Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Notice to creeps, stalkers, jilted lovers, etc.
I received this email on January 20, 2012.
Dear "Rashidi" (real name withheld by R2KI),
I would like to know if you can create a 2006 roster update, a 2007 roster update. a 2008 roster update, a 2009 roster update, a 2010 roster update, and a 2011 roster update for MVP Baseball 2005 on my Memory Card for Playstation 2?. I would also like to know how much the total of all these roster updates will cost. I would like to know how many Memory Cards it will require for the 2006 roster update, the 2007 roster update, the 2008 roster update, the 2009 roster update, the 2010 roster update, and the 2011 roster update for MVP Baseball 2005 on Playstation 2 to be installed. I have read online that you have all of these roster updates available. I would like to know if this is true? I also would like to know how long it will take for you to create the 2006 roster update, the 2007 roster update, the 2008 roster update, the 2009 roster update, the 2010 roster update, and the 2011 roster update for MVP Baseball 2005 for Playstation 2? I have also read online that you have all of these roster updates available for Playstation 2. I would like to know if you can make the completion of the 2006 roster update, the 2007 roster update, the 2008 roster update, the 2009 roster update, the 2010 roster update, and the 2011 roster update possible for MVP Baseball 2005 on Playstation 2? Finally, I would like to know how I will be able to send you the memory card and/or memory cards with the money, and what I will have to write on the envelope? Could you please email me back at scherijc@comcast.net with the answers to all of these questions later today or tomorrow?
Thank you,
James Scheri
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I ONLY offered it up until the 2007 season and stopped after that. It is not written anywhere online that I continued to offer this service anywhere beyond that. I kinda pity anyone who still wants to play MVP Baseball with updated rosters after 6 years. The game is ancient, with inferior mechanics to current gen baseball titles (that includes the widely panned MLB 2K). Frankly, I'm not even a baseball fan anymore, but that's a story for another day.
I don't check my email on a daily basis, so actually I received the followup email at the same time.
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Dear "Rashidi",
Can you please write back to me the company that you work for and your street address? (Copy and pasted body of original message) Finally, I would like to know how I will be able to send you the memory card and/or memory cards with the money, and what I will have to write on the envelope? I also would like to know if I could give you sixty dollars in an envelope along with the memory cards? Could you please email me back at scherijc@comcast.net with the answers to all of these questions later today on January 21, 2012 or tomorrow on January 22, 2012, if possible?
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Now, reading this message, my jaw dropped. 60 dolllars for roster files? If only I actually had the files this guy were asking for.
Now at this point you may be wondering "Rashidi, why didn't you just email him back and say you didn't offer those services?" Well, to be honest I felt like I was being scammed and didn't want to give it the time of day. If it's too good to be true, then it probably is. If someone is offering $60 for roster files it's probably because they think they can make a ton more money with those same files. Even if I HAD the files I probably would not consent just based on the presentation. The guy had a deadline for when I needed to get back to him by, and also asked what company I worked for, which ultimately creeped me out. Thus, I disregarded it.
Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. A few days later I get a note from my father.
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James Scheri called. He sent you several e-mails and didn't get a reply. His email address is scheri@comcast.net. Sending you a memory card for roster.
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My family owns a two-family house. My parents are elderly and live on the first floor while I rent out the 2nd floor. I do not use the same phone line. I have a cellphone and have no need for a landline. Involving my family in my affairs is just really annoying to me (there's a reason I am renting, I am a grown-ass man). Consequently, I have NEVER given out my home phone number online. It's not my phone number. You will not reach me there.
However in a public search, it would probably show up as my registered phone number. Searching for someone's telephone number because you want a roster file for an 8 year old video game is EXTREMELY invasive (not to mention desperate, since I imagine you have to PAY FOR IT). In the same amount of time spent searching my info, this guy could have very easily found (in all likelihood) BETTER files online that would be free, or considerably cheaper than a self-quoted price of $60, plus shipping, plus memory card cost, plus the cost of searching my personal information online.
I did not return his call or email him back. I figured he would get the hint. Unfortunately, I was clearly dealing with a special breed of moron.
Today I received an envelope sent Delivery Confirmation from Mr. James Scheri. I NEVER GAVE OUT MY ADDRESS, nor did I ever give out my consent to send a memory card. Beyond invasive, this is just pure stupidity. I did not open the padded envelope to check it's contents but there is probably $60 inside if the guy is true to his word. In the year 2012, who in their right mind is dumb enough to send 60 dollars to someone who won't even return your email or phone call?
Better still, the package is sent from Somerville, MA 02145. However the return address lists W,H,P,O,BI 95153. Searching the zipcode leads me to Moscow, OH. Whatever.
An hour later my mother is knocking on my door to let me know that James Scheri is on the phone asking about his memory card. ARE YOU SERIOUS? *Facepalm* I go downstairs and she hands me the telephone. This has gone too far. I hang it up. He calls back and I disconnect the phone.
I'm not opening the package. I could probably get away with just opening up the package, selling the card on ebay, and pocketing the money. That's not who I am, nor who I will ever be, even if this guy has gone to great lengths to piss me off. I am going to the post office tomorrow to "Return to Sender" and wash my hands of it. The $2.80 this guy wasted on postage should be lesson enough. As well as the fact that I just shared all of this information on the internet. Oops.
To all fans of my work: In the future, if I do not respond to your emails, there is probably a very good reason for it. I am either busy, did not check it, or feel responding to your insanity would be a futile waste of time. Please do not look up my contact information, even if you wish to send cash, checks, or gifted goods to my address. If you are that desperate to get my attention, donations can be made by clicking the button at the top right of my blog.
Thank you.
Rashidi
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
NBA 2K12 Rookie Rating Analysis
As of 1/7/12 there are 5 second round picks who have signed contracts but have not been added to 2K's roster yet. There are numerous players who made their teams out of training camp that have not been added to 2K's roster yet.
MISSING SECOND ROUNDERS
Charles Jenkins (Warriors, 44th Overall)
Vernon Mackwell (Pistons, 52nd Overall)
DeAndre Liggins (Magic, 53rd Overall)
E'Twain Moore (Celtics, 55th Overall)
Isaiah Thomas (Kings, 60th Overall)
OTHER MISSING ROOKIES
Cory Higgins (Bobcats)
Darington Hobson (Bucks)
Mychel Thompson (Cavaliers)
Greg Stiemsma (Celtics)
Jeremy Pargo (Grizzlies)
Ivan Johnson (Hawks)
Donald Sloan (Hawks)
Terrel Harris (Heat)
Mickell Gladness (Heat)
Carldell Johnson (Hornets)
Lance Thomas (Hornets) - Waived
Gustavo Ayon (Hornets)
Jerome Jordan (Knicks)
Dennis Horner (Nets)
Julyan Stone (Nuggets)
Malcolm Thomas (Spurs)
Ryan Reid (Thunder)
Chris Wright (Warriors)
2011 FIRST ROUND
MISSING SECOND ROUNDERS
Charles Jenkins (Warriors, 44th Overall)
Vernon Mackwell (Pistons, 52nd Overall)
DeAndre Liggins (Magic, 53rd Overall)
E'Twain Moore (Celtics, 55th Overall)
Isaiah Thomas (Kings, 60th Overall)
OTHER MISSING ROOKIES
Cory Higgins (Bobcats)
Darington Hobson (Bucks)
Mychel Thompson (Cavaliers)
Greg Stiemsma (Celtics)
Jeremy Pargo (Grizzlies)
Ivan Johnson (Hawks)
Donald Sloan (Hawks)
Terrel Harris (Heat)
Mickell Gladness (Heat)
Carldell Johnson (Hornets)
Lance Thomas (Hornets) - Waived
Gustavo Ayon (Hornets)
Jerome Jordan (Knicks)
Dennis Horner (Nets)
Julyan Stone (Nuggets)
Malcolm Thomas (Spurs)
Ryan Reid (Thunder)
Chris Wright (Warriors)
2011 FIRST ROUND
Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers, 1st Overall) 76/PG - Added 12/12
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: A-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: A-
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: B
Athleticism: B+
Potential: 89
These ratings were actually well done by 2K Sports. I agree with the vast majority of them. Irving is unlikely to be an all-star right off the bat, but there is little doubt that he is Cleveland's best player and the best player in the 2011 draft right now. He should be the favorite for Rookie of the Year as long as he gets enough minutes. There are many similarities between Irving and rookie Chris Paul. Whether or not he develops along the same track will be revealed with time.
Derrick Williams (Timberwolves, 2nd Overall) 71/PF - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: B
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: D
Post Defense: C
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: C
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 88
Williams has a lot in common with teammate and former #2 pick Michael Beasley. Beasley started off his career as a PF, and is currently the inefficient starting SF of a bad lottery team. Williams should look to avoid this career trajectory, but he may not have the skillset to avoid being a glorified tweener. If he plays well, it should force the Timberwolves to trade Beasley rather than sign him to a contract extension - a move that would not bode well for Williams' development. Williams (along with Irving) was the first player edited by 2K this year, getting slight boosts to Dunk, Speed, Quickness, and Vertical (Irving saw a boost to his Dunk), leading to +1 Overall (71).
Enes Kanter (Jazz, 3rd Overall) 63/C - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: D-
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: B-
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: B
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: D+
Potential: 82
While Kanter's rating might seem low (due to 2K not knowing how to properly rate centers), he actually ranks 35th among centers. He is a bit of a mystery this year and it's anyone's guess just how effective he will actually be.
Tristan Thompson (Cavaliers, 4th Overall) 66/PF - Added 12/12
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: C-
Post Defense: B-
Ball Handling: D-
Rebounding: C+
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 77
TT is very raw and was a bit of a stretch at the #4 pick. He'll step into a starting role after Antawn Jamison is traded/waived mid-season, but it probably won't be pretty. 76 Dunk, 78 Block, 76 Defensive Awareness make him a poor man's Tyrus Thomas.
Jan Vesley (Wizards, 6th Overall) 63/SF - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: C
Outside Scoring: C
Perimeter Defense: C+
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: C-
Rebounding: C-
Basketball IQ: C
Athleticism: C+
Potential: 80
A lot of analysts seem to be high on Vesley so I'm not sure where 2K got their assessment from. He is considerably worse than fellow Wizard rookie SF Chris Singleton (18th, 67). 2K essentially has Vesley pegged as a less athletic Singleton. It's a mistake to sleep on him, and this could be a player whose rating drastically rises as the season goes on. Vesley could of course make 2K look very smart by not earning anything more than spot minutes in a crowded Wizard front court, but I think the odds of him being better than Singleton are pretty good.
