Since I rapped with you guys last Charlotte, Houston, the Clippers, Indiana, Boston and Dallas are gone and Stephen Curry has sat multiple games with an injury. One of the coolest things recently has been watching the actual games and compare it to NBA 2K's stellar gameplay, to see the aspects that are being displayed well as well as the stuff that needs work.
In the second round we've been reminded how deep the Warriors are, how other guys are offsetting the continued struggles of Toronto's two stars, Cleveland's momentum and how thankful I am 2K referees would never let Dion Waters elbow anyone while inbounding the ball *chuckle*. Here are some of the other things I noticed.....
1. Gotta say I really dig the minute changes we're seeing to ratings. 1-2 pts per update shows a player's progress, but isn't this huge knee-jerk reaction to great or poor performances. It nice how 2K is reflecting what's happening in the NBA at the moment. Stauffer is showing why he's the best in the business as far as ratings go.
2. Chase-down blocks aside, I'm really glad 2K doesn't overdo rare instances as much as some developers. The miracle half-court shot thing for instance. I could easily see an EA game overplaying animations like that when Kyle Lowry for instance, has hit that buzzer-beater he made vs Miami exactly one other time....and he's been in the league for a decade.
3. One thing i've noticed this postseason? Fatigue is real. It absolutely has to be scaled for 5 min quarters in competitive play. We cheat teams with depth of their natural advantage when starters don't have to rest or recuperate after one timeout. Its also unrealistic. Imagine being able to have your starter go the distance every time you played MLB The Show. Can you say NO BUENO? I sure can.
4. Paul George's performance in round one was really nice, but Toronto showed why they were the better team over the course of a series. Talent often wins out.We're seeing the same thing with Portland/Golden State and with Atlanta (who looks demoralized) and Cleveland. Depth, Execution and the fact that those teams are able to continue making plays eventually take its toll.
5. Speaking of, I like alot of what 2K does regarding separating teams but feel like there's still progress to be made. The difference between good and bad teams is about shot-makers, sure...but i'm watching playoff games and seeing a number of mistakes: things like off-target passes, mishandled catches, offensive fouls in addition to a bevy of loose ball fouls. I think gamers are mature enough to see more of the subtle differences displayed in 2K. Let's see more risks and rewards where say, denial defense result in holding fouls, or sometimes a double team results in contact foul, where are the high number of offensive rebounds we should see vs zones? The more real basketball the better.
6. This thing where the defenders (especially bigs) we don't control online somehow become idiots on defense who fall for every series of Mason Plumlee pump fakes has to stop, it also really stunts help defense. and disrespects 2Ks sim legacy (yeah I said it) If realism dictates that Lillard or CP3 can beat my PG at will, realism better also remember which players are great rim protectors and do a good job defending the post.
7. Game 5 in the GS/Houston series reminded anyone watching why NBA teams don't spam the long ball offense. 17 TURNOVERS. We still don't see enough "bad" long passes and more importantly, aware defenders attacking the ball. More deflections out of bounds and steals, please.
8. I touched on this in my 1st Playoff piece, but watching playoff hoops time and time again defenders "running out" late are rendered a minor hindrance to decent offensive players. One basketball truth is that "scrambling defenders are beat defenders." When the game doesn't properly display this it allows defenses privileges we just don't see in reality. Defenders run out knowing physical contact will stop all offensive momentum. Never having to run out under control due to fear of getting beat? NO WAY. It's one of the few times 2K does a really poor job displaying a basketball dynamic. Hopefully its addressed in 2K17.
9. A team like Atlanta doesn't have a ton of great individual defenders but plays really good team defense, whereas Houston with good individual guys like Howard, Ariza, Beverly and Brewer can't stop anyone. Is it time for a separate team defense rating? And by that, I mean one independent of individual player ratings...right now it seems like the team rating we see is an average of each players ratings, and maybe it shouldn't be.
10. Here's a piece I wrote on why User Bonuses are bad for sports games, check it out and tell me what you think.
11. Many who know me know how much I love the Tier system and would love to see it expanded in a number of ways, but first? We Gotta get the Tiers right, and updated regularly. Should teams that didn't make the playoffs be in the first tier? How? Seeing the tiers recently its obvious why I see the Blazers online so much, a tier 3 team? Yeah right...anyone looking to exploit the current system would be a fool not to use them and benefit from extra wins. And I finally see why I never see the Bucks or Charlotte. Tier 1 is seriously pushing it for Charlotte, and flat-out wrong for the Bucks. In my mind Tier 1 squads are championship contenders: GS, SA, CLE, OKC, LAC. Tier 2? Playoff teams, and teams that missed the playoffs due to injuries.....maybe. Tier 3 squads are lower level teams that won't make the playoffs. Ask yourself: Why is WAS in Tier 1? They couldn't even post a winning record in the weaker east. There needs to be a serious accounting of their ratings and how tiers are determined when the Wizards are considered a top tier squad.
Bruce and I had a cool idea regarding Online Seasons a year ago, i'm gonna run it by you guys with a few revisions and see what you guys think. More info later.
I watch NBA playoff games and continue to see why its a bad idea to try to block EVERYTHING with ANYONE.....but particularly jump-shots, 2K has to better display this. Who decided that blocking shots on the perimeter...and having success...was like....a thing? Its one of the most egregious disparities between real-life basketball and what we see on the virtual court.
Anyway, look for Part 3 on my observations of playoff basketball and how it relates to 2K in the future. I'll see you guys soon.
Be Well,
Kushmir
No comments:
Post a Comment