MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

[Coachjosh21]

This is a thread to discuss strategies for creating a competitive team that can compete for the championship. This could include roster moves, team composition, player development, dealing with unexpected adversity and on the court strategies for maximizing talent.

To get the discussion going, here are a couple of questions.

First of all, I think the best way to predict future trends (and create realism in 2k) is to look at recent history's patterns.

What did championship teams have that separated them from the rest? What moves did they make to acquire the roster they were successful with? What role did drafting, trading and free agency signings have on the make up of their team?

I just started a MyLeague with the Lakers and I want to build them into a contender as realistic as possible. And these are the questions I'm asking myself in regards to what direction to take the team. I would like to get your input and bounce some ideas of each other so we can all create fun and realistic franchises.

[redsox4evur]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

You need a top 5 pick...the Warriors are an anomaly.

[willcoll]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

Interested to see what gets posted on here. I used to easily win three peats in past games but now I haven't been to the finals in NBA 2k15 or 16. First round picks have always been a great way to build but they have to be near the top. Esspecially because most other players take about 4 years to mature into a viable asset on the bench or starting lineup. A good head coach is undervalued. A good coach will bring your team farther than it would have come otherwise. And you need Atleast one superstar. Break the bank or find a star in the draft or something but you need an elite, top 10 player or players to win you a title


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[Jm0ney2001]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

I was able to turn my Twolves into an 8th rated team just by making two trades that, in my mind, raped the cpu.
First I traded k. Martin and Garnett and a 18 1st Rd pick for K. Love
Then I traded N. Pekovic and T. Prince and A. Miller for A. Bradley sg Bos and E. Turner.
After a tanked 33-49 first season I added a 7th overall pick.
Signed E. Gordon for bench depth

My second season wolves roster looks like this

K. Towns 82
K. Love 85
A. Wiggins 83
A. Bradley 79
R. Rubio 78

Key bench players
Muhammad
Levine
Deing
Gordon
Rookie can't remember his name.

I feel like I will be able to keep this squad together and when towns and Wiggins are 90s that's when championships should come.

[Cavs2016]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

It took me 5 years to turn the Nets into a powerhouse. I had no one to build around and the Celtics had all my first round picks. Nothing was more painful than seeing my pick turn into a first overall. The Celtics drafted a superstar guard with that pick.

I stripped my team down, and got as many picks as I could. My first top ten pick turned into what would become the highest rated player in the league. I was very fortunate to pick a franchise player at #7.

I took the Sixers approach in acquiring as many assets as I could and moving them around to get great pieces. Imagine if the Sixers got Wiggins and D'Angelo Russell.... Their strategy would have been applauded much more.

I had OKC's draft luck and got my two franchise players. I did not build through free agency. I never went after the top guys.

My keys to building a powerhouse:

- get a 90+ superstar through the draft
- find a sweet shooting guard to complement the superstar
- athletic defensive bigs who can rebound
- get a solid 8-9 man rotation.
- shooters, shooters, shooters

[wodi]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

Depends what rosters you are using. If you are using base rosters, there are an abundance of 80's that Are in the game and that develop. You can just collect 5 or 6 low 80s and you'll have success.

I've seen the sixers win a championship year 3 like this.

[SteboSSK]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

If you want realistic as possible securing the top 3 pick like real life and building up the young guys and hitting a quality guy via free agency in 2017 or 2018. Not realistic to poach the game for KD. You could make a trade for someone like Boogie but you'd have to make a realistic trade him. Which would be the 2016 top 3 pick if you get it, Randle and Russell. That kinda puts you back at square one which is why it didn't happen in real life.

[Coachjosh21]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

You need a top 5 pick...the Warriors are an anomaly.

I totally agree. Like there was never another Magic Johnson, there may never be another Stephen Curry. There are other freak advantages the Warriors have but it starts with Currys shooting and his influence on defensive strategy.

