Do you play ON-BALL DEFENSE? Say why or why not

[McMurrayfan]

I prefer on ball, i feel its a much more rewarding feeling to get stops knowing your the one getting them and not the cpu

[keshunleon]

On ball is great but I hate switching to different players because of the slow help D.

Also 2K hasn't found a way to make the switch smoother, there is always a slight pause when you switch especially when the player is running.

Ex.

Playing against Boston I always guard the PG: Rondo & Avery aren't' good shooter so I sag off to make them shoot contested 15-19 foot jumpers.

I use different strategies when defending different teams.

Ex.

Teams with dominate C's (Magic with Shaq): I guard the non shooters and as soon as they pass it in the post I double. The CPU AI will use the SG/SF to double leaving N-Anderson or 3D open.

2K need to allow us to determine who will rotate when doubling.

[Optik]

Oh yeah I have to add:

- The animation where you're getting pushed back by the ball-handler is terrible as it always gives them an open fadeaway. This is terrible if you're playing against someone who has Kobe.

- The sliding is terrible.

- Defenders help one pass away way too often.

- Even when playing on-ball, the defender doesn't always contest, and I usually contest with both LT AND the right stick when LT is enough.

- Either decrease the ball-handler's speed when turboing across the perimeter to find an open shot like many people do, or increase the lateral speed of his defender, so we can catch up.

- There are far too many blocks on the perimeter. It's too easy for defenders to block 3 pointers, the way they cover ground in a split second is simply impossibly fast.

- Call a foul when people are throwing themselves at the ball-handler, in real-life people's heads would be taken off with defenders doing what's essentially a Sting Splash on the ball-handler's head.

- Since the defense is mostly terrible in 2K, it means the vast majority of those complex plays and complex dribble moves are completely unnecessary to use online. If a ball-handler can just run in a straight line unimpeded to the basket, then what good is running a pick and roll or doing a crossover?

[yungmeaks]

I play on-ball 80% of the time until I just can't stop the cheese where somebody runs back and forth, side to side to get open, only to throw up a ridiculously cheap open shot and make it. After I let the CPU put pressure for me, I try to pressure my opponent myself.

[lockdownD]

I play mostly team-up with friends or occasionally against the computer or a friend. So I play strickly on-ball defense. The things that frustrate me the most on defense are - player movements, delayed and sluggish animations, lack of contact, and dumb A.I.

Playing against the computer is not too bad. However, playing against other people can be very frustrating.

They have made it so easy on the dribbler this year especially with the new easy dribbling controls and moves that every player has. Overly aggressive ball handlers can just keep running into on-ball defenders without much consequences at all (such as picking up their dribble and/or lossing the ball) until they create space or eventually just slide by you. Occasionally, your on-ball defender on contact is forced into a fall down animation and/or warps around the ball handler so that they can get by you. Once inside the paint if the running dunk animation starts, you better not be in the way or else your defender is getting slid 10ft back just so that dunking animation can complete. On standing dunks you have no chance either to draw contact and are useless on defense as well. It doesn't feel like you matter as much on defense this year, it seems like its more just about letting the dribbler do fancy dribble moves, dunks, and other combo moves where defensive contact and positioning doesn't seem to matter.

The player movement animations are now so delayed and drawn out I no longer feel like I have precise, responsive, and full control over my defenders movements on the court anymore like there was for instance in 2k11. The animations now are much more frustrating and they just feel like they really hold you back a lot of times on what you want to do and where you want to go. It can be difficult to simply keep up with ball handlers at times, especially if they change directions a lot due to the delayed and sluggish animations. Trying to run out to contest a shot sometimes you feel like your being held back from being able to even move. On-ball contact with the shooter inside the paint, often times your defenders body will simply go limp and you can't move or do anything for awhile. Add in the new off-ball bumping animations that will stop you dead in your tracks if you run into someone and just trying to move around the court can be a major pain.

The A.I. Is so dumb especially when it comes to helping out to pick up people driving to the paint. They are far too slow to react.

I use shading stances on defense and use the right stick a lot as part of my defensive strategy and contest shots myself (auto contest turned off).

For me at least playing on-ball defense just isn't as fun as it used to be. I really hope that changes in 2k14.

[xKINGxSCOTTx]

Says I do it on ball 82% of the time... Most of my offball.. Is playing passing lanes if my opponent dishs alot to bigs or drives and dish 3s... I always man the ball handler because its the only way to slow down the 3s... But I do run 3-2 and 2-3 sometimes usually in 1min variables about 3 times a game to throw off my opponent... So that's usually my 18% off ball usage... On rare occasions ill bring bigs on help defense maually usually off pick and rolls... Alot depends on who u play... Against CPU I'd saying I'm 90% on ball though

[xKINGxSCOTTx]

Just to add I play with always contest and 100 CPU assist... It seems to give me better contact animations like stoping dribble and on the spin Layups... Takes alittle to get use to cus u don't have full control all the time... It makes u a tad slower however like when a pump fake comes or they dribble side to side and back again to hit mid range or 3s but most u can still contest well... Plus my defense I rather a jumps hit over anything close so it does what works for me.... If u can hit constantly u can beat me but I'm not letting someone drive allday with easy shots

[tetoleetd]

i play on ball D the majority of the time. when i play against the CPU i always play on ball. online against human opponents i play on ball unless forced to go to my backup defense(2-3 zone). if forced to play 2-3, i will control one of the wings.

my reasoning for playing on ball D is simple. i dont trust the cpu to defend for me. they always leave too much room for someone to pull up in their face and even when they do contest a shot well, it still goes in a lot. i just think on ball defense is more effective, more fun and more realistic. and once you get the hang of it, its really not as hard as a lot of people on here make it out to be.