Barkley and Miller Could be in 2k23

[MoreThanAGamer]

Quote: Originally Posted by jd@os

I said it before, but I think it would be cool for the NBA 2K24 cover to feature Ja Morant and Allen Iverson, maybe with a silver 24. And Idk if it would be a mode or not but feature Iverson in some prominent way. I still remember the switch I made from Live to 2K and those AI covers. Live had the frills while 2K simply had the gameplay.

NBA 2K24 will definitely be a Kobe Bryant Edition. There is no way that 2K misses out on an opportunity to hype their game and sell it by marketing a Kobe Bryant 24 cover. I guarantee that. And that way, it can be another year of avoiding addressing the SERVER ISSUES and ONLINE INPUT DELAY LAG that has plagued the game for years but doesn't get addressed and nobody cares to press them on it. How can Fortnite and any other big game online have good input response but 2K continues to get by without any backlash? Billion dollar company with horrible NET CODE and INPUT DELAY for a timing based game.

[ksuttonjr76]

Quote: Originally Posted by VDusen04

Ehhh I wouldn't go that far. Composure was never going to be that team's strong suit. Could all of those guys held it together long enough to win a ring? In a different timeline, sure. But with so many other legitimate contenders around at that time, I wouldn't call it easy (Shaq Heat, defending champion Pistons, 62-win Nash Suns, Dirk Mavs, actual 2005 champion Spurs).

6-2. Was heading towards 7-2 and stomping the NBA Champions before the Malice in the Palace happened...fun fact, they ended the season 44-38 despite all the suspensions. Beat the Heat 3 of 4. Split the Spurs games. Split the Suns games. Split the Mavs games. Split the Pistons games.

Arguably the best Pacers team with the greatest chance of winning the Championship after their last NBA Finals appearance.

Funny part, that was NBA 2K5 which was one of my favorite entries too. I was stomping people left and right online, and I think that was the FIRST year they did online roster updates. I was so damn livid when I went online one day to see no Artest, JO, or Jackson on the roster.

[AIRJ23]

2K24 will definitely be a Kobe Edition. But I feel like 2K would prefer not to do that if it wasn’t for the fact that not doing it would cause an uproar.

Reason being is wasn’t 2K21 special edition a Kobe edition? They already gave him the high quality updated face scan. Then in 2K22 they pretty much gave us all of his own sigs. So there’s really nothing they can do to make him as marketably compelling in the same way they did Dirk and are doing Mike (updates scans, sigs, etc.).

[VDusen04]

Quote: Originally Posted by ksuttonjr76

6-2. Was heading towards 7-2 and stomping the NBA Champions before the Malice in the Palace happened...fun fact, they ended the season 44-38 despite all the suspensions. Beat the Heat 3 of 4. Split the Spurs games. Split the Suns games. Split the Mavs games. Split the Pistons games. Arguably the best Pacers team with the greatest chance of winning the Championship after their last NBA Finals appearance. Funny part, that was NBA 2K5 which was one of my favorite entries too. I was stomping people left and right online, and I think that was the FIRST year they did online roster updates. I was so damn livid when I went online one day to see no Artest, JO, or Jackson on the roster.

I'm not saying the Pacers weren't good or that they couldn't have won a ring. They arguably gave the Pistons their toughest run in the lead-up to the Finals the year prior (though New Jersey may have something to say about that).

I just don't think they "easily" would have won the championship, considering 1) How many other good teams existed (Pistons, Heat, Suns, Mavs) that would have made life less than "easy" and 2) The fact that even without the Malice, the Pacers were always going to be riding that line between being an excellent team and being one Ron Artest/Stephen Jackson oddball moment away from throwing that all for a loop.

Even pre-Malice, the Pacers were already hitting a road bump on account of that whole situation with Ron Artest requesting a month off a few weeks into the season (at the time the rumor was that he wanted to take some time to promote his musical endeavors but obviously there was more to it). And that was just the latest on an already lengthy Artest rap sheet. I believe Donnie Walsh even said he assembled that team knowing the dangerous game he was playing. Malice or not, composure was always going to be that team's weak spot.

Regarding the regular season records against other competitive teams, I'm somewhat meh on that whole aspect once you consider the context. The Pacers were so shorthanded that they often earned the designation as "rest game" by the opposition. There's no doubt they caught some teams slipping, which is liable to happen when those teams see you trotting out Michael Curry and Jeff Foster in place of Stephen Jackson and Ron Artest. But even then, the win against the Spurs came when Tim Duncan didn't play, and Shaq sat in at least one of the Heat wins (the others were in OT). Moreover, the playoffs are always a different ballgame.

Lastly, regarding the hot start... we know full well that hot starts are not always indicative of how seasons are going to turn out, especially when one of your leading guys is the type of dude who might just go ahead and request a month off three weeks into the season. The 1991 Pistons were 13-2 at the start of their season, seemingly ripe for a three-peat. But by the end of the regular season, they were a shell of what they once were. Hot starts don't always mean automatic playoff success.

That's all to say, this isn't a question of whether the Indiana Pacers could have won the 2005 championship. And this is not to say they weren't legitimate contenders. It is to say that I don't think it ever would have been "easy" for them. It's rarely easy for anyone, really, even the greatest of the great.