Bismack Biyombo (Bobcats, 7th Overall) 55/PF - Added 12/22
Inside Scoring: C-
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: D+
Post Defense: B
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: C+
Basketball IQ: C-
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 72
Well, I'll give it to 2K Sports. Reports on Biyombo say he is raw offensively, and they certainly made him so. Every single one of Biyombo's Abilities is rated "Poor". Biyombo isn't completely worthless in the post, however. When he wasn't turning the ball over, he managed to finish his post-up plays (63% FG, 1st). As the last first rounder to be added to the roster, I'm sure the Insider was just sick of whatever scouting he/she/it puts it and wanted to get him out of the way.
Brandon Knight (Pistons, 8th Overall) 67/PG - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: A-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: A-
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: B
Athleticism: B+
Potential: 89
These ratings were actually well done by 2K Sports. I agree with the vast majority of them. Irving is unlikely to be an all-star right off the bat, but there is little doubt that he is Cleveland's best player and the best player in the 2011 draft right now. He should be the favorite for Rookie of the Year as long as he gets enough minutes. There are many similarities between Irving and rookie Chris Paul. Whether or not he develops along the same track will be revealed with time.
Derrick Williams (Timberwolves, 2nd Overall) 71/PF - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: B
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: D
Post Defense: C
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: C
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 88
Williams has a lot in common with teammate and former #2 pick Michael Beasley. Beasley started off his career as a PF, and is currently the inefficient starting SF of a bad lottery team. Williams should look to avoid this career trajectory, but he may not have the skillset to avoid being a glorified tweener. If he plays well, it should force the Timberwolves to trade Beasley rather than sign him to a contract extension - a move that would not bode well for Williams' development. Williams (along with Irving) was the first player edited by 2K this year, getting slight boosts to Dunk, Speed, Quickness, and Vertical (Irving saw a boost to his Dunk), leading to +1 Overall (71).
Enes Kanter (Jazz, 3rd Overall) 63/C - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: D-
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: B-
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: B
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: D+
Potential: 82
While Kanter's rating might seem low (due to 2K not knowing how to properly rate centers), he actually ranks 35th among centers. He is a bit of a mystery this year and it's anyone's guess just how effective he will actually be.
Tristan Thompson (Cavaliers, 4th Overall) 66/PF - Added 12/12
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: C-
Post Defense: B-
Ball Handling: D-
Rebounding: C+
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 77
TT is very raw and was a bit of a stretch at the #4 pick. He'll step into a starting role after Antawn Jamison is traded/waived mid-season, but it probably won't be pretty. 76 Dunk, 78 Block, 76 Defensive Awareness make him a poor man's Tyrus Thomas.
Jan Vesley (Wizards, 6th Overall) 63/SF - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: C
Outside Scoring: C
Perimeter Defense: C+
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: C-
Rebounding: C-
Basketball IQ: C
Athleticism: C+
Potential: 80
A lot of analysts seem to be high on Vesley so I'm not sure where 2K got their assessment from. He is considerably worse than fellow Wizard rookie SF Chris Singleton (18th, 67). 2K essentially has Vesley pegged as a less athletic Singleton. It's a mistake to sleep on him, and this could be a player whose rating drastically rises as the season goes on. Vesley could of course make 2K look very smart by not earning anything more than spot minutes in a crowded Wizard front court, but I think the odds of him being better than Singleton are pretty good.
Bismack Biyombo (Bobcats, 7th Overall) 55/PF - Added 12/22
Inside Scoring: C-
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: D+
Post Defense: B
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: C+
Basketball IQ: C-
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 72
Well, I'll give it to 2K Sports. Reports on Biyombo say he is raw offensively, and they certainly made him so. Every single one of Biyombo's Abilities is rated "Poor". Biyombo isn't completely worthless in the post, however. When he wasn't turning the ball over, he managed to finish his post-up plays (63% FG, 1st). As the last first rounder to be added to the roster, I'm sure the Insider was just sick of whatever scouting he/she/it puts it and wanted to get him out of the way.
Brandon Knight (Pistons, 8th Overall) 67/PG - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B
Potential: 81
Knight is a young scoring point with only average playmaking ability and suspect defense. His defense should improve with time, but unless he also improves his scoring efficiency and passing, he's looking at a sixth man type career.
Kemba Walker (Bobcats, 9th Overall) 76/PG - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: B
Outside Scoring: B
Perimeter Defense: B
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: A-
Rebounding: D
Basketball IQ: B+
Athleticism: A
Potential: 85
Kemba is tied w/ Irving for highest rated player in the draft class. He is also two years older, which means his ceiling isn't nearly as high. Walker's pass rating might be slightly overrated (70), but his steal rating is as well. Irving and Walker registered 3.0 STL% in college, yet are separated by 10 points (Irving 75, Walker 65).
Jimmer Fredette (Kings, 10th Overall) 63/PG - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: A-
Perimeter Defense: C
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B-
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B
Potential: 80
2K Sports agreed with me (and most credible NBA analysts) deducing that Jimmer was one of the most over-hyped players in the country, suffering heavily from Adam Morrison & J.J. Redick "Unathletic player overly popular due to whiteness" syndrome. His defense is embarrassingly bad, so bad that it's difficult to ever envision him becoming a starting caliber player. His offensive skills will remind many Kings fans of prime-Mike Bibby, but his defense will remind many fans of... well, Mike Bibby (modern version, sadly).
Klay Thompson (Warriors, 11th Overall) 65/SG - Added 12/15
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: A-
Perimeter Defense: C
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: C
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: C+
Alec Burks (Jazz, 12th Overall) 70/SG - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: D-
Ball Handling: B-
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B+
Markieff Morris (Suns, 13th Overall) 66/PF - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: D
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: B
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: C
Potential: 70
While Markieff's ratings might be accurate, having better ratings than Channing Frye and Hakim Warrick is not. He won't be the team's starting PF just yet.
Marcus Morris (Rockets, 14th Overall) - 63/PF - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: D
Post Defense: C
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: C-
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: C
Potential: 72
It's interesting to me that Marcus was the higher regarded of the Morris' brothers yet rates 3 points behind Markieff. They have very simiar ratings aside from rebounding, where Marcus trails his brother by a large margin.
Kawhi Leonard (Spurs, 15th Overall) 72/SF - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: D+
Perimeter Defense: B
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: C
Rebounding: B
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: A-
Potential: 68
Spurs fans have been pushing for Leonard to replace Richard Jefferson in the starting lineup since the minute they acquired him. I however, don't see it that way. Jefferson has become one of the league's most underrated players. The corner three has always been important to the San Antonio attack. RJ isn't a great defender, but he's certainly not a BAD one by any stretch, and he is miles better than Leonard offensively. The Spurs will hope that Leonard's defense is good enough to make a noticeable difference, and that they can get away with him in a lineup that already includes DaJuan Blair. I would look for Leonard to be paired in the 2nd unit with Matt Bonner since their deficiencies compliment each other well (or for Bonner to start alongside Leonard).
Nikola Vucevic (76ers, 16th Overall) 57/C - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: D-
Rebounding: B-
Basketball IQ: C-
Athleticism: D
Potential: 66
Vucevic is a shooting center, which never translates well with 2K's flawed overall formula for centers. I was not incredibly high on this pick for Philly as they already have two centers who provide this skill (Hawes and Speights) and were basically just covering their butts in the event Spencer Hawes got an absurd offer sheet the team didn't want to match. Tough to see Vucevic making much of a contribution his rookie season, but could easily be the team's starter a year from now.
Iman Shumpert (Knicks, 17th Overall) 69/PG - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: C
Perimeter Defense: A-
Post Defense: D-
Ball Handling: B
Rebounding: D
Basketball IQ: B
Athleticism: A
Potential: 63
As I type this, Shumpert expressed happiness w/ his rating via twitter, and I am inclined to agree with him.
@I_Am_Iman Your steals rating could be higher, but don't worry, you'll show them.
Shumpert should be somewhere between Rajon Rondo and Russell Westbrook's rookie seasons. He has a lot of sleeper potential and could steal the starting job of either Toney Douglas or Landry Fields.
Chris Singleton (Wizards, 18th Overall) 67/SF - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: C-
Outside Scoring: C+
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: B-
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: C+
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B
Potential: 60
Singleton's ball handling is particularly bad for a SF and makes him more of a tweener than a legit wing player. Hopefully he can carve out a better career than Renaldo Balkman did. With only 60 potential, that may not be very likely in 2K.
Tobias Harris (Bucks, 19th Overall) 65/SF - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: D+
Post Defense: C-
Ball Handling: D+
Rebounding: C
Basketball IQ: C
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 62
While not a rookie observation, Harris is a teenager 10 years younger than Carlos Delfino: a wing who is in his prime, has started the last two years (about to make it three). These players are both rated 65 overall. Harris isn't the one with the bad rating here.
Nolan Smith (Trail Blazers, 21st Overall) 71/SG - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: B
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B
Potential: 75
I'm puzzled as to why 2K Sports listed Smith as a SG rather than his natural PG position. He did play SG at Duke before Kyrie Irving's injury, but this was a situation similar to Jrue Holiday playing SG next to Darren Collison at UCLA a few years ago; he is clearly a PG in this league. Smith rates 67 at PG which is much more reflective of his overall ability (he ranks 26th among SG, only 3 spots behind starter Wesley Matthews who has a stranglehold on the starting job). Smith is expected to be the backup PG, rather than Armon Johnson who has all the makings of a career 3rd string.
Kenneth Faried (Nuggets, 22nd Overall) 70/PF - Added 12/12
Inside Scoring: C
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: B+
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: A-
Potential: 72
Faried will be an interesting role player, and is honestly one of the more difficult rookies to accurately rate. He played much of his career as an undersized center, which surely helped pad his gaudy rebound totals. It remains to be seen just how well Faried's rebounding ability will translate to the NBA, but if it's anything like what he did in college, it is definitely underrated by 2K right now.
