6'6" Point Guard with max speed and 3PT — the meta build. 6'9" Power Forward with shooting — the "unicorn" build. 7'2" Center with max wingspan — the "just stand near the rim" build. The game rewards speed and shooting; pure inside builds are dead.
The AI overvalues draft picks and undervalues aging stars. Trade for Giannis/LeBron types using 2-3 first-rounders. The AI also can't evaluate role players — get good 3&D wings for almost nothing.
Play MyCareer games on 5-minute quarters. Do endorsement events. Complete daily challenges. It's slow, but you'll earn ~15K VC per hour. Or just play on current-gen where the grind is slightly less painful.