NBA 2K14 Tips: Offense

NBA 2K14 has finally arrived and players everywhere can re-experience one of the best basketball sims around, whether you’re dominating the paint with the home team or guiding LeBron James down the Path To Greatness.

Of course, the main way to win games is to post a winning score against the opposition, and the only real way to do this is to make your shots. There are a number of shots you can make towards the basket, whether it’s a powerful dunk, a lay-up, a shot from the outside or a three-pointer that could make all the difference between a win and a loss.

We’ve got some tips that will help you with getting the points that you want, though you’ll still need to provide the hustle and speed to make it to your end of the court.

Offensive Sets Are Your Friend

When your team storms the court and gets into scoring position, they’ll use one of many offensive sets put into place by the coach. You can select these at any point by pulling up a quick menu and seeing what offensive sets are available.

Let’s say you’re playing as Kobe Bryant on the Lakers. You can call upon a number of offensive plays to put your players in specific positions, whether it’s posting up on defensive men to try and make a run for the basket, or setting up the key man on the outside. Usually, you’ll have about four to six sets available, which you can switch by hitting a button on your controller with the menu pulled up.

Now, keep in mind that you’ll be in control of your player as you do this, so you’ll want to keep an eye on him while making your selection, so that the defenseman put on him doesn’t try to get a steal and storm down the court. Make your choice quickly and see how the formation lines up, then move along and get it done.

If you need to practice with offensive sets, put the game on an easier difficulty. It’ll have the opposing team put in less hustle, and will let you experiment until you find the ones that work for you.

Throw ‘Em Off

Defensive players will perform a number of moves to stop you from making the shot. Sometimes they’ll stand still and let you run over them, in the hopes of drawing an offensive foul. Other times, they’ll jump up and block your shot, especially if they see it coming from a mile away.

It’s important at this point to find something that “throws them off,” if you will. Make a move that they aren’t expecting so you can hustle closer to the basket. For instance, let’s bring up Kobe again. He’ll perform an ISO where he’ll scoot closer to the basket, then hustle right past his guarding player, or maybe even perform a spin move to throw them off. At that point, when they’re trying to get back into position, you’ll be wide open to take a shot – just like Kobe is prone to doing.

Also, if you’re moving fast down the court, you can try to hustle past them, either with a quick spin or a juke. Keep in mind you’ll want the ball to maneuver with you, or else it’s likely to be stolen. Watch the dribble, then perform your move and head towards the basket. If you’re good enough, you might even be able to pull off a dunk.

If you’re standing still and you’ve got a player in your face, chances are they’ll jump up and try to start off their own block party. You can fake them out here as well. Simply tap the shot button to attempt to take a shot, even though you won’t get off the ground. Most players will fall for this and jump up, and upon them landing, you’ll be wide open to shoot for the basket. This is especially good when it comes to threes, as some defensive men will watch out for those with “hot hands” – particularly in the closing sections of a game.

Learn your offensive moves well, and use them to your credit.

It’s Not Always a Horse Race

When it comes to charging the basket, keep in mind it doesn’t always have to be about running in and scoring. Sure, if the seconds are counting away and you’re down by a few points, executing a quick play is recommended. Most of the time, though, you’ll be able to figure out what you’re doing within that 24-second span of the shot clock.

Keep an eye out for open men. If you see someone that’s got a clear route to the basket, you can call for an alley-oop, lob the ball into the air and have them sailing in to finish the shot. Also, if you think you can’t quite get the lay-up to work for you up close, you can throw to an open man on the outside and let them make a fade-away or three-point shot for the quick score.

Finally, don’t be afraid to pass the ball. If you get it off a steal or a rebound and you already see a player darting down the court – without anyone getting in the way, mind you – pass it over to him. He’ll get the ball just in time to send it flying into the rim, maybe even by a dunk if he’s tall enough. At the very least, you have an easy score.

Wrap It Up

When it comes to offensive scoring, it’s good to use your skills to get the ball where you want it to be, but don’t forget that it’s a team effort. Use them to your advantage, set up the plays to get them in motion, and get the score, one way or another. Sure, you want to post up good points – especially as LeBron in Path To Greatness – but you’ve got four quarters to get there. Have fun with it!

NBA 2K14 is available now for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, and will release on November 15th for PlayStation 4 and November 22nd for Xbox One.