NBA 2K14 Roster Analysis 10/29/13 - Opening Night

This is just another piss-poor opening night from 2K Sports.  This is nearly as bad as last year's horrific opening night roster!  2K bamboozled all of you with their "Dynamic Rosters" and "Stats Inc" rhetoric.  It's still the same crap.

I for one am anxious to see what EA Sports and NBA Live is capable of in the roster department.  2K Sports can't even get current-gen right; should we REALLY have any faith that they'll get next-gen right?

If you want REAL NBA 2K14 rosters rather than this lackluster effort then I suggest you download my opening night roster file for XBox 360
The Real NBA 2K14 (10-29-13)
Just search for Gamertag on 2K Share: Real 2K Insider

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RATING CHANGES - 5
Paul George (89/SF), Byron Mullens (66/C), and Tony Wroten (63/PG) changed positions which resulted in an Overall rating change, but had no actual attribute changes.  C.J. Miles (71/SG) also changed positions but his Overall remains unchanged.

Darren Collison
80 Overall (+1)
40 Dunk (+12)
78 Vertical (+18)

Antawn Jamison
75 Overall (-1)
50 Vertical (-16)

2K Sports saw fit to lower Jamison's Vertical but saw ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG with his 90 OFFENSIVE AWARENESS or 90 CONSISTENCY.  Aaaaaaaaalllllrighty then.

Quincy Pondexter
66 Overall (-1)
35 Hustle (-40)
79 Potential (+6)

This restores Pondexter's Hustle back to it's nonsensical 2K13 value.

Alex Len
62 Overall (+5)
66 Dunk (+5)
48 Fade (+8)
62 Hook (+11)
31 Pass (+2)
79 Block (+1)
54 OBD (+6)
61 OffPost (+11)
69 DefPost (+7)
52 OffAwr (+8)
73 DefAwr (+10)
58 Quickness (+3)

Len averaged a team-low 2.8 points and team-high 3.8 fouls in the preseason, so one can only wonder what 2K Sports is basing this on.  Oh right, Gortat was traded.  Remind me what that has to do with Len?   Plumlee will be starting.  If 2K felt this way about Len, it should have been reflected well before any trade.

Klay Thompson
75 Overall (+2)
82 Layup (+3)
83 SOD (+5)
83 OffAwr (+3)
64 DefAwr (+3)
75 Consistency (+5)
78 Speed (+3)
78 Quickness (+5)

83 Shoot Off Dribble for a player who was assisted on 83% of his field goals last season.  Makes sense.

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PLAYERS ADDED - 1
Gani Lawal (56/PF) - 76ers

Lawal is re-added to the game (he was still on the disc, having been in 2K13's roster), but in typical 2K Sports fashion, they did this AFTER he was waived.

MISSING PLAYERS - 26  (last year: 30)
Hollis Thompson (SF) - 76ers
Brandon Davies (PF) - 76ers
James Southerland (SF) - Bobcats
Miroslav Raduljica (C) - Bucks
Matthew Dellavedova (PG) - Cavaliers
Henry Sims (C) - Cavaliers
Phil Pressey (PG) - Celtics
Vitor Faverani (C) - Celtics
Nick Calathes (PG) - Grizzlies
Pero Antic (C) - Hawks
Ian Clark (SG) - Jazz
Mike Harris (SF) - Jazz
Hamady N'Diaye (C) - Kings
Chris Smith (PG) - Knicks
Toure Murry (SG) - Knicks
Elias Harris (PF) - Lakers
Ryan Kelly (PF) - Lakers
Gal Mekel (PG) - Mavericks
Arnize Onuaku (PF) - Pelicans
Luigi Datome (SF) - Pistons
Dwight Buycks (PG) - Raptors
Julyan Stone (PG) - Raptors
Robert Covington (SF) - Rockets
Dionte Christmas (SG) - Suns
Robbie Hummel (SF) - Timberwolves
Ognjen Kuzmic (C) - Warriors

A few of these players have been signed for a while to guaranteed contracts and there's absolutely no good reason for them to be missing one month until the game's release.  The rest made their teams in preseason and it's anyone's guess if 2K will ever add any of them.  Last year it took 2K Sports SIX MONTHS to add Kent Bazemore.