Reggie Jackson (Thunder, 24th Overall) 68/PG - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: B
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: A-
Potential: 74
Jackson's ratings might be accurate, but I don't think he is capable of taking out Eric Maynor, who 2K seems to think will be OKC's 4th string.
MarShon Brooks (Nets, 25th Overall) 67/SG - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: C-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: C+
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B
Potential: 72
Refer to my analysis of Jimmer Fredette, take away his playmaking, and you have MarShon Brooks in a nutshell. Brooks MIGHT have a better future than Anthony Morrow, but he certainly isn't the better shooter. He's the type of "shot-happy, no-defense" type of player who could find himself out of the league quickly (think Morris Almond).
Jordan Hamilton (Nuggets, 26th Overall) 65/SF - Added 12/12
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: C
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: C+
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: C-
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 73
Hamilton has all the same qualities of Brooks and could take a similar career path. The difference is Brooks only has to go through Anthony Morrow right now, while Hamilton will be hard-pressed to take out Danilo Gallinari.
JaJuan Johnson (Celtics, 27th Overall) 66/PF - Added 12/16
Inside Scoring: C
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: B+
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: A-
Potential: 70
Johnson is a pretty good fit on the Celtics since he mimics Kevin Garnett's faceup game, but his slim frame will leave something to be desired on a team desperately seeking interior toughness. 75 Block is great, 55 Post Defense not so much.
Norris Cole (Heat, 28th Overall) 63/PG - Added 12/16
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B
Perimeter Defense: B
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B-
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B
Potential: 70
I think Norris Cole will be a decent backup PG in the league. He can score a bit and find teammates. However that isn't exactly what Miami needs out of their PG position. They need 3pt shooting and defense. Cole is decidedly average at both. Still, they could have done worse than replacing Carlos Arroyo with the 28th pick.
Cory Joseph (Spurs, 29th Overall) 59/PG - Added 12/19
Inside Scoring: C-
Outside Scoring: B
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B-
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B
Potential: 70
Jimmy Butler (Bulls, 30th Overall) 67/SF - Added 12/16
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: C+
Post Defense: C-
Ball Handling: C+
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B
Potential: 70
Butler is sort of a jack-of-all trades, master of none. He won't see much playing time in Chicago (especially for a team that apparently can't find room for Keith Bogans on it's roster), but will see playing time if Luol Deng ever gets hurt.
2011 SECOND ROUND
Justin Harper (Magic, 32nd Overall) - Added 12/22
Inside Scoring: C
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: D
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: D+
Athleticism: C-
Potential: 68
Shelvin Mack (Wizards, 34th Overall) 63/PG - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: B
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: C+
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: A-
Potential: 69
Tyler Honeycutt (Kings, 35th Overall) 65/SF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B
Perimeter Defense: C
Post Defense: C-
Ball Handling: C-
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B
Potential: 67
Jordan Williams (Nets, 36th Overall) 55/PF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: C
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: B
Basketball IQ: D
Athleticism: C-
Potential: 70
Trey Thompkins (Clippers, 37th Overall) 58/PF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: C+
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: C
Basketball IQ: C-
Athleticism: C-
Potential: 72
Chandler Parsons (Rockets, 38th Overall) 61/SF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C-
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: C
Post Defense: D-
Ball Handling: C
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: C
Athleticism: C
Potential: 70
Jeremy Tyler (Warriors, 39th Overall) 55/PF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C-
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: B-
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: C+
Basketball IQ: D+
Athleticism: C
Potential: 68
Jan Leuer (Bucks, 40th Overall) 57/PF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: D-
Post Defense: D
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: C+
Basketball IQ: D+
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 70
Darius Morris (Lakers, 41st Overall) 63/PG - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C
Outside Scoring: C
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B+
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B
Potential: 72
Malcolm Lee (Timberwolves, 43rd Overall) 65/SG - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: D+
Outside Scoring: D+
Perimeter Defense: C+
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: D+
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: C
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 67
Lee's grades are not available until he recovers from injury. It is still inexplicable to me why 2K feels the need to injure players when it is a far better gameplay decision to simply move them to the inactive roster (where the player goes whether they have an uneditable injury or not). Injuries do not carry over to any Associations and are only applicable to Quick Games.
Josh Harrellson (Knicks, 45th Overall) 50/C - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: C+
Basketball IQ: D+
Athleticism: D+
Potential: 60
Andrew Goudelock (Lakers, 46th Overall) 57/PG -Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: C+
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: C-
Athleticism: B
Potential: 68
Travis Leslie (Clippers, 47th Overall) 63/SG - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C-
Outside Scoring: D+
Perimeter Defense: B+
Post Defense: C-
Ball Handling: C-
Rebounding: D
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: A-
Potential:
Josh Selby (Grizzlies, 49th Overall) 56/PG - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: C+
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: C+
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: D+
Athleticism: B+
Potential: 67
Lavoy Allen (76ers, 50th Overall) 57/PF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: C
Perimeter Defense: D+
Post Defense: C-
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: C
Basketball IQ: C-
Athleticism: C-
Potential: 65
OTHER ROOKIES
Ricky Rubio (Timberwolves, 2009 Draft) - Original Roster
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: C+
Perimeter Defense: C
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: A-
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 88
POINT GUARDS
76 - Kyrie Irving
76 - Kemba Walker
69 - Iman Shumpert
67 - Brandon Knight
67 - Ricky Rubio (2009 Draft)
63 - Jimmer Fredette
63 - Norris Cole
63 - Shelvin Mack
63 - Darius Morris
59 - Cory Joseph
57 - Andrew Goudelock
56 - Josh Selby
SHOOTING GUARDS
71 - Nolan Smith
70 - Alec Burks
67 - MarShon Brooks
65 - Klay Thompson
65 - Malcolm Lee
63 - Travis Leslie
SMALL FORWARDS
72 - Kawhi Leonard
67 - Chris Singleton
67 - Jimmy Butler
65 - Tobias Harris
65 - Jordan Hamilton
65 - Tyler Honeycutt
63 - Jan Vesley
61 - Chandler Parsons
POWER FORWARDS
71 - Derrick Williams (+1)
70 - Kenneth Faried
66 - Tristan Thompson
66 - Markieff Morris
66 - JaJuan Johnson
63 - Marcus Morris
58 - Trey Thompkins
57 - Jan Leuer
57 - Lavoy Allen
55 - Bismack Biyombo
55 - Jordan Williams
55 - Jeremy Tyler
54 - Justin Harper
CENTERS
63 - Enes Kanter
57 - Nikola Vucevic
50 - Josh Harrellson
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B
Potential: 81
Knight is a young scoring point with only average playmaking ability and suspect defense. His defense should improve with time, but unless he also improves his scoring efficiency and passing, he's looking at a sixth man type career.
Kemba Walker (Bobcats, 9th Overall) 76/PG - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: B
Outside Scoring: B
Perimeter Defense: B
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: A-
Rebounding: D
Basketball IQ: B+
Athleticism: A
Potential: 85
Kemba is tied w/ Irving for highest rated player in the draft class. He is also two years older, which means his ceiling isn't nearly as high. Walker's pass rating might be slightly overrated (70), but his steal rating is as well. Irving and Walker registered 3.0 STL% in college, yet are separated by 10 points (Irving 75, Walker 65).
Jimmer Fredette (Kings, 10th Overall) 63/PG - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: A-
Perimeter Defense: C
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B-
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B
Potential: 80
2K Sports agreed with me (and most credible NBA analysts) deducing that Jimmer was one of the most over-hyped players in the country, suffering heavily from Adam Morrison & J.J. Redick "Unathletic player overly popular due to whiteness" syndrome. His defense is embarrassingly bad, so bad that it's difficult to ever envision him becoming a starting caliber player. His offensive skills will remind many Kings fans of prime-Mike Bibby, but his defense will remind many fans of... well, Mike Bibby (modern version, sadly).
Klay Thompson (Warriors, 11th Overall) 65/SG - Added 12/15
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: A-
Perimeter Defense: C
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: C
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: C+
Potential: 76
Thompson's outside shooting and poor defense will fit in on a Warriors team that seeks out both. He should get big minutes replacing Reggie Williams on the team.
Thompson's outside shooting and poor defense will fit in on a Warriors team that seeks out both. He should get big minutes replacing Reggie Williams on the team.
Alec Burks (Jazz, 12th Overall) 70/SG - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: D-
Ball Handling: B-
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B+
Potential: 75
Burks will give the team his best Ronnie Brewer impression, and I would easily start him over Gordon Hayward. Guess we'll find out whether or not I'm smarter than Tyrone Corbin soon enough.
Markieff Morris (Suns, 13th Overall) 66/PF - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: D
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: B
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: C
Potential: 70
While Markieff's ratings might be accurate, having better ratings than Channing Frye and Hakim Warrick is not. He won't be the team's starting PF just yet.
Marcus Morris (Rockets, 14th Overall) - 63/PF - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: D
Post Defense: C
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: C-
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: C
Potential: 72
It's interesting to me that Marcus was the higher regarded of the Morris' brothers yet rates 3 points behind Markieff. They have very simiar ratings aside from rebounding, where Marcus trails his brother by a large margin.
Kawhi Leonard (Spurs, 15th Overall) 72/SF - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: D+
Perimeter Defense: B
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: C
Rebounding: B
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: A-
Potential: 68
Spurs fans have been pushing for Leonard to replace Richard Jefferson in the starting lineup since the minute they acquired him. I however, don't see it that way. Jefferson has become one of the league's most underrated players. The corner three has always been important to the San Antonio attack. RJ isn't a great defender, but he's certainly not a BAD one by any stretch, and he is miles better than Leonard offensively. The Spurs will hope that Leonard's defense is good enough to make a noticeable difference, and that they can get away with him in a lineup that already includes DaJuan Blair. I would look for Leonard to be paired in the 2nd unit with Matt Bonner since their deficiencies compliment each other well (or for Bonner to start alongside Leonard).
Nikola Vucevic (76ers, 16th Overall) 57/C - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: D-
Rebounding: B-
Basketball IQ: C-
Athleticism: D
Potential: 66
Vucevic is a shooting center, which never translates well with 2K's flawed overall formula for centers. I was not incredibly high on this pick for Philly as they already have two centers who provide this skill (Hawes and Speights) and were basically just covering their butts in the event Spencer Hawes got an absurd offer sheet the team didn't want to match. Tough to see Vucevic making much of a contribution his rookie season, but could easily be the team's starter a year from now.
