2k11 basics/tips

[shel311]

--Research your team. Know their strengths on the court and where their hot zones are. I was taking a lot of jumpers outside their maximum range even though wide open.

One more tip, dont play Dealer. Bitch doesnt miss open jumpers/3s. I need to go to his instructional class and learn about his timing.

it has a lot to do with researching your team...i took the Hawks/Warriors into "Freestlye Practice" and just started shooting jumpers/3's and inside game with my guys...it helped out tremondously!!

Jamal Crawford, DIAF!!!!!

you take that back!

Video game Jamal Crawford can DIAF!!!!

[vicktim7]

--Research your team. Know their strengths on the court and where their hot zones are. I was taking a lot of jumpers outside their maximum range even though wide open.

One more tip, dont play Dealer. Bitch doesnt miss open jumpers/3s. I need to go to his instructional class and learn about his timing.

it has a lot to do with researching your team...i took the Hawks/Warriors into "Freestlye Practice" and just started shooting jumpers/3's and inside game with my guys...it helped out tremondously!!

Jamal Crawford, DIAF!!!!!

you take that back!

Video game Jamal Crawford can DIAF!!!!

compromise. i like that.

however, a couple more games like recently, and you can say whatever you want.

[Cnasty]

The hoops section gets more traffic than the female forum or off topic forum!

Success for Dave!

[DRiccio21]

bump for all the newbs

this thread is a must read and you should reread after every few games until you get the hang of the game

[dakshdar]

So maybe it was just an issue of people not remembering, but don't you press right on the directional pad to bring up the playcalling for the different positions? It would be nice if there was a different button because it is a little awkward sometimes to get that button hit.

I was also trying to call plays evenly for my team to mix it up. But then I realized the SG and C are awful and I'm wasting too many plays.

Basically, it seems like if you have a stud at SF and PF you need to call plays for them about 50-75% of the time, especially in the shorter games.

I finally started learning that you don't just take off in the direction of the arrow as soon as it shows up. Usually there are guys coming to set screens or picks and you need to wait for that.

I can't figure out what is wrong with my team on lay-ups but they can't hit anything inside. I realize players have different inside and outside shot abilities, but seriously, one of my guards missed four layups in a game and another blew a dunk over the weekend.

I'm also lost on the 3-pointer. 0/13 in one online game this weekend, and at least half were wide open shots. Do people prefer the right stick or the square button for jump shots/3s? I find the fact that ever player has a different release position incredibly frustrating. It basically means when you play with a team for the first time you aren't going to know them and you're going to miss a few free throws and open looks in the first half until you get used to it.

Off-line play I've had to back-track down to Rookie to just get reps and practice in.

At least it seems like a "reasonable" point total for an online game is in the 60s or 70s so I don't feel too far off when I put up numbers in the high 50s/mid 60s.

[DRiccio21]

So maybe it was just an issue of people not remembering, but don't you press right on the directional pad to bring up the playcalling for the different positions? It would be nice if there was a different button because it is a little awkward sometimes to get that button hit.

I was also trying to call plays evenly for my team to mix it up. But then I realized the SG and C are awful and I'm wasting too many plays.

Basically, it seems like if you have a stud at SF and PF you need to call plays for them about 50-75% of the time, especially in the shorter games.

I finally started learning that you don't just take off in the direction of the arrow as soon as it shows up. Usually there are guys coming to set screens or picks and you need to wait for that.

I can't figure out what is wrong with my team on lay-ups but they can't hit anything inside. I realize players have different inside and outside shot abilities, but seriously, one of my guards missed four layups in a game and another blew a dunk over the weekend.

I'm also lost on the 3-pointer. 0/13 in one online game this weekend, and at least half were wide open shots. Do people prefer the right stick or the square button for jump shots/3s? I find the fact that ever player has a different release position incredibly frustrating. It basically means when you play with a team for the first time you aren't going to know them and you're going to miss a few free throws and open looks in the first half until you get used to it.

Off-line play I've had to back-track down to Rookie to just get reps and practice in.