PLAYER MOVEMENT
Jamaal Tinsley (PG) - Jazz (from Free Agents)
Emeka Okafor (C) - Suns (from Wizards)
Marcin Gortat (C) - Wizards (from Suns)
Royce White (PF) Free Agents (from 76ers)
Jeremy Tyler (PF) Free Agents (from Knicks)
Marcus Camby (C) - Free Agents (from Rockets)
Shannon Brown (SG) - Free Agents (from Suns)
Malcolm Lee (SG) - Free Agents (from Suns)
Kendall Marshall (PG) - Free Agents (from Suns)

PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS - 13 (last year: 18)
Gani Lawal (PF) - 76ers (should be Free Agent)
Reggie Williams (SF) - Rockets (should be Free Agent)
Chris Johnson (C) - Timberwolves (should be Free Agent)
Darius Morris (PG) - Free Agent (should be 76ers)
Mike James (PG) - Free Agent (should be Bulls)
Roger Mason (SG) - Free Agent (should be Heat)
Cole Aldrich (C) - Free Agent (should be Knicks)
Solomon Jones (C) - Free Agent (should be Magic)
Donald Sloan (PG) - Free Agent (should be Pacers)
Rasual Butler (SF) - Free Agent (should be Pacers)
Ronnie Brewer (SG) - Free Agent (should be Rockets)
Ish Smith (PG) - Free Agent (should be Suns)
A.J. Price (PG) - Free Agent (should be Timberwolves)

2K Sports should be ashamed of themselves.  It's well known that regular season rosters are finalized the day before the game comes out.  These moves are now official in the eyes of everyone besides 2K Sports.

INCORRECT LINEUPS - 10 (last year: 6)
Bobcats: Cody Zeller starting over Josh McRoberts
Cavaliers: Alonzo Gee starting over Earl Clark
Celtics: Kelly Olynyk starting over LOL OH WAIT VITOR FAVERANI NOT PRESENT
Hawks: John Jenkins starting over DeMarre Carroll (Korver shifting to SG)
Jazz: Alec Burks starting over Richard Jefferson (Hayward shifting to SG)
Kings: Luc Mbah a Moute and Jason Thompson starting over John Salmons and Patrick Patterson
Lakers: Jodie Meeks and Chris Kaman starting over Steve Blake and Shawne Williams (Gasol shifting to C)
Magic: Glen Davis starting over Kyle O'Quinn (Davis is injured)
Pelicans: Tyreke Evans starting over Al-Farouq Aminu
Suns: Gerald Green starting over P.J. Tucker

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INJURIES - 33
Jason Richardson (73/SG) - 76ers
Nerlens Noel (71/C) - 76ers
Arnett Moultrie (60/PF) - 76ers
Brendan Haywood (64/C) - Bobcats
Ekpe Udoh (67/C) - Bucks
Andrew Bynum (86/C) - Cavaliers
Carrick Felix (68/SG) - Cavaliers
Tyler Zeller (65/C) - Cavaliers
Rajon Rondo (90/PG) - Celtics
Maalik Wayns (63/PG) - Clippers
Louis Williams (79/SG) - Hawks
Gustavo Ayon (64/C) - Hawks
Trey Burke (73/PG) - Jazz
Brandon Rush (71/SG) - Jazz
Marvin Williams (65/SF) - Jazz
Carl Landry (76/PF) - Kings
J.R. Smith (84/SG) - Knicks
Kobe Bryant (93/SG) - Lakers
Devin Harris (76/PG) - Mavericks
Brandan Wright (68/C) - Mavericks
Tornike Shengelia (59/SF) - Nets
Danilo Gallinari (76/SF) - Nuggets
Danny Granger (80/SF) - Pacers
Darius Miller (64/SF) - Pelicans
Brandon Jennings (83/PG) - Pistons
Terrence Jones (64/PF) - Rockets
Emeka Okafor (77/C) - Suns
Russell Westbrook (91/PG) - Thunder
Chase Budinger (69/SF) - Timberwolves
C.J. McCollum (72/SG) - Trail Blazers
Festus Ezeli (63/C) - Warriors
Chris Singleton (67/PF) - Wizards
Marcus Camby (71/C) - Free Agents

INCORRECT INJURIES - 1
Terrence Jones (64/PF) - Rockets: (Day-to-day)

MISSING INJURIES - 4
Kwame Brown (60/C) - 76ers
Carlos Delfino (69/SF) - Bucks
Glen Davis (75/PF) - Magic
Jeremy Tyler (63/PF) - Free Agents

2K brings it's dreaded injuries back (making this roster and any further releases USELESS to any custom roster editors), but it shouldn't surprise anyone that they missed a couple.

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NBA 2K claims to be the #1 sports simulation but such a claim would require paying attention to the details. I read an article today on Knickerblogger that I think completely applies here.  2K's roster work is a continued blight upon the series and prevents it from being a TRUE champion.  Just because NBA Live hasn't released a game in 3 years, doesn't mean 2K has been releasing perfect 10/10 titles.  Far from it.  They have been getting by and doing just enough to keep their fans sated.  Just being "good enough" isn't (and never should be) "good enough".  I sincerely hope EA Sports manages to give 2K Sports a swift kick in the ass and remind them that anyone is beatable if they're not putting forth the effort.