[J_Posse]

Quote: Originally Posted by jerwoods

they are easy to make for reggie just almost copy ray allen for barkley look at terry cummings

Copy older Ray Allen (like on the '08 Celtics or '13 Heat). I'm arguing semantics, sorry, but younger Ray Allen was way more athletic than Reggie ever was. Plus, he had handles and could create off the dribble more.

Official HQ of Bills Backer/Spurs Nation

[scottyp180]

Quote: Originally Posted by AIRJ23

2K24 will definitely be a Kobe Edition. But I feel like 2K would prefer not to do that if it wasn’t for the fact that not doing it would cause an uproar. Reason being is wasn’t 2K21 special edition a Kobe edition? They already gave him the high quality updated face scan. Then in 2K22 they pretty much gave us all of his own sigs. So there’s really nothing they can do to make him as marketably compelling in the same way they did Dirk and are doing Mike (updates scans, sigs, etc.).

They could always do some kind of Kobe Challenge mode. I think most people would be unboard with that. I for one am always a fan of those types of mode, though I'd prefer something more akin to the 25th anniversary mode on NFL 2k5 which featured 25 moments/scenarios throughout the leagues history. NBA 2k12 had a similar mode too.

[ksuttonjr76]

Quote: Originally Posted by VDusen04

I'm not saying the Pacers weren't good or that they couldn't have won a ring. They arguably gave the Pistons their toughest run in the lead-up to the Finals the year prior (though New Jersey may have something to say about that). I just don't think they "easily" would have won the championship, considering 1) How many other good teams existed (Pistons, Heat, Suns, Mavs) that would have made life less than "easy" and 2) The fact that even without the Malice, the Pacers were always going to be riding that line between being an excellent team and being one Ron Artest/Stephen Jackson oddball moment away from throwing that all for a loop. Even pre-Malice, the Pacers were already hitting a road bump on account of that whole situation with Ron Artest requesting a month off a few weeks into the season (at the time the rumor was that he wanted to take some time to promote his musical endeavors but obviously there was more to it). And that was just the latest on an already lengthy Artest rap sheet. I believe Donnie Walsh even said he assembled that team knowing the dangerous game he was playing. Malice or not, composure was always going to be that team's weak spot. Regarding the regular season records against other competitive teams, I'm somewhat meh on that whole aspect once you consider the context. The Pacers were so shorthanded that they often earned the designation as "rest game" by the opposition. There's no doubt they caught some teams slipping, which is liable to happen when those teams see you trotting out Michael Curry and Jeff Foster in place of Stephen Jackson and Ron Artest. But even then, the win against the Spurs came when Tim Duncan didn't play, and Shaq sat in at least one of the Heat wins (the others were in OT). Moreover, the playoffs are always a different ballgame. Lastly, regarding the hot start... we know full well that hot starts are not always indicative of how seasons are going to turn out, especially when one of your leading guys is the type of dude who might just go ahead and request a month off three weeks into the season. The 1991 Pistons were 13-2 at the start of their season, seemingly ripe for a three-peat. But by the end of the regular season, they were a shell of what they once were. Hot starts don't always mean automatic playoff success. That's all to say, this isn't a question of whether the Indiana Pacers could have won the 2005 championship. And this is not to say they weren't legitimate contenders. It is to say that I don't think it ever would have been "easy" for them. It's rarely easy for anyone, really, even the greatest of the great.

As long as you recognize that they wasn't going to be an "easy" out either. Your other post felt very dismissive as if they didn't have a chance. Ron Artest was great talent at the time, but I disagree with the Jackson comment. Jackson was just Jackson at the time. To my knowledge, there was no question marks about him, and he was just acquired that offseason.

I just threw out the hot start just because, lol. There was ANOTHER Pacers team (13-14 season) that had a hot start AND had NBA record breaking defense....then came the Granger trade.

[Real2KInsider]

Quote: Originally Posted by VDusen04

Honestly, 2K's classic team lineup is strong enough that it seems like they could totally roll out "Challenge" editions for certain players every couple of years at worst.

They already do this in MyTeam. Marketing needs a hook to sell the game.

(2K also had an extensive LeBron mode a few years ago and I don't recall people going nuts over it).

Quote:

Imagine the carrot that'd dangle in front of so many of us, with each year (or bi-year or tri-year) offering a new unique challenge mode. You can't tell me people wouldn't be clamoring over an Allen Iverson Edition that comes with some semblance of an AI Challenge Mode.

Marketing can only go to the well so many times. It is not lost on them either that 2K11 and the OG Jordan Challenge was one of the most beloved 2Ks. They are not going to unleash that in a development year and risk killing the golden goose.

A lot of people wouldn't be clamoring over an AI edition maybe. in the mid-00s maybe, but it was a rough ending and he isn't remotely as iconic in not just basketball but SPORTS.

Magic & Bird were among the most iconic in history and nobody is running out to buy a Challenge for them. That's how high the bar is. People who were already going to buy the game would pick it up, which defeats the purpose. People who DON'T play NBA 2K are going to pick up 2K BECAUSE of Jordan.

Quote:

Like, they just rolled out a Kobe edition of 2K a couple years ago, imagine the potential of a Kobe challenge. They've already got the '98, '01, and '04 Lakers and I know they've struggled to land a Bynum or something on the '09 era but broadly speaking, it seems like something that would have been doable, even if it wasn't on the scale of Jordan Challenge.

Kobe is one of an extremely short list of players who this could be done with (and I fully expect 2K24 to be the Kobe year).