NBA 2K13 Roster Analysis 1/3/13

2K Sports returned from Christmas vacation.  With this roster update, one has to wonder when they'll actually return to work.

Sure, we had Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash return from injury two weeks after the fact, Eric Gordon, Amare Stoudemire and a collection of other players return, and even Avery Bradley after making his debut just last night.  Did they bother to do anything else?  Read on.

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COACHING CHANGES?

Avery Johnson is still coach of the Brooklyn Nets.  Since everyone just got back from holiday break, I assume there wasn't enough time to program in P.J. Carlesimo.

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PLAYER EDITS

Player attribute edits per roster
1/3: 1
12/25: 0
12/21: 0
12/18: 9
12/13: 1
12/8: 15
12/5: 14
11/17:  16

Lance Stephenson
64 Overall (+5)
75 3pt (+47)

16 days and the only attribute 2K could be bothered to change was Lance Stephenson's blatantly terrible 3pt rating.  This is what the company accomplished over the holidays.  It's officially time to rename their marquee feature "NBA Yesterday".

For the record, 2K also switched Kyle Korver's position to Small Forward three months late. While this lead to a change in Overall rating (63, +1), this does NOT qualify as an attribute change.

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INJURED PLAYERS

As you will read about in 2K and various gamer outlet's plugs, 2K focused on injuries this update!
(Oh boy!  Focusing on a feature nobody wanted to see in the first place!)
Well, here's the list of what changed.

NEW
Byron Mullens (69/PF, Bobcats)
Chris Wilcox (64/PF, Celtics)
Quincy Pondexter (61/SF, Grizzlies)
Devin Harris (76/PG, Hawks)
Anthony Morrow (66/SG, Hawks)
Mo Williams (78/PG, Jazz)
Tyreke Evans (80/SG, Kings)
Marcus Thornton (75/SG, Kings)
Raymond Felton (79/PG, Knicks)
Rasheed Wallace (71/PF, Knicks)
Glen Davis (73/PF, Magic)
Jonas Valanciunas (68/C, Raptors)

RECOVERED
Beno Udrih (68/PG, Bucks)
Tobias Harris (68/SF, Bucks)
Richard Hamilton (73/SG, Bulls)
Avery Bradley (79/SG, Celtics)
Eric Gordon (84/SG, Hornets)
Jason Smith (60/C, Hornets)
Amare Stoudemire (83/PF, Knicks)
Marcus Camby (73/C, Knicks)
Steve Nash (87/PG, Lakers)
Hedo Turkoglu (72/SF, Magic)
Dirk Nowitzki (84/PF, Mavericks)
Lance Stephenson (59/SG, Pacers)
Kyle Lowry (82/PG, Raptors)
Landry Fields (73/SF, Raptors)
Patrick Patterson (75/PF, Rockets)
Richard Jefferson (74/SF, Warriors)

MISSING
Anderson Varejao (76/C, Cavaliers) - Last played on 12/18

INJURED LIST

76ers: Andrew Bynum (87/C)
Bobcats: Tyrus Thomas (71/PF), Byron Mullens (69/PF)
Bucks: N/A
Bulls: Derrick Rose (92/PG)
Cavaliers: N/A
Celtics: Chris Wilcox (64/PF)
Clippers: Chauncey Billups (81/PG), Grant Hill (77/SF), Trey Thompkins (63/PF)
Grizzlies: Quincy Pondexter (61/SF)
Hawks: Devin Harris (76/PG), Anthony Morrow (66/SG)
Heat: N/A
Hornets: N/A
Jazz: Mo Williams (78/PG), Raja Bell (71/SG)
Kings: Tyreke Evans (80/SG), Marcus Thornton (75/SG)
Knicks: Iman Shumpert (80/SG), Raymond Felton (79/PG), Rasheed Wallace (71/PF)
Lakers: Steve Blake (68/PG)
Magic: Glen Davis (73/PF), Al Harrington (71/PF)
Mavericks: N/A
Nets: N/A
Nuggets: Wilson Chandler (80/SF)
Pacers: Danny Granger (83/SF)
Pistons: N/A
Raptors: Andrea Bargnani (73/PF), Jonas Valanciunas (68/C)
Rockets: Royce White (68/PF)
Spurs: N/A
Suns: Channing Frye (67/PF)
Thunder: N/A
Timberwolves: Brandon Roy (80/SG), Chase Budinger (71/SF), Malcolm Lee (SG/65)
Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (66/SG)
Warriors: Andrew Bogut (79/C), Brandon Rush (71/SG)
Wizards: John Wall (82/PG), Trevor Ariza (76/SF), Trevor Booker (67/PF), A.J. Price (55/PG)


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MISSING PLAYERS

64 - Garrett Temple (SG/PG) - Wizards (5 games, 28.0 mpg, 3 starts)

Temple absolutely needed to be added as he's taken over starting PG duties due to all the injuries in Washington.  He was previously in 2K12 so his addition shouldn't have been difficult.