- call the plays before you get to half court, like as soon as you in bounds the ball. you'll get the control figured out with more reps and be able to do it while in the flow of the game, but thats the best way to start

- while i HIGHLY recommend people running plays as they get you great looks, you shouldn't be running plays everytime down or even most of the time down. the NBA game, as you all know, is mostly pick and rolls and isolations. thats not saying you should just be a cheeseball and hit the roll guy after the pick everytime but you can use the screen to get a shot, hit the roll guy, hit the roll guy for a jumper, use the screen to get into the paint and kick it for a 3, etc. the isolation is also extremely important for spacing in general. alot of times i'll run iso just to get the floor spaced even if i inted to do something else.

- yes, you have to wait sometimes... each play is different

- use the r2 (or maybe its r1, i forget) when you're going up for a layup/dunk or even taking a shot inside. its going to make you go up strong and you'll see improved results and create more fouls.

- 3's are really easy so its a case of just getting in more reps. a couple tips would be to a) make sure you know your guy can hit them, seems obvious but some guys dont check their player ratings b) shoot as soon as you catch the pass, almost 1 fluid motion c) shoot off passes from the pg d) make sure your not out of control when going up for the shot... a set shot will go down way more then a guy coming off a dribble or fading away.

hope that helps

[dakshdar]

- while i HIGHLY recommend people running plays as they get you great looks, you shouldn't be running plays everytime down or even most of the time down. the NBA game, as you all know, is mostly pick and rolls and isolations. thats not saying you should just be a cheeseball and hit the roll guy after the pick everytime but you can use the screen to get a shot, hit the roll guy, hit the roll guy for a jumper, use the screen to get into the paint and kick it for a 3, etc. the isolation is also extremely important for spacing in general. alot of times i'll run iso just to get the floor spaced even if i inted to do something else.

Maybe I'm missing something, but about half the plays that I see when I bring up the plays coming down the floor are rolls and isos.

Are you saying that sometimes you should just come down the floor, pass it around and shoot, or don't run elaborate screens everytime but do use the playcall menu each time (selecting isos and rolls most often followed by the more detailed plays)?

[DRiccio21]

Maybe I'm missing something, but about half the plays that I see when I bring up the plays coming down the floor are rolls and isos.

Are you saying that sometimes you should just come down the floor, pass it around and shoot, or don't run elaborate screens everytime but do use the playcall menu each time (selecting isos and rolls most often followed by the more detailed plays)?

there are quick plays and there are plays for specific players which take longer to run.

i run the quick plays about 60% of the time (iso, pick roll, quick post, i forget the other). i'll only run specific set plays if i want to slow things down or if i've been cold and need to try to get an open look.

[dakshdar]

I think when I bring up the play selection box the first four are the quick plays and then I used L1 or R1 to cycle through the position specific plays.

I think I ignore those first four too much, I'll check them out tonight.

[shel311]

Joe u can also call plays by pressing L1. Then press the button that corresponds with the player u want. Then the play.

It's a little raiser than using that Dpad.

[dakshdar]

Joe u can also call plays by pressing L1. Then press the button that corresponds with the player u want. Then the play.

It's a little raiser than using that Dpad.

Sweet. I found I could just hold L1 and get them to run a pick and roll quickly, but didn't realize I could call plays that way. Sounds much easier.

[shel311]

Joe u can also call plays by pressing L1. Then press the button that corresponds with the player u want. Then the play.

It's a little raiser than using that Dpad.

Sweet. I found I could just hold L1 and get them to run a pick and roll quickly, but didn't realize I could call plays that way. Sounds much easier.

Yea. Hold L1 for a long time, pick and roll. Hold L1 and right when they start to come over, let go, and they do a pick and pop. IT's tough to get the timing down on that, but at least you're getting the pick each time.

Then of course, tap L1 and you can call a play.

[dakshdar]

Thanks to the notes in this thread I trounced the 76ers by 30 (80-50 with the Knicks) while committing only 4 turnovers in the game and shooting 47% from the field.

[shel311]

Thanks to the notes in this thread I trounced the 76ers by 30 (80-50 with the Knicks) while committing only 4 turnovers in the game and shooting 47% from the field.

Show off.

[autiger730]

this game is frustrating the shit out of me. I played for about three hours tonight. Still lost at the controls.

[shel311]

this game is frustrating the shit out of me. I played for about three hours tonight. Still lost at the controls.

Did you read this entire thread? Lots of great stuff.

Dave's 1st post on page 1 to start the thread. I added a long ish post on page 1.

