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

[EarvGotti]

In the next week or so, I am going to be putting together a tips/tutorial video on how to play on-ball defense and why it is effective. But first I wanted to see what is it about playing on ball that gives people the most trouble.

When playing online, it is good to mix in some zone and offball here and there depending on how your opponent plays. But IMHO, playing onball is the most effective way to defend shots and it is more fun than sitting back offball. 2K also confirmed that user controlled defense gives an added percentage in successfully defending the shot.

Do you primarily play onball? Why or why not?

[keshunleon]

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

It really depend on what mode I am playing:

Online:

I don't play quick or ranked matches in 2K13 because of how bad it was in 2K12 and they didn't address most of the problems I had with it with 2K13.

Team up - of course you have to play OBD. The issue with OBD is the sliding and bad animations. There is a delay online and it is extremely challenging playing it. I rarely jump to block shots on jumpers outside of the paint, I just use the aggressive button.
In the paint I will try to block the shot if I see the beginning of an animation that is slow or less explosive.

I also try to anticipate the pass because of the delay and rarely go for on ball steals unless the dribbler is a big.

Offline:

I initially start off playing off ball defense, guarding the weakest offensive player to sag off and double a great scorer. If I am playing with a dominate C; I play OffBD majority of the time to contest shots in the paint.

If a player starts scoring a lot in the 1st half I will guard that player.

If a player is getting hot and I'm playing OffBD I will switch to that player and guard them until they cool off.

[chrispaul33333]

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

It really depend on what mode I am playing:

Online:

I don't play quick or ranked matches in 2K13 because of how bad it was in 2K12 and they didn't address most of the problems I had with it with 2K13.

Team up - of course you have to play OBD. The issue with OBD is the sliding and bad animations. There is a delay online and it is extremely challenging playing it. I rarely jump to block shots on jumpers outside of the paint, I just use the aggressive button.
In the paint I will try to block the shot if I see the beginning of an animation that is slow or less explosive.

Offline:

I initially start off playing off ball defense, guarding the weakest offensive player to sag off and double a great scorer. If I am playing with a dominate C; I play OffBD majority of the time to contest shots in the paint.

If a player starts scoring a lot in the 1st half I will guard that player.

If a player is getting hot and I'm playing OffBD I will switch to that player and guard them until they cool off.

lol u play off ball offline. loser

[keshunleon]

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

lol u play off ball offline. loser

This coming from a guy who is using a NBA players name At least I'm original internet tough guy.

Back to the topic CP3 * 1

[diehardknicksfan]

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

I play on ball majority of the time. Basically because its fun to shut down some1 and knowing that u did it. Stopping LBJ with melo. I lock down everyone with shump. Only play offball when the situation demands it. Oppurtunity for a block or strng help defense.

[Fakename22]

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

My scouting report showed I play on ball d 87% of the time. Sounds about right.

[Optik]

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

When I'm playing on quick ranked or My Team, I switch every once in a while between playing on-ball and off-ball defense depending on what I think is most effective at that time. Sometimes I'll switch after a quarter.

The main reason I play off-ball is because of course, 2k's help defense is terrible. When I'm playing off-ball, and I set off ball defensive settings to sag off for the opponent's big men, it doesn't do anything. My big men will still cling to them as if I set it to tight. This becomes particularly problematic, when the perimeter defender I'm controlling, is beaten. Since my help D doesn't have the intelligence to know when to stay with his man and when to focus on the ball handler, he will just follow his man wherever, even if that means the paint is wide open, which of course my opponent immediately exploits.

Another reason I play off-ball is because, quite simply, why on earth should I D my opponent straight up, when he isn't even running plays and is just charging to paint like a headless chicken? He should earn the right for me to play him straight up by playing legitimately, at least run a pick and roll or something. The closest thing you could call this a play would be like a "multiple dribble-pitch", or something. So pride IS linked to it.

The reason I play on-ball is because playing off-ball means that you expose your perimeter defenders to threes. I think it was a bad decision by 2K to make CPU shot contests less effective than human shot contests because this, along with the absurd decision to automatically move players who are shooting on the three point line to behind the three point line, has encouraged people to shoot threes in particular areas with a defender only 1 foot away from them and drain it consistently. For some reason, CPU defenders can never stay close, and I have to do it myself by sticking to the ball-handler like glue.

On-ball shouldn't be necessarily be the preferred defense, that's not how it is in the NBA and 2K shouldn't reward people more for playing on-ball instead of off-ball, they should be equal.

[crazybandit2000]

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

it depends on who the defender is in the situation.. if i have tony allen, shumpert, george, or any other good defender in the league i strap up and play defense.. but if the person i'm playing is extremely good at dribbling and getting to the basket i play off ball and just bring the help because the computer is horrible with help defense.. either they over help and give up the three or they dont help at all

[McMurrayfan]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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