Where's the help defense in this game?

[Optik]

Is it me, or is help defense non-existent in this game?

A few hours ago, I played one of the OS guys from the Lactose Intolerant thread (Gator yall know), and he beat me fairly over a 48 minute game.

The main reason he won, was because he went off with Lillard, but too many of Lillard's points were wide open dunks. The help defense was just non-existent.

Admittedly, I didn't touch the defensive settings, apart from sagging off of JJ Hickson (he was the Blazers, I was the Nets), but the defensive pressure was only about 30, and my CPU team (especially the bigs) were playing matador defense, when I was playing on ball D.

I admit, my on ball D sucked (partly because I've taken a month's hiatus, no excuse though), so I'm to blame for that, but even when I cranked the help D to about 90, my bigs were playing as if they were playing deny ball, including the big that was sagging off Hickson.

In the real life NBA, people don't look to lock up each other as if it's just 10 players taking it in turns to play one on one, help D is a HUGE part of the defense, but I just can't get it to work in this.

IRL, players hardly EVER play their man straight up, they're playing them at certain angles.

This reminds me of something Da Czar said on the SimNation Radio Show last Friday, that the developers have designed this game, where it assumes the user is going to play on ball D most of the time, so it means that the rotations are kind of messed up.

This is a problem in particular against another human. The CPU's speed is boosted on higher difficulties, so in a weird way, their help defense is more realistic.

I'm having to play off-ball just to attempt to replicate realistic help D, although that only goes far with the lack of contact in the paint (and when I mean that, I mean especially contact on drives).

Am I doing something wrong, or is the help D just really bad?

[Vni]

Re: Where's the help defense in this game?

If you haven't set your defense the CPU probably played tight on most of the Blazers though because most of them can shoot pretty well except Hickson. I think help defense is pretty decent.

[Optik]

Re: Where's the help defense in this game?

But the defensive pressure was 30. As I understand it, when you leave the defensive settings on Auto, the defender automatically refers to the coach profiles, for how tightly he sticks to his man. 30 is not very tight, certainly not tight enoughto allow people to just waltz through for wide open dunks time after time.

[EasyOnTheIcePlease]

Re: Where's the help defense in this game?

Help defense is terrible in this game, you have to be at least 2 steps ahead when playing on-ball defense since players are stuck in their stances so much this year.

For whatever reason, even if you switch to a help defender and attempt to move, they won't. One solution is to start moving a help defender in better position while on defense when you anticipate a drive to the basket, or a pass to a certain player or whatever.

I think it's a programming issue. I also believe that defensive awareness ratings play a role in this, but it's baffling to see defenders cling to a player who has "sag off" applied to them for both on & off ball situations.

[cardinalbird5]

Re: Where's the help defense in this game?

Put your help defense to 80-100 and then deny any shooter you want. Put double on drive on all of the guards and double in post for any bigs. Or you can just select constant pressure, but you will leave shooters open. I think help defense is good honestly. Could it be better? Sure.....but it has came a long way the past 3-4 years. Go play NBA 2k9 or something. That game had no help defense at all...everything was a switch.

[Vni]

Re: Where's the help defense in this game?

But the defensive pressure was 30. As I understand it, when you leave the defensive settings on Auto, the defender automatically refers to the coach profiles, for how tightly he sticks to his man. 30 is not very tight, certainly not tight enoughto allow people to just waltz through for wide open dunks time after time.

I would thnk that the CPU makes the adjustement it thinks are the best based on players ratings. I don't think if you set it on auto every defenders are gona react the same to all the opponents. I don't really know how much the defensive pressure settings actually influence the defense.

[JasonWilliams55]

Re: Where's the help defense in this game?

But the defensive pressure was 30. As I understand it, when you leave the defensive settings on Auto, the defender automatically refers to the coach profiles, for how tightly he sticks to his man. 30 is not very tight, certainly not tight enough to allow people to just waltz through for wide open dunks time after time.

Nah, Auto only lets the CPU decide whether they play Tight, Mod or Sag. If you did and OTF defensive settings it overrides the AUTO settings. And VNI is correct in saying that AUTO also goes off of the matchups at hand to determine how to play them defensively.

Defensive Pressure raises (above 50) or lowers (below) the rate at which the defense rotates (supposedly per 2k) whatever that really means. To me, it feels like the higher you go, the faster they close out on the shooter/ball handler, which makes sense to the "how fast they rotate" meaning.

Help D slider will raise/lower how much they look to help out the on ball defender (this is tied into the defenders individual DAWR ratings, obviously higher = better) raising the help d too high coupled with low DAWR will have your defense confused, not recommended, there is a sweet spot on the Help D slider for every team.

Help D @ 50 leaves it to the players DAWR, I prefer 65 - 75. Any higher and I notice to many players starting to cheat over too much, again tied into DAWR, so if you have all high DAWRS you can leave the Help D around 50 - 60 and you'll be good.

[demfl]

Re: Where's the help defense in this game?

Is it me, or is help defense non-existent in this game?

A few hours ago, I played one of the OS guys from the Lactose Intolerant thread (Gator yall know), and he beat me fairly over a 48 minute game.

The main reason he won, was because he went off with Lillard, but too many of Lillard's points were wide open dunks. The help defense was just non-existent.

Admittedly, I didn't touch the defensive settings, apart from sagging off of JJ Hickson (he was the Blazers, I was the Nets), but the defensive pressure was only about 30, and my CPU team (especially the bigs) were playing matador defense, when I was playing on ball D.

I admit, my on ball D sucked (partly because I've taken a month's hiatus, no excuse though), so I'm to blame for that, but even when I cranked the help D to about 90, my bigs were playing as if they were playing deny ball, including the big that was sagging off Hickson.

In the real life NBA, people don't look to lock up each other as if it's just 10 players taking it in turns to play one on one, help D is a HUGE part of the defense, but I just can't get it to work in this.

IRL, players hardly EVER play their man straight up, they're playing them at certain angles.

This reminds me of something Da Czar said on the SimNation Radio Show last Friday, that the developers have designed this game, where it assumes the user is going to play on ball D most of the time, so it means that the rotations are kind of messed up.

This is a problem in particular against another human. The CPU's speed is boosted on higher difficulties, so in a weird way, their help defense is more realistic.

I'm having to play off-ball just to attempt to replicate realistic help D, although that only goes far with the lack of contact in the paint (and when I mean that, I mean especially contact on drives).

Am I doing something wrong, or is the help D just really bad?

I play with Portland online and I do the same thing to people who play man defense on me, I get about 10 dunks a game with Lillard. I don't know what to say, many will tell say you need to get better at on ball man defense, myself I think man defense is broken in this game.

All it takes is a half spin and my opponent playing man defense is guarding the air.