And Corey on page 3 reitereated a few more things that Dave showed him, with some bolded points.

Those are 3 quality posts, among others.

Good luck.

[autiger730]

this game is frustrating the shit out of me. I played for about three hours tonight. Still lost at the controls.

Did you read this entire thread? Lots of great stuff.

Dave's 1st post on page 1 to start the thread. I added a long ish post on page 1.

And Corey on page 3 reitereated a few more things that Dave showed him, with some bolded points.

Those are 3 quality posts, among others.

Good luck.

yeah. i'm giving this a week or so.

[Cnasty]

And Corey on page 3 reitereated a few more things that Dave showed him, with some bolded points.

This Corey fool needs to listen to his own learning techniques.

[buckeye76]

i would consider myself a 2k10 expert (probably played close to 200 online games) 2k11 i haven't played as much but the game is pretty similar so i figured this thread could help bring along the new guys.

basics --

the game is very representative of real life so if you try to go one on one with a guy every play or run one play each time down you probably won't have much success, unless the guy you're playing completely blows.

open jumpers are hit most of the time, especially inside the arc. in the NBA its rare you see an open 16 footer that isn't knocked down by a good shooter. 3's are certainly a little more tricky, as they should be but if they are open and with set feet, they are hit more times then not.

sounds simple, get the guy open and he'll hit a shot... its really not that simple.

ways to get guys open:

there are different types of plays: quick plays and set plays

quick plays are 1) isolation, 2)pick n roll 3) quick post up and 4) i forget cause i dont think i use it
set plays differ for each team but basically you can scroll thru each position and run a play that will correspond to that position so a shooting guard will have plays run for him that set him up for open jumpers or for isolations, big will have plays that free him in the post, etc etc

not all plays are run to a T. a quick post might get your guy posting up 15 feet away if you don't have a good angle or if the guy is a good defender... you may have to back it out and run another play.

also, i believe each player has seperate plays based on their skill sets, so if you have Kobe at the 2 his plays won't necessarily be the same as Matt Barnes' plays at the 2 even tho its the same team.

like in the NBA, isolation is a big part of the game. you need to learn how to drive by guys.
first you set up on a side or the top of the key or wherever, you call for the isolation in quick play which will clear everyone and then you go to work. l2 is a shake or juke feature that will do a dribble drive type move that will seperate the defender from you (the better defender stays closer, teh better dribbler makes better moves) then when you get a step on the guy if you have a free lane you hit the dunk button (even if you're far away) i believe its r2 and up on the analog. if you are just inside the arc but made seperation your guy might pull up for an open jumper but if you are driving directly towards an unguarded hoop he'll go strong. those are like pre-automated moves that the better players do crazier things while in the air... you have no control. when you don't have a direct path and there is some defense you can hit the triangle button which is like a jump stop but can do spin moves or a step back as well depending on the situation. if there is one guy you'll likely spin around him and be able to make a move to the basket. if there two guys and you try to spin into them you'll likely fall down or charge or dribble into a turnover.

backing down guys to the basket is l2 and r2 and can be effective if you have isolation with a good post scorer, there are a bunch of moves you can run from the post or you can call for a cutter by quick play post up ... what that will do is basically send the other big guy crashing towards the goal and you can hit him. tha works especially well if you're being double teamed.

defensively you can try to play on the ball d... its very hard. i generally play off the ball and switch on the ball every once in a while to sneak into a passing lane for a steal. it is clearly more fun to try to stay on a guy, but its almost impossible and you'll realize that if you want to be competitive you have to suck it up and play off the ball every once in a while.

passing is very difficult. in 2k10 you could quick pass it up the court and just whip passes to your guy in the lane and it'd go thru defenders... not in this game... if you're passing to a guy he better either be open or have seperation. a better passes can get it thru trickier holes, but be aware that alot of long passes will be inaccurate or stolen.

body control you'll notice a guy like Derrick Rose can move much smoother then say a Shaun Livingston. this is another added feature to 2k11 that is important on many levels. gone are the days you can take shaq from 15 feet out and headfake and drive with him. he's gonna dribble off his knee a bunch more then he will get to the basket.

free throws are pretty self explanatory, the only thing to know is that due to online, you shoot slightly sooner then you would offline

the best thing to do right away is to just play a few games online. see where your issues are and what you can naturally do. after a few games there is a tutorial you can do that is really helpful. i think doing it from teh start would be overload, play a few games first then do it.

i know that was a lot but its a start and it'll help and i'll try to add more things as i think of them... ask questions if you have em.

