Mastering Pace of Play in NBA 2K17

[RaychelSnr]

There are so few players who transcend pace of play. Guys who can beat you in the halfcourt just as easily as they can beat you on a break are rare, leaving most teams scrambling to find a pace that works for them.

NBA 2K17 does a wonderful job mirroring these different types of players. Take, for instance, Marc Gasol. What Gasol (92 strength) lacks in speed and agility, he makes up for in strength and awareness. Slowing down with Mike Conley Jr., a similarly crafty player in the halfcourt, and running a play to utilize Gasol’s strengths is a winning strategy. It’s slower and often eats a ton of clock, but it works. Memphis has built a team that grinds out wins via low-scoring affairs.

Unfortunately, dictating pace of play isn’t as easy as it sounds. Game flow, a phrase that doubles as pace of play, is an idea being recognized by coaches everywhere. Oftentimes, you’ll flip on a game of basketball and find two teams butting heads over the tempo of the game. One team, like Memphis, may wish to slow things down while another team, let’s say Phoenix, wants to hurry things up.

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[alabamarob]

Great article. Best 1 you have done so far. Pace is everything.

[jusagamerk26]

Re: Mastering Pace of Play in NBA 2K17

Great work here! Really need to emphasize this to focus on the strengths of each team may it be a fast pace one or half court offense

[jrose57]

Re: Mastering Pace of Play in NBA 2K17

amazing read

but even better if u kinda break down what each team plays like, we know spurs and grizzles are slower type, and warriors wizards are faster type, but there are teams like sixers, hawks, just teams kinda in between, give us some options on what to do, will be helpful to people that don't know nba or basketball too well

[mryan2]

This was a great read. This is something I think about every game. I coach baseball and a phrase I always use is "if you think you're going to slow, go slower." I apply the quote to life to and tell my kids to apply that to situations. I am in year 5 with the Sixers. Current starting 5 is Reggie Jackson, CJ McCollum, Ben Simmons, Dario Saric and Joel Embiid. I wanted to try to have a team that I can change up with throughout a game. I think that's important. Some guys going up and down seems to be working while others slowing down moving the ball and feeding the post work. But my main focus is whichever speed I'm going, mentally I try to slow down so that it all feels comfortable.

[Radja]

great article. i had started implementing a couple of these things already on my own, but you put everything together so well and added more background info making me realize how far i still have to go.

thanks.

[mcdowell31]

Great information: Especially citing specific attributes that give clues to use of tempo. I am currently experimenting with disabling badges for all players in franchise mode so attributes and tendencies are emphasized. I felt that badges were distorting game AI and gameplay. So far my games have felt more fundamental like the 2K that attracted me more than ten years ago, and gameflow is definitely a part of that.