Iman Shumpert (Knicks, 17th Overall) 69/PG - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: C
Perimeter Defense: A-
Post Defense: D-
Ball Handling: B
Rebounding: D
Basketball IQ: B
Athleticism: A
Potential: 63
As I type this, Shumpert expressed happiness w/ his rating via twitter, and I am inclined to agree with him.
Shumpert should be somewhere between Rajon Rondo and Russell Westbrook's rookie seasons. He has a lot of sleeper potential and could steal the starting job of either Toney Douglas or Landry Fields.
Chris Singleton (Wizards, 18th Overall) 67/SF - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: C-
Outside Scoring: C+
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: B-
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: C+
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B
Potential: 60
Singleton's ball handling is particularly bad for a SF and makes him more of a tweener than a legit wing player. Hopefully he can carve out a better career than Renaldo Balkman did. With only 60 potential, that may not be very likely in 2K.
Tobias Harris (Bucks, 19th Overall) 65/SF - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: D+
Post Defense: C-
Ball Handling: D+
Rebounding: C
Basketball IQ: C
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 62
While not a rookie observation, Harris is a teenager 10 years younger than Carlos Delfino: a wing who is in his prime, has started the last two years (about to make it three). These players are both rated 65 overall. Harris isn't the one with the bad rating here.
Nolan Smith (Trail Blazers, 21st Overall) 71/SG - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: B
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B
Potential: 75
I'm puzzled as to why 2K Sports listed Smith as a SG rather than his natural PG position. He did play SG at Duke before Kyrie Irving's injury, but this was a situation similar to Jrue Holiday playing SG next to Darren Collison at UCLA a few years ago; he is clearly a PG in this league. Smith rates 67 at PG which is much more reflective of his overall ability (he ranks 26th among SG, only 3 spots behind starter Wesley Matthews who has a stranglehold on the starting job). Smith is expected to be the backup PG, rather than Armon Johnson who has all the makings of a career 3rd string.
Kenneth Faried (Nuggets, 22nd Overall) 70/PF - Added 12/12
Inside Scoring: C
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: B+
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: A-
Potential: 72
Faried will be an interesting role player, and is honestly one of the more difficult rookies to accurately rate. He played much of his career as an undersized center, which surely helped pad his gaudy rebound totals. It remains to be seen just how well Faried's rebounding ability will translate to the NBA, but if it's anything like what he did in college, it is definitely underrated by 2K right now.
Reggie Jackson (Thunder, 24th Overall) 68/PG - Added 12/14
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: B
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: A-
Potential: 74
Jackson's ratings might be accurate, but I don't think he is capable of taking out Eric Maynor, who 2K seems to think will be OKC's 4th string.
MarShon Brooks (Nets, 25th Overall) 67/SG - Added 12/13
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: C-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: C+
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B
Potential: 72
Refer to my analysis of Jimmer Fredette, take away his playmaking, and you have MarShon Brooks in a nutshell. Brooks MIGHT have a better future than Anthony Morrow, but he certainly isn't the better shooter. He's the type of "shot-happy, no-defense" type of player who could find himself out of the league quickly (think Morris Almond).
Jordan Hamilton (Nuggets, 26th Overall) 65/SF - Added 12/12
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: C
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: C+
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: C-
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 73
Hamilton has all the same qualities of Brooks and could take a similar career path. The difference is Brooks only has to go through Anthony Morrow right now, while Hamilton will be hard-pressed to take out Danilo Gallinari.
JaJuan Johnson (Celtics, 27th Overall) 66/PF - Added 12/16
Inside Scoring: C
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: B+
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: A-
Potential: 70
Johnson is a pretty good fit on the Celtics since he mimics Kevin Garnett's faceup game, but his slim frame will leave something to be desired on a team desperately seeking interior toughness. 75 Block is great, 55 Post Defense not so much.
Norris Cole (Heat, 28th Overall) 63/PG - Added 12/16
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B
Perimeter Defense: B
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B-
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B
Potential: 70
I think Norris Cole will be a decent backup PG in the league. He can score a bit and find teammates. However that isn't exactly what Miami needs out of their PG position. They need 3pt shooting and defense. Cole is decidedly average at both. Still, they could have done worse than replacing Carlos Arroyo with the 28th pick.
Cory Joseph (Spurs, 29th Overall) 59/PG - Added 12/19
Inside Scoring: C-
Outside Scoring: B
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B-
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B
Potential: 70
Jimmy Butler (Bulls, 30th Overall) 67/SF - Added 12/16
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: C+
Post Defense: C-
Ball Handling: C+
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B
Potential: 70
Butler is sort of a jack-of-all trades, master of none. He won't see much playing time in Chicago (especially for a team that apparently can't find room for Keith Bogans on it's roster), but will see playing time if Luol Deng ever gets hurt.
2011 SECOND ROUND
Justin Harper (Magic, 32nd Overall) - Added 12/22
Inside Scoring: C
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: D
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: D+
Athleticism: C-
Potential: 68
Shelvin Mack (Wizards, 34th Overall) 63/PG - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: B
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: C+
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: A-
Potential: 69
Tyler Honeycutt (Kings, 35th Overall) 65/SF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B
Perimeter Defense: C
Post Defense: C-
Ball Handling: C-
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B
Potential: 67
Jordan Williams (Nets, 36th Overall) 55/PF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: C
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: B
Basketball IQ: D
Athleticism: C-
Potential: 70
Trey Thompkins (Clippers, 37th Overall) 58/PF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: C+
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: C
Basketball IQ: C-
Athleticism: C-
Potential: 72
Chandler Parsons (Rockets, 38th Overall) 61/SF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C-
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: C
Post Defense: D-
Ball Handling: C
Rebounding: D+
Basketball IQ: C
Athleticism: C
Potential: 70
Jeremy Tyler (Warriors, 39th Overall) 55/PF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C-
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: B-
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: C+
Basketball IQ: D+
Athleticism: C
Potential: 68
Jan Leuer (Bucks, 40th Overall) 57/PF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B+
Perimeter Defense: D-
Post Defense: D
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: C+
Basketball IQ: D+
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 70
Darius Morris (Lakers, 41st Overall) 63/PG - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C
Outside Scoring: C
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: B+
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: B
Potential: 72
Malcolm Lee (Timberwolves, 43rd Overall) 65/SG - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: D+
Outside Scoring: D+
Perimeter Defense: C+
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: D+
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: C
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 67
Lee's grades are not available until he recovers from injury. It is still inexplicable to me why 2K feels the need to injure players when it is a far better gameplay decision to simply move them to the inactive roster (where the player goes whether they have an uneditable injury or not). Injuries do not carry over to any Associations and are only applicable to Quick Games.
Josh Harrellson (Knicks, 45th Overall) 50/C - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: F
Perimeter Defense: F
Post Defense: C+
Ball Handling: F
Rebounding: C+
Basketball IQ: D+
Athleticism: D+
Potential: 60
Andrew Goudelock (Lakers, 46th Overall) 57/PG -Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B
Perimeter Defense: B-
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: C+
Rebounding: D-
Basketball IQ: C-
Athleticism: B
Potential: 68
Travis Leslie (Clippers, 47th Overall) 63/SG - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C-
Outside Scoring: D+
Perimeter Defense: B+
Post Defense: C-
Ball Handling: C-
Rebounding: D
Basketball IQ: C+
Athleticism: A-
Potential:
Josh Selby (Grizzlies, 49th Overall) 56/PG - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: B-
Perimeter Defense: C+
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: C+
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: D+
Athleticism: B+
Potential: 67
Lavoy Allen (76ers, 50th Overall) 57/PF - Added 1/7
Inside Scoring: C+
Outside Scoring: C
Perimeter Defense: D+
Post Defense: C-
Ball Handling: D
Rebounding: C
Basketball IQ: C-
Athleticism: C-
Potential: 65
OTHER ROOKIES
Ricky Rubio (Timberwolves, 2009 Draft) - Original Roster
Inside Scoring: B-
Outside Scoring: C+
Perimeter Defense: C
Post Defense: F
Ball Handling: A-
Rebounding: F
Basketball IQ: B-
Athleticism: B-
Potential: 88
POINT GUARDS
76 - Kyrie Irving
76 - Kemba Walker
69 - Iman Shumpert
67 - Brandon Knight
67 - Ricky Rubio (2009 Draft)
63 - Jimmer Fredette
63 - Norris Cole
63 - Shelvin Mack
63 - Darius Morris
59 - Cory Joseph
57 - Andrew Goudelock
56 - Josh Selby
SHOOTING GUARDS
71 - Nolan Smith
70 - Alec Burks
67 - MarShon Brooks
65 - Klay Thompson
65 - Malcolm Lee
63 - Travis Leslie
SMALL FORWARDS
72 - Kawhi Leonard
67 - Chris Singleton
67 - Jimmy Butler
65 - Tobias Harris
65 - Jordan Hamilton
65 - Tyler Honeycutt
63 - Jan Vesley
61 - Chandler Parsons
POWER FORWARDS
71 - Derrick Williams (+1)
70 - Kenneth Faried
66 - Tristan Thompson
66 - Markieff Morris
66 - JaJuan Johnson
63 - Marcus Morris
58 - Trey Thompkins
57 - Jan Leuer
57 - Lavoy Allen
55 - Bismack Biyombo
55 - Jordan Williams
55 - Jeremy Tyler
54 - Justin Harper
CENTERS
63 - Enes Kanter
57 - Nikola Vucevic
50 - Josh Harrellson
Monday, December 12, 2011
First official 2K Sports NBA 2K12 roster released
MISSING PLAYERS ADDED
76/PG - Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers)
66/PF - Tristan Thompson (Cavaliers)
56/C - Eddy Curry (Heat)
65/SF - Jordan Hamilton (Nuggets)
70/PF - Kenneth Faried (Nuggets)
Obviously it's disappointing to see only the rookies for Nuggets and Cavs added (Nuggets players surely being the most important signings and ones that held up the roster release, since they needed to replace the Chinese exports). All the rookies will make it in by Christmas, but I'm sure fans worldwide are hoping for another update ASAP.