Do you find using the icon passing the best way to do all of your passing?

Not ALL, but most definitely. Hit R1 to pull up the icons and that is a great tool for hitting the right guy. But, for example, if I'm gonna iso a perimeter guy, I don't use it because using Triangle(hop step) is a vital feature to create separation for a jumpshot or to drive the lane. If you have the icon passing on, triangle will pass the ball.

A quick tip on the triangle. Say, you try to run a play but it just doesn't work, and now there's only :08 on the shot clock, happens a lot. For you, back it out, give it to Bron or Wade or someone else to mix it up obviously, call a quick Iso, then if you can't beat your guy off the dribble, press Triangle and he basically does this sweet stepback move to create space, and you want to shoot the ball immediately. So, basically Triangle/left stick(shoot), like in rapid succession.

How do you call plays?

Quick plays--> It's mostly muscle memory, but I believe it's RIGHT on the DPad, then you can read the screen and it'll tell you how to quick iso/quick screen/post up/pick and roll. I know X is pick and roll, and think circle is ISO.

Set plays--> Make sure you have the play art ON in the settings to show you where to go. It's a pretty cool feature as the plays can really work. Press L1. This brings up what looks like the passing Icons. Say, you wanna run a play for a center, his icon will always be L2. Press L2, then you'll see a list of set plays for him, pick the one you want to run, then follow the instructions to run the play. I also leave the playcalling on AUTO, so I let the CPU do it each trip down the court and run whatever they say. Then sometimes I'll call my own plays for my own playmakers.

Is shooting like other bball games where you release at their highest point or is there more tips into that?

YES. And like I said, turn that Jumpshot Feedback on. Head to practice mode in FREESTYLE, and just practice shooting and you'll get the hang of it quickly.

Is there a button to box out? In the demo I had position but wasnt getting the rebounds.

L2. I use it a ton. I sometimes try to guard on ball, but it's so hard, if I'm getting beat a lot, I'll just control a big to try and cover the paint. When a shot goes up, I get in front of my man and press L2, works awesome.

How often will we have to sub since we are only playing 5 minute quarters and should we have rules on subbing more?

Dave is some magician who does his own subs. There is a pretty cool feature where you can make your own subs while a play is going on, like when you're walking the ball up the court. It is ridiculously hard though. I Never ever do manual subs. I turn them on AUTO, let the CPU do the subs as they have rotations you can use. The CPU does an excellent job. For example, use Chicago and Crawford is a 6th man, but will play tons of minutes. Utah will put Watkins at the PG and move Deron to SG for a good bit of the game. It is very realistic.

Dave gave me some great tips yesterday and I can already see improvement.

--Set play calling to manual. Start your play calling as you dribble up the court instead of auto and waiting for the cpu. I found this helped a ton and didnt even know about it.

--Shoot as quick as possible when open. I found myself pausing a second on my timing when coming off a screen or pick and roll and that allowed my opponent to get in my face. It sounds easy, but hit practice mode and work on your timing of jumpers. Also helped a ton.

--Call a play every time down, even if its just an iso or pick and roll. This at least makes your guys run around and clear up spacing instead of all the clusters that normally happen.

--Use the R1 passing. Its already been preached and I felt uncomfortable early with it but now its becoming second nature and helps a ton.

--Research your team. Know their strengths on the court and where their hot zones are. I was taking a lot of jumpers outside their maximum range even though wide open.

--L2 and the moves is huge when the shot clock is running down or tryign to clear some space to pop a jumper. The moves are sick depending on who you are doing them with and play a big part at the point.

I still suck and shouldnt be giving tips but this is just stuff I finally had time to mess with a lot during my gameathon yesterday and found my point totals going up and turnovers going down.

One more tip, dont play Dealer. Bitch doesnt miss open jumpers/3s. I need to go to his instructional class and learn about his timing.

a ton of good info like shel said in these posts above, now if i could train myself to use half of it i might win a game.

[shel311]

GREAT stuff Matt.


Maybe we can start a new thread, or Dave can edit his original post with all of that info.

Awesome.