The Franchise Man: NBA Free Agency and Its Impact on the Digital Hardwood

[RaychelSnr]

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh did something that has never been done before this NBA offseason by bringing their collective free-market talents to South Beach. While they have shaken up the real-life NBA, they have also done the same in the digital NBA world.

The biggest story of the NBA year was not a game or the NBA Finals, but the free agency period and where the league’s stars would decide to go and play. NBA video games cannot let this go unnoticed.

We are no longer in an era where the free-agency period in a franchise mode is something you sim past after 15 minutes. It’s too important and needs to feel that way in video games.

So here are a few suggestions to make free agency more realistic in NBA video games.

Read More - The Franchise Man: NBA Free Agency and it's Impact on the Digital Hardwood

[blocknose]

great idea for all sports games not just NBA

[Agent_XX4]

awsome idea

[SlidinThrew]

Good Ideas, I would love to see the off season be more important in every NBA game.

[convince]

I wonder what KG would do if he had to do it over again. Oh yeah, he already answered that, he would left a long time ago. So i guess KG would have a zero in the loyalty dept. as well. The Cavs did it to themselves, they should have traded for Amare, but they decided to keep hold of J.J. Hickerson, that why they went Jamison route. Its funny how loyalty only is thrown around when that player is a superstar. Many times owners have released and traded players w/o a player wanting to leave. I'm glad Lebron left, he did the best thing for the pursuit of a ring and left about 25 million on the table. Right now Joe Johnson is making more money than Lebron, Bosh and Wade . I guess he's loyal and not greedy. BTW the Twitter idea is horrible. But the Buzz idea is awesome.

[n_cruz69]

I wonder what KG would do if he had to do it over again. Oh yeah, he already answered that, he would left a long time ago. So i guess KG would have a zero in the loyalty dept. as well. The Cavs did it to themselves, they should have traded for Amare, but they decided to keep hold of J.J. Hickerson, that why they went Jamison route. Its funny how loyalty only is thrown around when that player is a superstar. Many times owners have released and traded players w/o a player wanting to leave. I'm glad Lebron left, he did the best thing for the pursuit of a ring and left about 25 million on the table. Right now Joe Johnson is making more money than Lebron, Bosh and Wade . I guess he's loyal and not greedy. BTW the Twitter idea is horrible. But the Buzz idea is awesome.

KG didnt leave after his team won 66 games and was a player away from winning a championship, he left after the team failed to make the playoffs in multiple years after giving going through multiple rebuilding process while his talent was being wasted. The funny thing is, it was Lebron who didnt want Hickson traded. You see Lebron had a say an ALL of the Cavs transactions, including the Jamison trade and the Shaq signing. The organization did everything Lebron asked and got the players he wanted, and they still go the shaft. It was Lebron who quit on the team in a very winnable series against the Celtics. IMO, the pressure of winning as THE MAN and in a city like Cleveland got to him and he decided he wanted to take the easy road and not be the man.

[ronyell]

Re: The Franchise Man: NBA Free Agency and Its Impact on the Digital Hardwood

VERY good read & i agree with everthing suggested... franchise gets stale because of the lack of what you've suggested.

[user600]

2K series already has the league buzz, you can see what players are asking for trade and possible destinations

[luv_mist]

Those were good ideas Andrew. I think those things should be integrated as well as other things into the Association. Honestly, I think that they were headed in the right direction with the way the NBA.com front page was setup. I hope that 2K does improve off-season as well as season hype through the rumors and speculation of the players.

I think they also need to bring about the need for more than "superstars" on teams. There needs to be a better algorithm to the team building. I think that could bring about more excitement to the game also. Still, I like the article.

[cam21224]

Great ideas.

Would love to see this in all sports games.

Especially 2k b-ball & Madden.

[Raven Nation42]

Great article and good suggestions.... Hopefully we'll be able to see this soon

[MarvellousOne]

I am really feeling the League Buzz Idea, and I feel that is major for making franchise modes more alive and exciting, these are great ideas and really would do a number on franchise modes to have them feel like they have more of a purpose than just click-clacks of some buttons. Great article.

[convince]

Re: The Franchise Man: NBA Free Agency and Its Impact on the Digital Hardwood

KG didnt leave after his team won 66 games and was a player away from winning a championship, he left after the team failed to make the playoffs in multiple years after giving going through multiple rebuilding process while his talent was being wasted. The funny thing is, it was Lebron who didnt want Hickson traded. You see Lebron had a say an ALL of the Cavs transactions, including the Jamison trade and the Shaq signing. The organization did everything Lebron asked and got the players he wanted, and they still go the shaft. It was Lebron who quit on the team in a very winnable series against the Celtics. IMO, the pressure of winning as THE MAN and in a city like Cleveland got to him and he decided he wanted to take the easy road and not be the man.

You're right KG left like two-three years later, when he was just half of what he was in his prime. He is still a good player but no where close to what he was when he was in Minnesota. Lebron was smart to leave when he did, and not six years from now with two bad knees and maybe a ring. But its nice to know that you are in Bron's inner circle to know who he actually wants and who he did not want to trade. But if I'm not mistaken, it was the owner that stated to the media, that Lebron had no input on the roster or the coaching decisions. So either you are mistaken or the owner is a liar, well I will leave that up to you to decide. But lets be clear on one thing, Lebron and Varejao was the only players to show up in that series. It took M. Williams the last game to even put forth an effort. To be honest in the last game Lebron's effort was not the best. Maybe he was tired, maybe just got tired of carrying the team, who knows. But if you believe like the owner does, that the Cavs will win a ring before Lebron, you and the owner need to stop borrowing hand rolled cigarettes from Willie Nelson.

[xRobertitox]

Re: The Franchise Man: NBA Free Agency and Its Impact on the Digital Hardwood

Of course Dan Gilbert isn't gonna say "We let LeBron run this orginization".

[convince]

Re: The Franchise Man: NBA Free Agency and Its Impact on the Digital Hardwood

Of course not but there was a better way to answer the question. For example, "every player on the team is important and their input is appreciated but the final say lays in the hands of myself and the GM." Maybe its not completely true but at least you don't alienate the star player you are trying to resigned. When its all said and done, I'm not a Cavs or MIA fan so i could care less. But I love to root for players that most people hate.