PLAYERS REMOVED
75/PG - Aaron Brooks (Suns)
78/SG - Brandon Roy (Blazers)
75/PG - Aaron Brooks (Suns)
78/SG - Brandon Roy (Blazers)
74/SG - J.R. Smith (Nuggets)
80/SF - Wilson Chandler (Nuggets)
76/PF - Kenyon Martin (Nuggets)
64/C - Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Heat)
54/C - Nenad Krstic (Celtics)
I don't have issue w/ the Nuggets players & Brooks being removed but it's worth noting that all four will be back in the NBA in march when the regular season ends. This will actually leave me (and other roster editors) a difficult decision to make later on in the year when they return to the NBA. Restart my roster to get the official models and associated commentary, or use player CAPs? It would be great if 2K put them back in the game and removed them AFTER the season started (so we could get them in a roster w/ all of the official rookies), but roster editors should not exactly hold their breathe waiting for that to happen.
RATING CHANGES
I did not see any, and honestly I wouldn't expect any until the season starts. For now we will have to live with 65 rated center getting 10 million per year and a 70 rated center getting 14 million.
PLAYER MOVEMENT
Derrick Brown (65/SF) on Bobcats (via Knicks)
Mike Dunleavy (62/SG) on Bucks (via Pacers)
Keyon Dooling (67/PG) on Celtics (via Bucks)
Brandon Bass (70/PF) on Celtics (via Magic)
Caron Butler (81/SF) on Clippers (via Mavericks)
Tracy McGrady (69/SG) on Hawks (via Pistons)
Vladimir Radmanovic (53/PF) on Hawks (via Warriors)
Shane Battier (77/SF) on Heat (via Grizzlies)
Chuck Hayes (68/C) on Kings (via Rockets)
Tyson Chandler (70/C) on Knicks (via Mavericks)
Andy Rautins (56/SG) on Mavericks (via Knicks)
Brandan Wright (59/PF) on Mavericks (via Nets)
Brandon Roy (78/SG) removed from game (via Trail Blazers)
Aaron Gray (54/C) on Raptors (via Hornets)
Jamaal Magloire (50/C) on Raptors (via Heat)
T.J. Ford (69/PG) on Spurs (via Pacers)
Sebastian Telfair (63/PG) on Suns (via Timberwolves)
Shannon Brown (72/SG) on Suns (via Lakers)
Roger Mason (66/SG) on Wizards (via Knicks)
Ronny Turiaf (62/C) on Wizards (via Knicks)
Chauncey Billups (79/PG) in Free Agents (via Knicks)
Richard Hamilton (76/SG) in Free Agents (via Pistons)
Vince Carter (76/SG) in Free Agents (via Suns) (signing w/ Mavericks not official yet)
Anthony Parker (67/SG) in Free Agents (via Cavaliers) (he re-signed today however)
Troy Murphy (66/PF) in Free Agents (via Celtics)
Reggie Evans (60/PF) in Free Agents (via Raptors)
Alexis Ajinca (43/C) in Free Agents (via Raptors)
MISCELLAENOUS CHANGES
Ron Artest (71/SF) name changed to Metta World Peace
ROSTER MISTAKES
Jason Kapono (53/SF) on 76ers; signed w/ Lakers on Friday
Darius Songaila (54/PF) on 76ers; signed in Turkey over summer w/ no out-clause
Garrett Temple (65/SG) on Bobcats; signed in Italy over summer w/ no out-clause
Darius Songaila (54/PF) on 76ers; signed in Turkey over summer w/ no out-clause
Garrett Temple (65/SG) on Bobcats; signed in Italy over summer w/ no out-clause
Chris Douglas-Roberts (69/SF) on Bucks; signed in Europe over summer w/ no out-clause
Rasual Butler (58/SF) on Bulls; signed w/ Raptors
Kurt Thomas (63/C) on Bulls; signed w/ Trail Blazers
Joey Graham (70/SF) on Cavaliers; waived by team
Alonzo Gee (67/SF) on Cavaliers; signed in Poland over summer (left team, current free agent)
Von Wafer (59/SG) on Celtics; traded to Magic as part of Brandon Bass trade that 2K made
Damien Wilkins (61/SF) on Hawks; signed w/ Pistons
Hilton Armstrong (51/C) on Hawks; signed in France over summer w/ no out-clause
David West (74/PF) on Hornets; signed w/ Pacers yesterday
David Andersen (49/C) on Hornets; signed in Italy over summer w no out-clause
David Andersen (49/C) on Hornets; signed in Italy over summer w no out-clause
Lamar Odom (78/PF) on Lakers; was traded to Mavericks yesterday
Gilbert Arenas (77/PG) on Magic; was waived via amnesty provision
Earl Clark (64/SF) on Magic; signed w/ China, left team and became free agent
Ben Uzoh (57/PG) on Nets; signed w/ Russia over summer (though waived after 2 games)
Mario West (50/PG) on Nets; signed w/ Italy over summer w/ no out-clause
Sasha Vujacic (67/SG) on Nets; signed w/ Turkey over summer w/ no out-clause
Dan Gadzuric (56/C) on Nets; signed w/ China over summer w/ no out-clause
Gary Forbes (65/SF) on Nuggets; signed offer sheet w/ Raptors (can understand waiting to see if they match, though presumed they won't)
Melvin Ely (54/C) on Nuggets; signed w/ China over summer w/ no out-clause
Terrico White (63/SG) on Pistons; waived by team (invited to Hornets training camp)
DaJuan Summers (56/SF) on Pistons; signed w/ Italy over summer (left team, invited to Hornets training camp)
Chris Wilcox (61/PF) on Pistons; signed w/ Celtics
Sonny Weems (67/SF) on Raptors; signed w/ Lithuania over summer w/ no out-clause
Joey Dorsey (62/PF) on Raptors; signed w/ Spain over summer w/ no out-clause
Chris Quinn (53/PG) on Spurs; signed w/ Russia over summer w/ no out-clause
Antonio McDyess (65/PF) on Spurs; expected to retire (though team trying to convince him otherwise)
Gani Lawal (56/PF) on Suns; was waived by team
Patrick Mills (62/PG) on Trailblazers; signed in China over summer w/ no out-clause
Acie Law (59/PG) on Warriors; signed in Serbia over summer w/ no out-clause
Jeremy Lin (56/PG) on Warriors; was waived by team and claimed yesterday by Rockets
Mustafa Shakur (55/PG) on Wizards; signed in Italy over summer (presumed no out-clause)
Yi Jianlian (63/PF) on Wizards; signed in China over summer (unlike other players he WILL have an out-clause because he isn't an import)
Mickael Pietrus (72/SF) in Free Agents (why isn't he on Suns after canceled Raptors trade????)
Marquis Daniels (62/SG) in Free Agents (Signed w/ Celtics same day as Bass/Baby trade, would allow them to move Wafer to Magic)
Ryan Hollins (53/C) in Free Agents (he is NOT a free agent and is still on Cavaliers, unlike waived Joey Graham)
The international players are not a big deal since many of them are place-holders until the rookies are added.
To be honest it is puzzling to see so many roster mistakes considering Aaron Gray's signing w/ the Raptors made it into the roster. Gray's signing was one of the more recent (and under the radar!) transactions. Jason Kapono signing w/ the Lakers was reported BEFORE the lockout ended and was one of the first official moves made. His signing is clearly listed on NBA.com's transactions page, which 2K Sports should obviously be going by since it is an NBA licensed game. There is simply no good reason for 3-day old transactions to not be kept up with. Likewise finding Pietrus in the FA pool is simply sloppy, no other way around it. Finding Hollins in the FA pool instead of a player who was waived on the first day of free agency (Graham) is yet another blunder that 2K seemingly cannot avoid from year to year. What does it say when CASUAL roster editors can get moves right more frequently than the game company itself? To quote Eminem, "Maybe there's a little Real 2K Insider in all of us."
MISCELLANEOUS MISTAKES
Contracts seem to be off for the newly signed free agents. For instance, Chuck Hayes' new contract worth 4 years and 22 million, when he signed for 4 years and 19 million. Not a huge deal, but does show a lack of effort and attention to detail considering the contract terms are the 2nd most important thing reported (after the team the player is signing with).
Jason Richardson re-signed w/ the Magic but his contract extension has not been implemented, meaning contracts of players who re-signed w/ their teams will be something to watch for.
Chris Johnson has been on an NBA roster since March. It has been 9 months and he has still not been added to 2K's rosters.
Jeff Pendergraph signed with the Pacers a few days ago. Eddy Curry has returned to the game from temporary exile, but Pendergraph has not.
It isn't worth fretting over team rotations when there are so many rookies missing. Only one I would bother changing is Greg Oden starting over Marcus Camby (we all know why).
It isn't worth fretting over team rotations when there are so many rookies missing. Only one I would bother changing is Greg Oden starting over Marcus Camby (we all know why).
SUGGESTED CHANGES
Fixing the aforementioned roster mistakes would be a big one.
Nitpicking specific ratings would not be effective at this stage, however I'm sure 100% of fans would agree that the overall ratings for Tyson Chandler and DeAndre Jordan are awful.
Mavericks have SEVEN Shooting Guards on their roster, which is quite comical (and surely some sort of all-time record). Barea is set to sign w/ Timberwolves, which will leave them with only one Point Guard. Change Rodrigue Beaubois position to PG. Change Corey Brewer to SF, as Shawn Marion is team's only SF at present.
This post has been sent to Ronnie2K's twitter account and it will be interesting to see how 2K Sports responds to it (if at all).
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Fixing NBA 2K12, Part II
I completed my ratings, tendencies, and assigned plays for the Celtics, and instead of running a CPU match I decided to play against them with my also completed Knicks.
SETTINGS
All-Star difficulty
Simulation sliders
Rather than post the box score it might be best to look at each individual player's performance.
Carmelo Anthony
STATS: 44 Points, 6 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 1 Steal, 43 Minutes
SHOTS: 19-30 FG, 1-1 3PT, 5-5 FT
NEGATIVE: 2 Turnovers, 4 Fouls
I had my offensive play calling set to Auto which naturally meant a bunch of Iso and Post plays for Melo. Naturally, I suck at the new Iso & Post controls. I still managed to find some separation here and there, and hit my share of contested shots too (which balanced out the ridiculous rate the CPU hit some of theirs). One thing I don't like about "Simulation" sliders is that the CPU will never swipe at the ball and thus I was kinda free to generate my own shot without losing the ball (PASSING is the absolute worst thing you can do in this game at times). Thus Melo only had 2 turnovers to his 30 FGA, 5 FTA, and 5 assists. The CPU also never goes for Charges which is a main source of Melo's real life turnovers, and unfortunately this is a feature that has been largely absent from the last 4-5 years of 2K.
