NBA 2K17: Ten Surefire Tips To Dominate The Court

Welcome back to another tips article for NBA 2K17. In this we will give you some surefire tips which will help you dominate the court. Follow these simple steps to dominate the court in this year's installment of the NBA 2K franchise.

If there's one word to sum up NBA 2K17 relative to last year's installment, it could well be 'mature'. The new game can certainly be seen as a more difficult upgrade; no more breezing past defenders with a simple crossover on every play, no more fast-break after easy fast-break. Patience has never been more of a virtue, especially with the ball in your possession.

Don't worry though, this certainly isn't cause for panic. If anything, by mastering 2K17, you're likely to become a more well-rounded player; it certainly feels more like real basketball, which - as anybody who's taken to the court will know - isn't the easiest sport to master. It's a game played at an incredibly varied pace, and recognising this in 2K17 is vital.

With that in mind, here are ten surefire tips to have you draining buckets in no time. We've also paid attention to defence, coaching strategies, and the best way to maximise your own virtual avatar on My Player mode. Step right in, lace up your Jordans, and prepare to dominate your friends and online opponents.

1. Take Your Time On Offense

As mentioned in the introduction, patience is incredibly important when breaking down the opposition on NBA 2K17. Don't dive in with needless steal attempts on defence, especially on the higher difficulty settings, and don't attempt to drive straight to the basket within the first few seconds of the shot clock.

Instead, it's important to master the fundamentals of dribbling and passing quickly, enabling you to effectively move the ball around the court and keep the defence constantly off-balance. Also take care to switch up your offensive strategy; don't rely solely on three pointers, post-moves, dribble-drives or long hurls up the court - or you'll be quickly found out.

2. Utilise Triple Threat Moves

It can be tempting to flick the right analogue stick with reckless abandon, sending your player (and hopefully the defender) into random spasms as you attempt to find a lane to the basket. Instead, learn the importance of triple threat moves.

Basketball players and fans will be familiar with the 'triple threat' position, but for newcomers, it refers to the state of having the ball before beginning your dribble. You're able to pass, shoot, or dribble - three very different actions, hence the 'triple threat' expression.

2K17 has included special triple threat dribble moves, which are far more likely to draw your defender off balance, leaving the court wide open for a drive, pass, or unconstested jumper.

3. Master The Post Spin

Post-moves can be seen as NBA 2K's equivalent to FIFA's pace statistic; their effectiveness varies wildly from game to game, but 2K seems to have struck a fairly nice balance. It's not an overpowered facet of the game, but rewards smart, deceptive play down low.

The post-spin (or 'elbow spin') is regarded as this year's most effective post-move, and is certainly an essential tool in the arsenal of any player worth their salt. It is, of course, best left to centres and power forwards - or very strong players in other positions, such as LeBron James - and shouldn't be used too frequently, or your opponent will quickly figure it out and bring a double team.

In the right hands, however, the post-spin can be a devastating weapon.

4. Run Plays!

Don't shy away from running a good play now and then. Yes, we often play basketball games to get away from the rehearsed tactics and flexible strategies of the actual sport - sometimes it's nice to just jack up three-pointers and throw down thunderous slam dunks - but they're in the game for a reason.

Using the shoulder buttons, you'll be able to cycle through a variety of plays at the beginning of an offensive possession. It's best to wait until the ball's in the hands of your point guard, or a player with a good pass rating, but don't panic if it doesn't work out first time around. With careful clock management, two or three opportunities can be crafted in those 24 seconds, and don't be afraid to mix things up.

On the other hand, don't feel bound by using plays on every single possession. Fast breaks are devastating with correct timing and execution, and sometimes it's nice to be able to call an isolation and dominate your man one-on-one (especially with the ball in the hands of a scoring machine like Steph Curry, James Harden, or Carmelo Anthony).

5. Start Off As A Specialist

In My Player mode, speciality is the order of the day. Don't try to spread your attributes too thin, and focus on the categories naturally boosted by the archetype you choose at the beginning of the creation suite.

Once you've built up a solid foundation, hopefully becoming an effective role-player on your team in the process, you'll be able to develop a more flexible all-around game. Doing so too early in your player's career, however, is a recipe for disaster. It's better to be a master of one trade than a jack of all, at least in NBA 2K17.

6. Pick A Shot You're Comfortable With

Another MyPlayer-based tip, this one specifically regarding jump shots. It's very important to pick a shooting form you're comfortable with; it's no good being stuck with the lightning release of Steph Curry if your natural rhythm is a little slower.

Take some time to identify which speed is right for you before selecting. The game has plenty of options in this regard, and it's an important enough aspect of 2K17 to spend quite some time over.

An extra tip: use the analogue stick when shooting rather than the designated 'shoot' button. It's far easier to find a natural rhythm that way.

7. Get To Know Your Squad

On the point of shooting, it's important to realise (especially in MyTeam and MyCareer modes) that every player on your squad is likely to be very different - not just in a positional sense, but also in terms of strengths, weaknesses, pace, shooting ability, and defence.

This is something that should naturally develop over time playing with your squad, but pay close attention to the quirks of each member of the team. In the case of the current league champion Cleveland Cavaliers, realise that although Kevin Love is naturally a big, he's also equipped with a nice three point shot. Kyrie Irving may be a point guard, but pass the ball too much at your peril - he's an offensive demon. And finally, do not, under any circumstances, be afraid of jacking up a shot with JR Smith.

This is a tip that will admittedly lend itself better to those with knowledge of the real NBA, but it can also be learned in time.

8. Use Your Elite Defenders Wisely

When coming up against a team with a big points scorer such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and so on, a good option would be to switch your best defender onto them via the coaching settings - especially if you're in possession of an elite-level defender such as Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green, or...er...LeBron James.

In terms of general defence, there aren't really many new tips to be had. The art of stopping the other team is similar to previous instalments; don't be too over-eager when attempting to steal the ball, learn to box out to maximise defensive rebounds, and keep a nice balance between standing off your opponent and getting tight.

9. Be A Little Sneaky

A particular foible of NBA 2K17 is an emphasis on poor free throw shooters. Although certainly not a tactic to be utilised too frequently (or you'll quickly find yourself in both individual and team foul trouble), getting a little handsy with notoriously poor charity shooters isn't unwise.

Yes, 'Hack a Shaq' is generally frowned upon, but there's a reason teams still utilise it from time to time. Sometimes it's the only way to slow the roll of a dominant offensive unit, and can also be used to prevent certain shooters building up a head of steam with several made field goals in a row.

1O. Show Off!

All our tips so far have been rather serious and results-based, but the ultimate point of NBA 2K17 is to have fun, so why not end with a more light-hearted one. Just like in real life, virtual NBA players should be allowed to cut loose a little bit - and 2K have included a raft of showboating options to use within reason.

Double tap circle (or B on Xbox) for a flashy pass, double tap triangle (or Y) to throw a delicious alley-oop, and press R2 (RT) while holding the right stick away from the hoop to launch your player into a flashy slam dunk. Don't forget to remind your friends whenever you successfully pull one of these off, and remember, instant replays are available from the pause menu.

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