If you're struggling to advance through Road to the Playoffs' early seeds, or are just trying to complete some of MyTeam's more restrictive challenges, here are a few of the best bronze players you can buy in NBA 2K16:

Athletic Point Guards: Malcolm Lee (Free Agent) & Terry Rozier (Celtics)

Though Lee's listed as a shooting guard, his mid-range pull-up game is so terrible (58) that you'll only want to use him for driving dunks (75) and layups (72) where he can put his 87 speed and 90 vertical to good use. If you can get Malcolm hot, his mid-60s three-point ratings will rise to a level where he can comfortably knock down some open treys, but even then, you're really better off restricting him to a drive and dish game.

Rozier's 81 vertical and 65 driving dunk won't make him the star of any jam sessions, but he's got just enough lift to finish alley oops and go up strong with two hands after beating defenders to the rim with his 84 speed. Terry's shooting is decently rated in the mid-70s, plus he can really heat up in a hurry thanks to the Microwave badge.

Point Guard Gunners: Pierre Jackson (76ers)

If you want a point guard who can make your opponent pay for going under ball screens, Jackson's impressive selection of 12 dribbling, shooting and finishing badges will help boost his high-70s/low-80s scoring ratings. You probably won't want to carry the ball all the way to the tin since Jackson's just 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds, but he's a great decoy driver who can slip last-second passes to bigger finishers lurking around the bucket. A 77 steal rating is also a nice rating for a bronze player -- if you like to play manual on-ball defense.

Shooters On The Wing: James Jones (Cavaliers)

There are tons of bronze wings with mid-80s shooting ratings, but James Jones' speed (73) and badges (Microwave, Limitless Range, Corner Specialist) make him the top pick if you're looking for a forward/guard who can drain threes in the halfcourt or on a fast break.

Athletic Wings: Markel Brown (Nets) & Henry Walker (Free Agent)

If you prefer to have high risers running down your wings, there's no better bronze duo than Brown (98 vertical, 85 driving dunk) and Walker (94 vertical, 90 driving dunk). Brown is the better ball handler on fast breaks (77 vs. 70 speed), while Walker is the better shooter in the halfcourt (78 vs. 74 three pointer). Each player only has a single hot spot so make sure to watch where their feet are set before you rise up.

Balanced Wings: Pat Connaughton (Trail Blazers) & Anthony Brown (Lakers)

If you don't like to limit yourself to one particular playing style, Connaughton and Brown are the two most versatile wings in the bronze tier. Both guys can shoot on the move or from a standstill, but you should be careful to avoid Connaughton's three-point cold zones, which exist everywhere except the left corner. With 81 speed and 80 driving dunk, finishing fast breaks should be no problem for this pair of all-around guards/forwards.
 

Stretch Fours: Steve Novak (Thunder) & Hedo Turkoglu (Free Agent)

Novak's quick release and strong badges (Microwave, Unfazed, Limitless Range, Corner Specialist) make him the go-to four if you want a power forward who can fade off a pick and roll or knock down open looks from three. Steve also scores extra style points for his "championship belt" celebration, which triggers whenever he hits from downtown.

Hedo has a slightly higher three-point rating than Novak (88 vs. 86), but Turkoglu comes equipped with zero badges, and he has a critical cold zone in the area where power forwards typically sit during most four-out, one-in offenses (top of the key). Turkoglu's shooting animations are also much slower and tougher to time than Novak's, making Hedo a bench player whom you'll only want to bring in whenever Novak's fatigued.

Athletic Bigs: Justin Hamilton (Free Agent) & Anthony Bennett (Raptors)

Willie Cauley-Stein (85) and Dwight Howard (80) are the only centers in NBA 2K16 with more speed than Hamilton (78). He's also seven feet tall and weighs 260 pounds, so his freakish footwork is not a case of Hamilton being undersized like it is with Anthony Bennett. You will not find a more effective rim runner/pick-and-roll diver in the bronze tier than Hamilton. He can also hit free throws (82) better than most big men so you can be completely fearless while attacking the basket with this masked menace.

Bennett makes up for lack of size (6-foot-8, 259 pounds) with above-average leaping (75) and dunking ability (80 standing, 70 driving). He also has the extremely powerful Lob City Finisher badge, and he can beat most bronze centers down the court in transition or to the rim in the halfcourt (64 speed). Anthony excels at finishing alley oops after rolling off a screen, but he can also knock down mid-range (72) or three-point (72) shots if he's left open following a fade. His defensive rebounding (80) is not as suspect as you'd expect for someone his height, but he won't be giving you many second-chance opportunities (57 offensive rebounding).

Defensive Bigs: Sim Bhullar (Free Agent) and Boban Marjanovic (Spurs)

If you only want your centers to sit on the block and gobble up boards/blocks, the 7-foot-5 360-pound Bhullar and 7-foot-4 293-pound Marjanovic are going to be your guys. Marjanovic is slightly faster (37 vs. 25 speed) and has more skill in the post, but Bhullar's brute strength while backing down opponents can become a powerful weapon if your opponent is not smart enough to start taking charges or to bring a perimeter defender over for a quick strip.