Paul Pierce
STATS: 38 Points, 6 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 6 Steals, 2 Blocks, 37 Minutes
SHOTS: 15-20 FG, 4-6 3PT, 4-4 FT
NEGATIVE: 1 Turnover, 1 Foul
You can't get any more efficient than the game Pierce had. I played great defense for much of the game (at least as good as one can with Carmelo Anthony), but that is more than one can say about the dreaded CPU. Two straight possessions Pierce was able to hit threes because the CPU got totally lost on their rotations (chasing after a man that already had defensive coverage) while I was busy successfully defending a West/Garnett Pick & Roll.
Pierce also hit a go-ahead three with 1.8 seconds left in OT by literally jogging through a double screen play to hit an uncontested three. I didn't have much of a beef with his shot selection but the CPU defensive AI (who I honestly think intentionally function worse when rubberband AI is in effect) made his line a bit gaudier than it should have been (32 points on 13-18 FG and 2-4 3PT I can live with). Pierce also didn't take many FTs so maybe I could have been more physical with him on his drives... though the CPU managed to avoid contact from even the help defender on a few occasions.
Pierce also had 6 steals mainly from reaching on post entry passes to Melo. I wish my CPU would aggressively go after post entry passes.
Amare Stoudemire
STATS: 28 Points, 8 Rebounds, 2 Blocks, 44 Minutes
SHOTS: 12-24 FG, 4-5 FT
NEGATIVE: 3 Turnovers, 3 Fouls
After fixing the assigned plays, Amare ran more Pick and Rolls than he normally would, which was very pleasing. He should be utilizing his quickness against Garnett rather than playing with his back to the basket against one of the best post defenders in the league. I was also able to find him on a few basket cuts during one of Melo's isolation plays (this was not part of the play diagram, and I doubt the CPU would make this kind of recognition).
Amare also hit the game winning shot (unfortunately not a buzzer beater for the achievement, 0.3 seconds left) as I gave the CPU a taste of it's own medicine. For whatever reason my team wasn't running an inbounds play so I grabbed Amare (who was standing 30 feet from the basket with 1.8 seconds left looking for a pass like an idiot) and ran him towards the basket where he belongs. Garnett got caught behind Fields, Jermaine O'Neal (inbound defender), and Pierce (defending Fields) which gave Amare a clear path to the basket. Amare caught the ball 10 feet away and pulled up for a jumper. If I missed the shot I probably would have kicked myself for not going for the layup (though if time expired I would have kicked myself for not going for the shot). I think I pulled up simply because I was so shocked I was open. Either way, the shot went down, and Boston had no timeouts remaining (and w/ 0.3 ticks left, not enough time to get a shot anyway).
Kevin Garnett
STATS: 12 Points, 3 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 2 Blocks, 43 Minutes
SHOTS: 6-15 FG, 0-1 3PT
NEGATIVE: 2 Turnovers, 3 Fouls
I took Garnett very seriously because I remember how unstoppable his fadeaway is in previous 2K games. Late in the game I started doubling off Rondo anytime KG got it in the post. He got a few good looks due to poor CPU rotation but at the end of the day he did not have a good offensive game (zero assists, no free throws, 9 missed shots).
One important feature to note is that Garnett played within himself and didn't dribble around the court. One of fan's biggest complaints is that bigs have Isolation tendencies that are much too high (Garnett's in particular was a team leading 91). Isolations only made up 5% of KG's offense IRL so this was appropriately dealt with.
Chauncey Billups
STATS: 11 Points, 4 Rebounds, 8 Assists, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 29 Minutes
SHOTS: 4-7 FG, 2-3 3PT, 1-1 FT
NEGATIVE: 1 Turnover, 6 Fouls
I was a bit reach happy with Billups on the defensive end, forgetting that it was Simulation setting where on-ball steal success is very low. Billups actually had some good fouls, preventing an alley oop (fouling the passer), and another that stopped a fastbreak so it wasn't all bad. I am not a fan of his man defense anyway as he isn't nearly quick enough to keep up with Rondo. I was flabbergasted when Avery Bradley checked into the game in the 4th quarter and then proceeded to blow by Billups for a dunk no more than 5 seconds later. Offensively, I didn't have a bad game with Billups as he ran the offense and I took smart shots, but his defensive struggles kept the Celtics in the game and I wasn't sad to see him foul out late in the 4th quarter.
Rajon Rondo
STATS: 24 Points, 2 Rebounds, 7 Assists,4 Steals
SHOTS: 9-22 FG, 6-8 FT
NEGATIVE: 1 Turnover, 6 Fouls
As mentioned before, Billups struggled to keep up with Rondo, and I also played off Rondo to double down on Garnett. The result is the CPU took more shots than Rondo normally would. He was only 1-6 between the 4th quarter and OT and fouled out via intentional foul on the 2nd to last possession of OT (I bricked one FT which set up Pierce's go-ahead three on the next possession). I definitely picked my poison properly by staying at home on the big three. I probably could have defended his penetrations better, but I was also using one of the league's worst defensive teams and I've spent the bulk of my time editing ratings. Cut me some slack.
Landry Fields
STATS: 11 Points, 5 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, 39 Minutes
SHOTS: 3-4 FG, 3-3 3PT, 2-2 FT
NEGATIVE: 2 Turnovers
Fields didn't get many plays run for him (a few Pick & Rolls w/ Amare) but was able to do most of his damage giving post-entry passes to Melo. Anytime Allen made any effort to double I was able to hit Fields for a three. Allen was late just enough that he wouldn't put his hands up and Fields was able to get B quallity shots on a Perfect Release that all went down. Defensively, he struggled to stay in front of Ray Allen at times, but was usually athletic enough to (eventually) recover. At one point Fields grabbed an offensive board, shot faked, and went to the line. All told, this was really how Fields plays in real life.
Ray Allen
STATS: 17 Points, 2 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal
SHOTS: 6-17 FG, 1-5 3PT, 4-5 FT
NEGATIVE: 2 Turnovers, 1 Foul
If there was one player I was determined not to let beat me, it was Ray Allen. I made sure not to leave it to the CPU to chase Allen around on screens. I didn't overreact to Allen when he was on the 3pt line getting a pick from Garnett. He isn't going to take the shot in motion. Just get over and put your hands up. Only jump when the shot clock is down to one. The end result is I defended Allen much better than I'd thought. Most of his successful shots were fastbreak layups and dunks (or a layup he was able to get based on how tight I played him on the perimeter). I can live with 17 points on 17 shots from Ray Allen.
Ronny Turiaf
STATS: 4 Points, 6 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 35 Minutes
SHOTS: 1-1 FG, 2-2 FT
NEGATIVE: 2 Turnovers
Turiaf had the biggest shot of the night. Down 2 points with 5 seconds left, I inbounded the ball to Toney Douglas, 35 feet from the basket, momentarily forgetting it was the end of the game. Douglas drove in but was stopped by Rondo at the FT line. Turiaf showed up running over Douglas' left shoulder. Garnett was on my right side chasing Turiaf. With 1.6 seconds left I figure what the hell and give it to cutting Turiaf half-praying it was Amare (it wasn't... Amare was standing behind the 3pt line in the corner, home position for a PF/C in the 2Kverse). Turiaf catches the ball but has been re-picked up by Garnett on his right hand side. Turiaf swoops to the basket and lays it in over Garnett with no time remaining on the clock to send it into overtime.
Aside from that, no plays were ever called for Turiaf and he did his best to stay out of Amare & Melo's way. He played some solid team defense and helped limit KG but I'd have a bitter taste in my mouth if it weren't for him being in the right place at the right time.
Jermaine O'Neal
STATS: 4 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 3 Steals, 22 Minutes
SHOTS: 0-1 FG
NEGATIVE: 1 Foul
Like Turiaf, O'Neal got out of the way and focused on defense and rebounding. 3 steals in 22 minutes for O'Neal is a lot considering he only had 2 steals the entire season (458 minutes). Boston had 18 steals to my 6, which is ultimately what kept them in the game despite my 58% shooting to their 48%. I was pretty careful with my passing aside from one stint late in the 4th where I turned it over 3 straight times, so I don't know what one can really do to cut back on the CPU's success on this end. Obviously the Celtics are a good defensive team and get lots of steals, but not from Jermaine O'Neal (0.2 STL% last season).
Toney Douglas
STATS: 7 Points, 3 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 3 Blocks, 33 Minutes
SHOTS: 1-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 5-6 FT
NEGATIVE: 9 Turnovers, 2 Fouls
Douglas with the epic 1.11 A/T ratio. His low pass rating probably had something to do with passes getting picked, as Billups had no problem making those same passes. Unlike Billups however, Douglas had no problem keeping Rondo in front as evidenced by his 3 blocks. Believe it or not, Douglas actually lead the team in Plus/Minus with +8 while Billups was -5. Now that I mention it, I did say Rondo was 1-6 in the 4th and OT (including 0-4 in OT which Douglas played all of) so really, we saw the best and worst of the Knick PGs. Both have to be used differently. 2K's playcalling system doesn't do a great job of recognizing this. One thing I definitely would have done if I were calling the shots would be to use Douglas in the Pick and Roll more with Amare rather than exclusively featuring Melo every time down, even if Melo was having his way offensively (when he actually got the ball - hence the reason why Douglas is best used in P/R situations).
Jeff Green
STATS: 5 Points, 4 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 26 Minutes
SHOTS: 1-3 FG, 3-4 FT
NEGATIVE: 1 Foul
Not much to say about Green's performance except that he stayed out of the way. He posted up a few times with Pierce out of the game but he's not a big time scorer. His lone basket came on a fastbreak.