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UPDATED MISSING PLAYER LIST
Kevin Jones (PF) - Cavaliers (8 games, 6.5 mpg)
Jarvis Varnado (PF) - Celtics (4 games, 3.5 mpg)
Terrel Harris (SG) - Heat (7 games, 4.1 mpg, played 22 games and 14.5 mpg last season)
Kevin Murphy (SG) - Jazz (3 games, 3.0 mpg)
Julyan Stone (PG/SG) - Nuggets (0 games, currently injured, played 22 games and 8.1 mpg last season)
Ben Hansbrough (PG/SG) - Pacers (12 games, 9.1 mpg)
Scott Machado (PG) - Rockets (5 games, 3.8 mpg)
Diante Garrett (SG) - Suns (6 games, 5.0 mpg)
Kent Bazemore (SG/SF) - Warriors (17 games, 1.6 mpg)
TOTAL: 9

No pressing needs.
Hansbrough overtook D.J. Augustin for backup PG minutes but has been thoroughly unimpressive (and was probably just done to light a fire under the struggling Augustin).
Varnado, the newest addition to the list, has played well in his limited playing time.

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PLAYERS ON WRONG TEAMS

Donald Sloan (63/PG) - Cavaliers
Daequan Cook (63/SG) - Rockets
Shaun Livingston (62/PG) - Free Agent
James Anderson (65/SG) - Free Agent
Lazar Hayward (60/SF) - Free Agent

Sloan was waived by the Cavs on 12/25 to make room for Livingston, who was claimed off waivers and played on 1/2
Cook was waived by the Rockets on 1/2 to make room for Anderson
Hayward was signed by the Wolves on 12/31 and played on 1/2

Avery Bradley played last night and was activated.  Lazar Hayward played last night and is in the free agent pool.  2K Sports can't seem to be bothered to keep up with official transactions, as minor as they might be.

For what it's worth, Josh Howard (70/SF), who was erroneously on the Timberwolves roster last update has been removed from the game.  He tore his ACL and is out for the season, so this will prevent teams from signing him in Association.  Whether they remember to add him back to NBA 2K14 is another story.

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INCORRECT LINEUPS

A number of teams (finally) had their lineups fixed.  Naturally, a few more cropped up to take their place.  Incorrect list drops from 9 to 6.

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CAVALIERS
Kyrie Irving (PG), Dion Waiters (SG), Alonzo Gee (SF), Tristan Thompson (PF), Anderson Varejao (C)
Tyler Zeller has been starting in place of the injured Varejao for two weeks.  Of course, that only would matter if 2K had injured him.  Regardless, Dion Waiters moved to the bench last night, and will be the team's sixth man as he was in college.  C.J. Miles has moved to the starting lineup, where he has had significantly more success than off the bench.

KNICKS
Jason Kidd (PG), Ronnie Brewer (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Amare Stoudemire (PF), Tyson Chandler (C)
It has been widely reported that Amare Stoudemire will be coming off the bench for the foreseeable future.  Kurt Thomas has been starting against bigger front-courts, while James White has been starting against smaller front-courts (shifting Melo to PF). A bit mind-boggling why 2K would start him when they are bringing Dirk Nowitzki off the Mavericks bench.

MAGIC
Jameer Nelson (PG), Arron Afflalo (SG), Maurice Harkless (SF), Andrew Nicholson (PF), Nikola Vucevic (C)
DeQuan Jones replaced the struggling Harkless in the starting lineup on 12/31.

MAVERICKS
Darren Collison (PG), O.J. Mayo (SG), Dahntay Jones (SF), Shawn Marion (PF), Chris Kaman (C)
Vince Carter replaced Jones in the starting lineup on 12/30.

SUNS
Goran Dragic (PG), Shannon Brown (SG), Michael Beasley (SF), Markieff Morris (PF), Marcin Gortat (C)
Beasley lost his starting job to Jared Dudley on 12/8.  Morris lost his job to Luis Scola on 12/12.  How 2K can go a month without paying attention to an entire team, I'll never know.

WIZARDS
Shelvin Mack (PG), Bradley Beal (SG), Martell Webster (SF), Nene (PF), Emeka Okafor (C)

2K seriously just added the Wizards starting PG to the game and didn't put him in the starting lineup.  I have no words.

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SUMMARY

THE BAD
16 days
1 Missing Player Added
1 Player Edit (1 attribute edited)
1 Player Position Change
5 Players on Wrong Teams
1 Incorrect Coach
6 Incorrect Lineups

THE GOOD
12 New Injuries
16 Injury Recoveries

If 2K Sports doesn't make a larger, considerably more detailed update quickly, there will surely be hell to pay within the community, one that already knows what a shoddy job 2K does in this department.