[Coachjosh21]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

I was able to turn my Twolves into an 8th rated team just by making two trades that, in my mind, raped the cpu.
First I traded k. Martin and Garnett and a 18 1st Rd pick for K. Love
Then I traded N. Pekovic and T. Prince and A. Miller for A. Bradley sg Bos and E. Turner.
After a tanked 33-49 first season I added a 7th overall pick.
Signed E. Gordon for bench depth

My second season wolves roster looks like this

K. Towns 82
K. Love 85
A. Wiggins 83
A. Bradley 79
R. Rubio 78

Key bench players
Muhammad
Levine
Deing
Gordon
Rookie can't remember his name.

I feel like I will be able to keep this squad together and when towns and Wiggins are 90s that's when championships should come.

You see that seems too easy and a little unrealistic. I'm not judging how you play a video game but I think in real life the Twolves are just at the start of a several year rise, but I don't know if they can pull off a big trade without giving up too much.

[Coachjosh21]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

What did you trade to acquire picks? The only assets they really have are second round picks and expiring contracts which aren't as valuable as they were a few years ago like when the Jazz took Andrei Beidrins and Richard Jefferson from the Warriors with 10 mil contracts each. The Warriors ended up taking that newly created cap space to get iguodala

It took me 5 years to turn the Nets into a powerhouse. I had no one to build around and the Celtics had all my first round picks. Nothing was more painful than seeing my pick turn into a first overall. The Celtics drafted a superstar guard with that pick.

I stripped my team down, and got as many picks as I could. My first top ten pick turned into what would become the highest rated player in the league. I was very fortunate to pick a franchise player at #7.

I took the Sixers approach in acquiring as many assets as I could and moving them around to get great pieces. Imagine if the Sixers got Wiggins and D'Angelo Russell.... Their strategy would have been applauded much more.

I had OKC's draft luck and got my two franchise players. I did not build through free agency. I never went after the top guys.

My keys to building a powerhouse:

- get a 90+ superstar through the draft
- find a sweet shooting guard to complement the superstar
- athletic defensive bigs who can rebound
- get a solid 8-9 man rotation.
- shooters, shooters, shooters

[Coachjosh21]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

Depends what rosters you are using. If you are using base rosters, there are an abundance of 80's that Are in the game and that develop. You can just collect 5 or 6 low 80s and you'll have success.

I've seen the sixers win a championship year 3 like this.

That's kind of disappointing to hear. I toned down progression on my league settings so hopefully it's not like how you described. I want to develop the Lakers slowly and steadily. The amazing thing about the Warriors and Spurs is that even though they have great teams, they also still have cap flexibility to acquire more talent. Like how the Spurs got Aldridge.

[wodi]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

It's been that way for many years on 2k......you need to use custom rosters and draft classes

[zizzle062]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

First of all this is a great thread. So last year I had a 76ers MyLeague that went 10 seasons. I built completely built through the draft and it was probably the most fun I have ever had with a franchise mode in any sport game. Does anybody have ideas of what team I should rebuild this year?

[MysticPeak]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

2K15 was easy since you could build a dynasty through player progression. Everyone's a 99 after three years. They nerfed MyGM a lot in 2K16 to where some of us who preferred a certain settings such as progressive fatigue turned off since it rarely ever matters in the NBA -- they rest or sit out on games to rest their body not because they're exhausted. Sure there are other examples of players that are completely fatigue, but it's not significant enough to not allow us to turn it off. I hope they change this in the future.

Anyway, I like the new additions, by far the best MyGM/Association mode. I usually play with an edge knowing that I could easily turn things around, but this year seems like you need to grind it out & fully pay attention to every little details.

I've been mostly struggling in player development, is there a way to improve every attributes? I don't quite get player training's mechanics. I already had 13.0 on standing mid-range & the player was still not improving in mid-range, one example that I can use is Anthony Davis, sometimes it was working, sometimes it wasn't. Same thing for ordinary players, this is where it truly is a problem, they rarely improve.