Jared Jeffries
STATS: 4 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Steals
SHOTS: 1-1 FG, 2-4 FT
NEGATIVE: N/A
Jeffries is only 58 overall but still found a way to impact the game, be it coming up with a loose ball underneath or helping out on the defensive end. In typical Knick fan fashion, I found myself screaming at the TV anytime Jeffries came up with a ball and was timid about going up for a shot (resulting in a drawn foul). Part of that is my stick control, the other is just the shock from the CPU not coming up with the loose ball.
Glen Davis
STATS: 4 Points, 6 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 1 Block, 22 Minutes
SHOTS: 2-4 FG, 0-1 3PT
NEGATIVE: 2 Fouls
Like most opponents, I didn't really care when Davis had the ball on the perimeter, though he inexplicably was able to blow by Amare on the baseline (w/ Amare sagging off!) thanks to the game's unresponsive defensive controls.
THE REST
Bill Walker: 2 Points, 3 Rebounds, 1 Block, 13 Minutes (1-2 FG, 0-1 3PT)
Shawne Williams: 2 Rebounds, 1 Foul, 10 Minutes (0-2 FG, 0-1 3PT)
Iman Shumpert: 3 Points, 1 Turnover, 1 Foul, 6 Minutes (1-1 FG, 1-1 3PT)
Delonte West: 5 Points, 2 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Foul, 16 Minutes (2-4 FG, 1-2 FT)
JaJuan Johnson: 4 Poinrs, 3 Rebounds, 11 Minutes (2-4 FG)
Avery Bradley: 4 Points, 2 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 5 Minutes (2-2 FG)
SUMMARY
This was a great gaming experience for me as it was a realistic and back and forth game with some huge highlights for both teams. I can live with some of the CPU's steals since I was playing the Celtics and most came against a guy who really can't run the point, and even the Knicks' defensive mistakes by the CPU (it IS the Knicks we're talking about). One major concern however is how many steals the CPU had when they weren't even reaching for the ball. Turning up that slider would probably make me want to rip my hair out (though it would also lead to more steals on my end). I also would have liked to see more P/R play from the Celtics which can be attributed to the "Look for Post Players" slider being increased on the Simulation slider set (that certainly isn't a player tendency issue however).
I was basically able to shut down Boston's halfcourt offense (aside from Pierce) but those fastbreaks simply killed me. Celtics had 64 Points in the Paint, 22 Fastbreak Points, and 28 Points off Turnovers. They shot 48% from the field, but when you factor in how many of those baskets came on the break, I did a much better defensive job than the numbers showed. When the CPU wasn't forcing turnovers, I more or less took them to town with my superior shot selection (58% from the field and 7-11 on threes). The game was ONLY close because I had 15 more turnovers than they did.
All told however, this was one of the most realistic NBA experiences I have ever played, and a big improvement over what we were seeing with the default rosters. I'm looking forward to working on the other 28 teams. I will also upload the roster right now so you guys can download and try it out for yourselves (remember: only the Knicks and Celtics are completed so far). I would love to hear your results.
SETTINGS
All-Star difficulty
Simulation sliders
Rather than post the box score it might be best to look at each individual player's performance.
Carmelo Anthony
STATS: 44 Points, 6 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 1 Steal, 43 Minutes
SHOTS: 19-30 FG, 1-1 3PT, 5-5 FT
NEGATIVE: 2 Turnovers, 4 Fouls
I had my offensive play calling set to Auto which naturally meant a bunch of Iso and Post plays for Melo. Naturally, I suck at the new Iso & Post controls. I still managed to find some separation here and there, and hit my share of contested shots too (which balanced out the ridiculous rate the CPU hit some of theirs). One thing I don't like about "Simulation" sliders is that the CPU will never swipe at the ball and thus I was kinda free to generate my own shot without losing the ball (PASSING is the absolute worst thing you can do in this game at times). Thus Melo only had 2 turnovers to his 30 FGA, 5 FTA, and 5 assists. The CPU also never goes for Charges which is a main source of Melo's real life turnovers, and unfortunately this is a feature that has been largely absent from the last 4-5 years of 2K.
Paul Pierce
STATS: 38 Points, 6 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 6 Steals, 2 Blocks, 37 Minutes
SHOTS: 15-20 FG, 4-6 3PT, 4-4 FT
NEGATIVE: 1 Turnover, 1 Foul
You can't get any more efficient than the game Pierce had. I played great defense for much of the game (at least as good as one can with Carmelo Anthony), but that is more than one can say about the dreaded CPU. Two straight possessions Pierce was able to hit threes because the CPU got totally lost on their rotations (chasing after a man that already had defensive coverage) while I was busy successfully defending a West/Garnett Pick & Roll.
Pierce also hit a go-ahead three with 1.8 seconds left in OT by literally jogging through a double screen play to hit an uncontested three. I didn't have much of a beef with his shot selection but the CPU defensive AI (who I honestly think intentionally function worse when rubberband AI is in effect) made his line a bit gaudier than it should have been (32 points on 13-18 FG and 2-4 3PT I can live with). Pierce also didn't take many FTs so maybe I could have been more physical with him on his drives... though the CPU managed to avoid contact from even the help defender on a few occasions.
Pierce also had 6 steals mainly from reaching on post entry passes to Melo. I wish my CPU would aggressively go after post entry passes.
Amare Stoudemire
STATS: 28 Points, 8 Rebounds, 2 Blocks, 44 Minutes
SHOTS: 12-24 FG, 4-5 FT
NEGATIVE: 3 Turnovers, 3 Fouls
After fixing the assigned plays, Amare ran more Pick and Rolls than he normally would, which was very pleasing. He should be utilizing his quickness against Garnett rather than playing with his back to the basket against one of the best post defenders in the league. I was also able to find him on a few basket cuts during one of Melo's isolation plays (this was not part of the play diagram, and I doubt the CPU would make this kind of recognition).
Amare also hit the game winning shot (unfortunately not a buzzer beater for the achievement, 0.3 seconds left) as I gave the CPU a taste of it's own medicine. For whatever reason my team wasn't running an inbounds play so I grabbed Amare (who was standing 30 feet from the basket with 1.8 seconds left looking for a pass like an idiot) and ran him towards the basket where he belongs. Garnett got caught behind Fields, Jermaine O'Neal (inbound defender), and Pierce (defending Fields) which gave Amare a clear path to the basket. Amare caught the ball 10 feet away and pulled up for a jumper. If I missed the shot I probably would have kicked myself for not going for the layup (though if time expired I would have kicked myself for not going for the shot). I think I pulled up simply because I was so shocked I was open. Either way, the shot went down, and Boston had no timeouts remaining (and w/ 0.3 ticks left, not enough time to get a shot anyway).
Kevin Garnett
STATS: 12 Points, 3 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 2 Blocks, 43 Minutes
SHOTS: 6-15 FG, 0-1 3PT
NEGATIVE: 2 Turnovers, 3 Fouls
I took Garnett very seriously because I remember how unstoppable his fadeaway is in previous 2K games. Late in the game I started doubling off Rondo anytime KG got it in the post. He got a few good looks due to poor CPU rotation but at the end of the day he did not have a good offensive game (zero assists, no free throws, 9 missed shots).
One important feature to note is that Garnett played within himself and didn't dribble around the court. One of fan's biggest complaints is that bigs have Isolation tendencies that are much too high (Garnett's in particular was a team leading 91). Isolations only made up 5% of KG's offense IRL so this was appropriately dealt with.
Chauncey Billups
STATS: 11 Points, 4 Rebounds, 8 Assists, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 29 Minutes
SHOTS: 4-7 FG, 2-3 3PT, 1-1 FT
NEGATIVE: 1 Turnover, 6 Fouls
I was a bit reach happy with Billups on the defensive end, forgetting that it was Simulation setting where on-ball steal success is very low. Billups actually had some good fouls, preventing an alley oop (fouling the passer), and another that stopped a fastbreak so it wasn't all bad. I am not a fan of his man defense anyway as he isn't nearly quick enough to keep up with Rondo. I was flabbergasted when Avery Bradley checked into the game in the 4th quarter and then proceeded to blow by Billups for a dunk no more than 5 seconds later. Offensively, I didn't have a bad game with Billups as he ran the offense and I took smart shots, but his defensive struggles kept the Celtics in the game and I wasn't sad to see him foul out late in the 4th quarter.
Rajon Rondo
STATS: 24 Points, 2 Rebounds, 7 Assists,4 Steals
SHOTS: 9-22 FG, 6-8 FT
NEGATIVE: 1 Turnover, 6 Fouls
As mentioned before, Billups struggled to keep up with Rondo, and I also played off Rondo to double down on Garnett. The result is the CPU took more shots than Rondo normally would. He was only 1-6 between the 4th quarter and OT and fouled out via intentional foul on the 2nd to last possession of OT (I bricked one FT which set up Pierce's go-ahead three on the next possession). I definitely picked my poison properly by staying at home on the big three. I probably could have defended his penetrations better, but I was also using one of the league's worst defensive teams and I've spent the bulk of my time editing ratings. Cut me some slack.
Landry Fields
STATS: 11 Points, 5 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, 39 Minutes
SHOTS: 3-4 FG, 3-3 3PT, 2-2 FT
NEGATIVE: 2 Turnovers
Fields didn't get many plays run for him (a few Pick & Rolls w/ Amare) but was able to do most of his damage giving post-entry passes to Melo. Anytime Allen made any effort to double I was able to hit Fields for a three. Allen was late just enough that he wouldn't put his hands up and Fields was able to get B quallity shots on a Perfect Release that all went down. Defensively, he struggled to stay in front of Ray Allen at times, but was usually athletic enough to (eventually) recover. At one point Fields grabbed an offensive board, shot faked, and went to the line. All told, this was really how Fields plays in real life.
Ray Allen
STATS: 17 Points, 2 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal
SHOTS: 6-17 FG, 1-5 3PT, 4-5 FT
NEGATIVE: 2 Turnovers, 1 Foul
If there was one player I was determined not to let beat me, it was Ray Allen. I made sure not to leave it to the CPU to chase Allen around on screens. I didn't overreact to Allen when he was on the 3pt line getting a pick from Garnett. He isn't going to take the shot in motion. Just get over and put your hands up. Only jump when the shot clock is down to one. The end result is I defended Allen much better than I'd thought. Most of his successful shots were fastbreak layups and dunks (or a layup he was able to get based on how tight I played him on the perimeter). I can live with 17 points on 17 shots from Ray Allen.
