Defensive Settings Overview and Recommendations in NBA 2K17

[RaychelSnr]

The folks at Sports Gamers Online posted a new video going over all of the defensive settings in NBA 2K17, while recommending settings for each.

If you were not aware, you can customize how your team plays defense by adjusting several different coaching preferences in your coach settings screen. These include:

• On and Off-Ball Pressure
• Force Direction
• On Ball Screens and Hedging (Can adjust for the Center as well as team)
• Off Ball Screens
• Post-Up Settings
• Double Teaming on the Perimeter and Post
• Pre-Rotation, Screen Help and Help Rules
• Extending Your Pressure
• Tagging on Rolls

Simply put, the tools to customize your defensive philosophy are immense. Check out the video above and then let us know what you prefer!

[Impetuous65]

If they don't Address if they have ACE off or on, this video is useless. If it's on we don't know how changing defensive settings cancel out the ACE team or player scheme. We have been talking about this in the defense wiki.

[Junior Moe]

Very useful vid, thanks!

[Black Bruce Wayne]

Very good video. Finally a full explanation of all of the settings and not just some of them.

[Smirkin Dirk]

One change I'd love to see. Right now we apply the individual defensive settings based on the ball handler, rather than the screener. I'd like the option of changing that.

An example.

If Im the Bucks, I go through the Mavs player list. How I defend the screens is based entirely on the ball handler. So with JJ Barea I can choose how to play screens with him as ball handler regardless of who sets the screen.

This is a bit of a problem as sometimes they will play Dirk at the 4 and non-shooters like Dwight Powell at the 4. I'm happy leaving Powell out there and focusing both my defender and the screen defender playing for Barea. But obviously if Dirk is the screener you want to stay attached.

Other than changing the setting every time the CPU Mavs change their lineup, there is no way of adjusting.

[Baebae32]

Quote: Originally Posted by Smirkin Dirk

One change I'd love to see. Right now we apply the individual defensive settings based on the ball handler, rather than the screener. I'd like the option of changing that. An example. If Im the Bucks, I go through the Mavs player list. How I defend the screens is based entirely on the ball handler. So with JJ Barea I can choose how to play screens with him as ball handler regardless of who sets the screen. This is a bit of a problem as sometimes they will play Dirk at the 4 and non-shooters like Dwight Powell at the 4. I'm happy leaving Powell out there and focusing both my defender and the screen defender playing for Barea. But obviously if Dirk is the screener you want to stay attached. Other than changing the setting every time the CPU Mavs change their lineup, there is no way of adjusting.

Great point Dirk. The logic should go:
how do you want to defend the ballhandler -> how do you want to guard Player A as a screener

How you defend someone as a screener should override what you want to do to someone as a ballhandler.

[Black Bruce Wayne]

I had no idea you could set individual defensive assignments. People complained about defense but the individual assignments are pretty robust to me. Changes every for me

[Nevertheles109]

Quote: Originally Posted by Smirkin Dirk

One change I'd love to see. Right now we apply the individual defensive settings based on the ball handler, rather than the screener. I'd like the option of changing that. An example. If Im the Bucks, I go through the Mavs player list. How I defend the screens is based entirely on the ball handler. So with JJ Barea I can choose how to play screens with him as ball handler regardless of who sets the screen. This is a bit of a problem as sometimes they will play Dirk at the 4 and non-shooters like Dwight Powell at the 4. I'm happy leaving Powell out there and focusing both my defender and the screen defender playing for Barea. But obviously if Dirk is the screener you want to stay attached. Other than changing the setting every time the CPU Mavs change their lineup, there is no way of adjusting.

You can, Smirkin.

Under defensive settings, you go to on-ball screen for that player (Dirk, I am staying attached... Deandre I am going under). That controls how the defender will adjust to the that screen man individually.

It's always surprising to me that every year a thread like this comes about, and how often most people don't utilize the defensive settings.

I swear, half the problems people see are because most don't take the time to set their defensive settings and form a common philosophy of how your defense should be played. It makes a huge difference and honestly, they've expanded on it so much this year.

Turn off ACE, adjust EVERY player prior to the game starting and your POE's, and you'll see a big difference.