It’s rather lonely playing sports games on a site like this.
Don’t get me wrong: I love GameSkinny. But it’s been tough to find people who love sports games as much as I do, in general, within the gaming industry.
Look, I get it. Sports games have many faults. In fact, I’ve written about many of them, so in case you think I’m blind to them, read this and this.
For those of you who are still with me, I’m going to talk a little bit about the NBA 2k series. I played a little bit of NBA 2k10 before rejoining for NBA 2k12 recently. Yes, I know I’m a year behind, but hey, I can’t afford to plonk $50 for the newest version right now – especially since I didn’t get the chance to see the earlier one anyway.
But that’s OK! Because NBA 2k12 is wicked fun anyway. It’s addictive. And if you are new to the series, you can try it for $18 used at GameStop. Not too shabby, eh?
Anyway, if you’re just getting started in My Player like I was, it might be helpful to know where to put your skill points early on. This game gets to be a lot more fun when you know how to build your character. Since guards are by far the most popular position for My Player, let’s break down some great builds.
Shooter’s Delight – Ray Allen edition
Man, have you just always wanted to be a scorer with no regard for human life? Do you want to show off your skills, draining baskets from everywhere on the court all at once? Is a perfectly-placed jumper your kind of dig?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, starting out as a 3-point specialist is a pretty good way to fulfill your dreams. There’s another option here – scoring – but the problem with scoring is that your mid-range jumper is good and your close shot is alright, but your 3-point shot is still dreadful. And really, what fun is it being a jumpshooter who can’t make a trey?
Instead, go with the 3-point specialist. You’ll start off with an 80 ranking which, as a rookie, makes you pretty awesome. Also, when you start scoring a ton of buckets and earn lots of skill points, you can use them to improve your mid-range and close shot, for a lot less than a 3-point boost costs (it’s the most expensive of the three).
Ideal Height: 6’6″, 6’7″ SG
Ideal Weight: 185-215
What skills to upgrade (in order): Mid-range jumper, layup, shoot in traffic, ball security, shoot off dribble (ability), speed, steals
This one is for my homies – Chris Paul mold
So if you really just care about getting the offense in a good groove and dishing to your teammates, a Chris Paul-esque passing/scoring threat is a great build. However, don’t go for pass-first! I know, seems crazy, but all-around works a lot better. You’ll be a better scoring threat and, trust me, passing is easy to build up. So go all-around and have decent stats so that when you’re open, you can drain the shot, but you can also drive into the lane and pass to a cutting teammate.
What this comes down to is the fact that passing in this game is relatively easy, even though it can also lead to turnovers. Basically, an assist isn’t hard to get, and as you level the stat up, you only get marginal return. I’ve found that having a 93 in passing is pretty much as good as a 99 in passing. So don’t worry about not starting out with passing as high – it will come, and you’ll be glad to have the other stats from all-around.
Ideal Height: 6’3″-6’4″ PG (“6’0” if you really want a challenge when driving the lane)
Ideal Weight: 175-185
What skills to upgrade (in order): Passing, ball security, layup, mid-range or three-point, steals, speed
Road Rage (or “When I drive, there’s no one stopping me”) – Russell Westbrook style
Personally, this is my favorite style, because it provides a great opportunity to be both a scorer and a passer. Of course, this build also takes the most time to build up, because you need to start off as an athletic point guard.
Your jump-shooting is going to suck: accept this, and you will be fine.
This position is all about the speed. You’re going to drive the ball from your side of the court to the opponent’s basket. It’s important to have strong layup and dunk skills here (well, I like having dunk, but it might not be necessary if you don’t love the excitement of jamming it on a helpless npc).
You already have speed. Don’t put any points in speed or quickness – you have plenty already. Also, ignore close, medium and deep shooting. If you want to make this a hybrid build and pass a lot, as I did, then passing should be a priority early on. Get that trait up, then add points to layup and dunk. Add some vertical and some shoot in traffic points and you’re pretty much unstoppable.
Don’t ever pull up a jump shot. You won’t need to. Sprint down the court, do a move on your defender, get the inside shoulder and make the layup. Or if the defenders double-team you, pass out of it and you’ll get an easy assist, usually to a teammate near the rim, for an easy dunk or layup.
Trust me, it does work: I’ve put up 66 points without taking a single jump shot. I’m still in my rookie year and I’m not even that skilled at this game (the shot stick baffles me and I’m not quite sure how to pull off a crossover, or at least, a successful one).
Ideal Height: 6’3″-6’4″ PG (Being point is nice because you start with the ball, meaning you can drive to the basket quicker in transition. Also, you can try being taller, like 6’7″, but I don’t know how well it works).
Ideal Weight: 175-185
What skills to upgrade (in order): Passing, layup, shoot in traffic, ball security, vertical, dunk, consistency.
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Have any other ideas for great point/shooting guard builds for the NBA 2k series? Let me know and maybe I’ll end up writing them in next time – or just playing as them in my own free time.
