To me, they really haven't improved gameplay that much. I will say I'm glad they finally moved dribble moves to the right stick. Outside of that, it still feels pretty much the same as the last few years. Where they are really lacking is AI. That should be the main focus, both on and off the court.
Back on topic: I really hope Live has a good showing this year. I liked the ideas they have had for Elite and Live 13, but they just didn't implement them well. Hopefully, with a better dev team and new engine/consoles, they will be able to make it worthwhile.