I've been trying to form Seth Curry to an all-star caliber but even though I had a 7.0 on that one specific attribute in player training, it just wouldn't improve. If you say if a player is just not capable of improving in that aspect of the game, then that's b.s. when in fact there's always room for improvements. Who knows what a person is truly capable of? This was a speed, vert & shooting attributes, btw.

I feel like a cripple just because it's been really frustrating when it comes to player progression.

====

I have only messed around with GSW & Pelicans. Failed miserably with GSW, everyone kept declining especially Klay Thompson. Year after year his overall rating dipped down by 1.

I had great success with the Pelicans. 5x champs.

1 - Kemba Walker
2 - Rudy Gay or Eric Gordon or Batum. I traded Batum for Harrison Barnes at one point & it just wasn't working out.
3 - Batum
4 - Kevin Love | 1 year of Frank Kaminsky
5 - AD | Bogut since 2017

I'm now at year 2021. 2017-2020 were my best runs if you want to talk about success through trades. I was able to workout a 3-man rotation with AD, Love & Kaminsky & that has been my formula ever since even though I only had him for a year. I've been acquiring stretch 4's throughout the great championship runs by acquiring Ryan Anderson again via FA. Increased in height when I had no other viable option in Robin Lopez to 4 during 2019.

In 2016, I made a 50/5 trade since I wanted to win and/or contend soon by trading away 1st rounders, Jrue Holiday, Gordon & Gay for Kemba, Batum, Kaminsky & Al Jefferson. Don't ask me how I did it if it doesn't work for you. I traded them 1 by 1. I had other picks by trading away the bench.

All in all, I ended up with:

Kemba
Tyreke Evans | Gay
Batum
Kevin Love (I had Al Jefferson for only 15 games)
Anthony Davis

I sometimes try to cheese AI's by knowing which teams will be tanking. With the right team, with the right players to trade -- you can surely get a top 3 pick & trade it along with an 85 rated player for a Kevin Love-esque or maybe even a Paul George? Lillard was always in my trade finder. Even Jahlil Okafor when I tried breaking up with Kevin Love, Kevin Love received the Pau Gasol treatment throughout his run with the Pelicans - oh, yes, Kemba & Love left me. I'm now stuck with McGrady (Yes, I like incorporating 2000's era players in MyGM. I only have Yao Ming & TMAC so far), SF. Tavcar (who has the skillset of a Lebron), AD, Batum, Mirotic, Lamb (who I've had since the 2016 trade, never let go of him) & Shumpert.

If only I remembered how I pulled off every trade, I would share it with you guys I'd consider myself as a new member of OS even though I registered in 2011. It's been a while since I've played this Pelicans team, probably 3 weeks now but I'll try explain things more clearly soon. ahaha

Been playing Association mode/MyGM since 2K7.
What a journey it has been.

[Iceman96]

Re: MyLeague/MyGM Braintrust for Building A Contender

In my Suns GM I traded Chandler, PJ Tucker, Len & a 1st Rounder for Dwight Howard and Marcus Thornton.

I'm in the playoffs just knocked off the Rockets in 7, Dwight Howard was an animal this season, averaged 20, 14 and 4 blocks a game. Made the all nba 2nd team and all defense 1st team. Was runner up (I think) for DPOY as well and made the all star team.

My starting 5 are

Blesdoe
Knight
TJ Warren
Markieff Morris
Dwight Howard

I signed Nash from free agents as a "we're going all out for the title, come get your ring" thing and he is playing 10 minutes a game backing up Blesdoe.

Love this team right now, Thorton is instant offense off the bench. Also did there uniforms like the 90's Charles Barkley era but waiting till I finish the season to use them.
BTW something cool that i noticed, since Thornton used to play for the Suns instead of an ingame photo of him in a Suns jersey, they have an actual photo of him from real life, kind of cool, was hoping Nash would have one too lol. Wonder if you move Dwight to LA or Orlando if that happens.