Impossible to kill in this game with Lou Will

[jeebs9]

I guess here is a question for you guys.... How do you think is easier to score with right now. Jamal Crawford or Lou Williams?

[VDusen04]

I haven't tried using Lou Williams but it sounds like a microcosm of a larger issue I've had with 2K19 altogether: frequently unrealistic interactions between ballhandlers and their immediate defender.

Frankly, perimeter offensive play in 2K19 just isn't real. The moves, angles, and timing that'd often result in an advantage in real life are too frequently nerfed. It appears pretty clear that 2K attempted to counteract other defensive gaps exposed in 2K18 (when Rudy Gobert could frequently get the angle along the perimeter) by programming less realistic defensive responses. And while that may curtail abuse by people who try to get the angle along the perimeter with Rudy Gobert, it also reduced the ability for perimeter players to gain a number of realistic advantages.

Like 2K17, I've found myself often trying to figure out how to best play video games this year instead of relying on the best way to play basketball, because natural basketball responses frequently don't pay off. I'm not sure it's quite as bad as 2K17 felt, but it's certainly a move back in that direction. Defenders nearly seem impervious to bad positioning at times and even in the moments where their momentum does shift, they often make a super human recovery to negate any legitimate advantage.

Another game release took up most of my time back in October but I still dip back to 2K19 every now and again because I have an itch to play some classic video game basketball. And I'm often disappointed because I always end up feeling like I have to fight the game in order to succeed. I can win, but it's frequently with the caveat of doing so while going against a number of my basketball instincts.

[k1ngofny]

Quote: Originally Posted by VDusen04

I haven't tried using Lou Williams but it sounds like a microcosm of a larger issue I've had with 2K19 altogether: frequently unrealistic interactions between ballhandlers and their immediate defender. Frankly, perimeter offensive play in 2K19 just isn't real. The moves, angles, and timing that'd often result in an advantage in real life are too frequently nerfed. It appears pretty clear that 2K attempted to counteract other defensive gaps exposed in 2K18 (when Rudy Gobert could frequently get the angle along the perimeter) by programming less realistic defensive responses. And while that may curtail abuse by people who try to get the angle along the perimeter with Rudy Gobert, it also reduced the ability for perimeter players to gain a number of realistic advantages. Like 2K17, I've found myself often trying to figure out how to best play video games this year instead of relying on the best way to play basketball, because natural basketball responses frequently don't pay off. I'm not sure it's quite as bad as 2K17 felt, but it's certainly a move back in that direction. Defenders nearly seem impervious to bad positioning at times and even in the moments where their momentum does shift, they often make a super human recovery to negate any legitimate advantage. Another game release took up most of my time back in October but I still dip back to 2K19 every now and again because I have an itch to play some classic video game basketball. And I'm often disappointed because I always end up feeling like I have to fight the game in order to succeed. I can win, but it's frequently with the caveat of doing so while going against a number of my basketball instincts.

Agree. This is a case of making changes designed to balance online head to head play at the expense of simulation basketball. Spamming isolation or pick and roll plays is actually a totally legitimate basketball strategy if you have the right players to pull it off (e.g. Rockets, Clippers). Granted it is a very brain dead repetitive super simple strategy.

I think the problem with the game comes down to this. Here's an example, I think the game's shooting percentage on open catch and shoot 3s is let's say 60%, whereas a lightly contested off the dribble shot is 20%. In real life, those percentages are probably more like 45% and 35%. I think the reason they do it that way is to create a skill gap in head to head play. The guy consistently creating open shots should be rewarded more than the guy taking isolation contested shots on every play. However, in reality the difference shouldn't be that large.

[Real2KInsider]

I think the real-life nuances that determine whether a lightly contested shot is a good/bad shot are very difficult to replicate in a video game.

The defense in this game does not resemble current NBA defense and that is nothing new.