I'm Jacob, your Grade 9 reviewer who grew up playing basketball. After playing NBA 2K23, I rate the game a 2/5. From my previous experiences with the NBA 2K series, I expected a phenomenal game with improved mechanics you could remember. It was a huge letdown and a stain on the previous games.
Although the base mechanics of the games are an improvement to previous games, the constant bugs and gameplay issues make the game challenging to play. NBA 2K23 offers multiplayer (requires Playstation Plus) and single-player gaming with a mediocre storyline. The story is a generic underdog story that doesn't bring anything fresh or entertaining to the game. The single-player story progresses exceptionally slowly, and multiplayer is slower with an unfriendly community. The game is best played with friends but will require them to have the game or a second controller. The game has a high skill ceiling that will take hours to understand comprehensively while providing decent replayability. To be able to replay, you would have to be dedicated, as maxing out a character will take roughly 100 hours on average, which isn't worth doing with a borrow.
In summary, the numerous bugs and the game's focus on players willing to invest significant time make NBA 2K23 a game that many, including myself, might find unenjoyable. If you're considering borrowing this game from a library, it's important to note that it might not best use your limited gaming time. Therefore, I can only rate this game a 2/5.