Ronny Turiaf
STATS: 4 Points, 6 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 35 Minutes
SHOTS: 1-1 FG, 2-2 FT
NEGATIVE: 2 Turnovers
Turiaf had the biggest shot of the night. Down 2 points with 5 seconds left, I inbounded the ball to Toney Douglas, 35 feet from the basket, momentarily forgetting it was the end of the game. Douglas drove in but was stopped by Rondo at the FT line. Turiaf showed up running over Douglas' left shoulder. Garnett was on my right side chasing Turiaf. With 1.6 seconds left I figure what the hell and give it to cutting Turiaf half-praying it was Amare (it wasn't... Amare was standing behind the 3pt line in the corner, home position for a PF/C in the 2Kverse). Turiaf catches the ball but has been re-picked up by Garnett on his right hand side. Turiaf swoops to the basket and lays it in over Garnett with no time remaining on the clock to send it into overtime.
Aside from that, no plays were ever called for Turiaf and he did his best to stay out of Amare & Melo's way. He played some solid team defense and helped limit KG but I'd have a bitter taste in my mouth if it weren't for him being in the right place at the right time.
Jermaine O'Neal
STATS: 4 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 3 Steals, 22 Minutes
SHOTS: 0-1 FG
NEGATIVE: 1 Foul
Like Turiaf, O'Neal got out of the way and focused on defense and rebounding. 3 steals in 22 minutes for O'Neal is a lot considering he only had 2 steals the entire season (458 minutes). Boston had 18 steals to my 6, which is ultimately what kept them in the game despite my 58% shooting to their 48%. I was pretty careful with my passing aside from one stint late in the 4th where I turned it over 3 straight times, so I don't know what one can really do to cut back on the CPU's success on this end. Obviously the Celtics are a good defensive team and get lots of steals, but not from Jermaine O'Neal (0.2 STL% last season).
Toney Douglas
STATS: 7 Points, 3 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 3 Blocks, 33 Minutes
SHOTS: 1-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 5-6 FT
NEGATIVE: 9 Turnovers, 2 Fouls
Douglas with the epic 1.11 A/T ratio. His low pass rating probably had something to do with passes getting picked, as Billups had no problem making those same passes. Unlike Billups however, Douglas had no problem keeping Rondo in front as evidenced by his 3 blocks. Believe it or not, Douglas actually lead the team in Plus/Minus with +8 while Billups was -5. Now that I mention it, I did say Rondo was 1-6 in the 4th and OT (including 0-4 in OT which Douglas played all of) so really, we saw the best and worst of the Knick PGs. Both have to be used differently. 2K's playcalling system doesn't do a great job of recognizing this. One thing I definitely would have done if I were calling the shots would be to use Douglas in the Pick and Roll more with Amare rather than exclusively featuring Melo every time down, even if Melo was having his way offensively (when he actually got the ball - hence the reason why Douglas is best used in P/R situations).
Jeff Green
STATS: 5 Points, 4 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 26 Minutes
SHOTS: 1-3 FG, 3-4 FT
NEGATIVE: 1 Foul
Not much to say about Green's performance except that he stayed out of the way. He posted up a few times with Pierce out of the game but he's not a big time scorer. His lone basket came on a fastbreak.
Jared Jeffries
STATS: 4 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Steals
SHOTS: 1-1 FG, 2-4 FT
NEGATIVE: N/A
Jeffries is only 58 overall but still found a way to impact the game, be it coming up with a loose ball underneath or helping out on the defensive end. In typical Knick fan fashion, I found myself screaming at the TV anytime Jeffries came up with a ball and was timid about going up for a shot (resulting in a drawn foul). Part of that is my stick control, the other is just the shock from the CPU not coming up with the loose ball.
Glen Davis
STATS: 4 Points, 6 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 1 Block, 22 Minutes
SHOTS: 2-4 FG, 0-1 3PT
NEGATIVE: 2 Fouls
Like most opponents, I didn't really care when Davis had the ball on the perimeter, though he inexplicably was able to blow by Amare on the baseline (w/ Amare sagging off!) thanks to the game's unresponsive defensive controls.
THE REST
Bill Walker: 2 Points, 3 Rebounds, 1 Block, 13 Minutes (1-2 FG, 0-1 3PT)
Shawne Williams: 2 Rebounds, 1 Foul, 10 Minutes (0-2 FG, 0-1 3PT)
Iman Shumpert: 3 Points, 1 Turnover, 1 Foul, 6 Minutes (1-1 FG, 1-1 3PT)
Delonte West: 5 Points, 2 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Foul, 16 Minutes (2-4 FG, 1-2 FT)
JaJuan Johnson: 4 Poinrs, 3 Rebounds, 11 Minutes (2-4 FG)
Avery Bradley: 4 Points, 2 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 5 Minutes (2-2 FG)
SUMMARY
This was a great gaming experience for me as it was a realistic and back and forth game with some huge highlights for both teams. I can live with some of the CPU's steals since I was playing the Celtics and most came against a guy who really can't run the point, and even the Knicks' defensive mistakes by the CPU (it IS the Knicks we're talking about). One major concern however is how many steals the CPU had when they weren't even reaching for the ball. Turning up that slider would probably make me want to rip my hair out (though it would also lead to more steals on my end). I also would have liked to see more P/R play from the Celtics which can be attributed to the "Look for Post Players" slider being increased on the Simulation slider set (that certainly isn't a player tendency issue however).
I was basically able to shut down Boston's halfcourt offense (aside from Pierce) but those fastbreaks simply killed me. Celtics had 64 Points in the Paint, 22 Fastbreak Points, and 28 Points off Turnovers. They shot 48% from the field, but when you factor in how many of those baskets came on the break, I did a much better defensive job than the numbers showed. When the CPU wasn't forcing turnovers, I more or less took them to town with my superior shot selection (58% from the field and 7-11 on threes). The game was ONLY close because I had 15 more turnovers than they did.
All told however, this was one of the most realistic NBA experiences I have ever played, and a big improvement over what we were seeing with the default rosters. I'm looking forward to working on the other 28 teams. I will also upload the roster right now so you guys can download and try it out for yourselves (remember: only the Knicks and Celtics are completed so far). I would love to hear your results.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Real 2K Insider fixed the NBA 2K12 gameplay
I completed my tendencies last night for the New York Knicks and tested them in a CPU match. I was pleasantly surprised with the results.
In previous Knicks simulations Carmelo Anthony would take 30+ shots while Amare Stoudemire took about 10, and the rest of the team even less than that. Frustrating, because Melo and Amare had identical Shot & Touch tendencies (93 & 99 respectively). Melo would post up on nearly every possession. The reality is he isolates on 37% of his possessions (most in the league!) and posts up on only 13% of the time (a high mark for a SF, but certainly not every trip down the floor. Amare/Melo both prefer to face the basket and attack! The post ups (which is a league-wide problem) also drive down assist totals. This is a Mike D'Antoni team and passing for 3pt shots and pick & rolls are the name of the game!
Gameplay was set to Simulation setting. All-Star difficulty on 12 minute quarters.
PTS-REB-AST-STL-BLK-TO-MINS
Ronny Turiaf: 6-4-1-0-3-1-24 (3-4 FG)
Amare Stoudemire: 12-7-4-0-0-0-35 (4-11 FG, 4-6 FT)
Carmelo Anthony: 22-6-3-1-1-0-36 (7-15 FG, 3-5 3PT, 5-6 FT)
Landry Fields: 14-9-4-0-1-0-35 (5-11 FG, 2-6 3PT, 2-2 FT)
Chauncey Billups: 18-4-7-0-1-1-32 (7-12 FG, 3-7 3PT, 1-1 FT)
Toney Douglas: 10-3-0-1-2-2-21 (3-6 FG, 2-4 3PT, 2-2 FT)
Jared Jeffries: 8-1-0-0-0-0-16 (4-4 FG, 0-1 FT)
Iman Shumpert: 6-0-1-0-0-0-8 (2-4 FG, 1-1 3PT, 1-2 FT)
Shawne Williams: 3-3-0-0-0-1-20 (1-3 FG, 1-2 3PT)
Bill Walker: 0-2-0-0-0-0-13 (0-1 FG, 0-1 3PT)
Josh Harrellson: 0-2-0-0-0-0-5 (0-1 FG, 0-2 FT)
Derrick Brown: DNP
TEAM: 99-41-20-2-8-48 (36-72 FG, 12-26 3PT, 15-22 FT)
Fields lead the team in scoring in the first half with 12 which was certainly a bright spot. He didn't hesitate to take a three when left open. Melo took over scoring in the second half to lead the team but on far fewer shots than previous simulations. The scoring and shot distribution was much more balanced this time around.
The team was pitted against the Boston Celtics who will be the next team I complete all ratings and tendencies for. They certainly need it as Paul Pierce scored 25 points on 27 shots. Ray Allen was next with 23 points and only 13 shots, while Kevin Garnett took only 7 shots in 34 minutes (5-7 against Pierce's 8-27). Jeff Green finished with 12 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting.
My tendencies & ratings lead to a more balanced attack for the Knicks and the featured player was whoever had the hot hand at the time. Fields had 12 of his 14 in the first half while Melo had 10 of his 22 in the 4th quarter. 2K's tendencies & ratings on the other hand lead to a more scripted game as Paul Pierce was going to take a shot whether it was a good one or not.
The best part is these results can only improve. I meant to edit each player's assigned plays but completely forgot as I wanted to test the tendencies out ASAP. I will run another simulation with those tweaks (if there are any). Completing the opposing team's ratings/tendencies/plays should also help.
Another thing I should also try is the gameplay on Default setting rather than Simulation. Shot sliders are down on the sim setting but the CPU will also not attempt on ball steals which lead to a very low amount of steals and turnovers. The Celtics are a superb defensive team with one of the league's best ball hawks at PG yet didn't disrupt much of the Knicks' offensive flow. A combination of both slider settings will probably generate more realistic gameplay. Finally, I will also test out a Human vs CPU game to see if the CPU reacts any differently towards a user than it's fellow CPU.
I will upload another roster later tonight so you guys can run your own tests. Only one team has completed rating/tendencies so far but that will change over the coming weeks.
I will upload another roster later tonight so you guys can run your own tests. Only one team has completed rating/tendencies so far but that will change over the coming weeks.
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