title—they keep setting the standard. But we know Joe’s cooking up something for next year, and you know this draft is gonna get wild. Simon, always a pleasure chopping it up with you.

Simon Carver

Pleasure’s mine, Jimbo. Thanks for tuning in, everybody—don’t forget to subscribe, and we’ll see you next time for more rivalry, reset, and probably some broken whiteboards. Later, Jimbo!

Jimbo

See ya, Simon. Catch you next episode, folks!