Look, walk on Pro Am was far from perfect. It's usually not high quality game play. But it was the best way if you wanted to play actual 5 on 5 and didn't have the time to schedule team pro-am games.
I'm starting to feel like the mode has been ruined for this year, for the following reasons:
1) 5 player requirement: As others have mentioned, the 5 player requirement means that unless you play a big, you are likely waiting 10+ minutes to get into a game.
2) Steal spam: I actually LIKE the fact that you have to be careful with your passes, for the most part. But it doesn't translate well to rec, where teams of players don't know each other and their tendencies. There's too much unpredictability to make the ball so easy to steal. It also means that by default, people resort to just passing around the perimeter rather than risk passing inside, meaning bigs get completely freezed out.
3) Ineffective inside play: The bricking of open or near-open layups is well documented. In addition, post moves are glacially slow, allowing for easy double teaming or easy stonewalling, even by mediocre defenders. Because passing is so dangerous due to #2, this often results in a bad shot or turnover rather than an effective kickout. This, along with #2, results in the ball sitting on the perimeter and players jacking 3s all night long.
4) Transition over-effectiveness: This is a result of two things, first, full court passes are way easier than last year (as long as they don't go near a defender), really encouraging long bomb fast breaks. Also, in an effort to show real differentiation in player speed, its routine to see 1 or 2 guards sitting in the corner mere moments after a defensive rebound, ready for that full court pass to drill an uncontested 3.
Notice I didn't complain about the 3 point shooting? I don't think its actually much worse than last year. Its just that players default to this as the only method of scoring more than anything else.
I feel like these problems could all be solved, if 2K cares.
1) Remove the 5 player minimum. It's just too hard to get a game if you want to play a guard/wing.
2) Reduce the effectiveness of interior D on standing layups with high ratings, and speed the animations slightly on spins/drop steps, etc, especially at higher badge levels (we know they have better animations, you get them in takeover).
3) Bring back the annoying but needed unreliability of deep passing from last year. We all hated it, but the alternative is worse. Or, make deep passes slower and easier to pick off.
4) Players with higher pass ratings should put more zip on the ball, making it harder to time. Passes in the halfcourt often seem leisurely and are easily picked off. Put more arc on the overhead pass (which often I can't tell any difference between it an a regular one).
I'm starting to feel like the mode has been ruined for this year, for the following reasons:
1) 5 player requirement: As others have mentioned, the 5 player requirement means that unless you play a big, you are likely waiting 10+ minutes to get into a game.
2) Steal spam: I actually LIKE the fact that you have to be careful with your passes, for the most part. But it doesn't translate well to rec, where teams of players don't know each other and their tendencies. There's too much unpredictability to make the ball so easy to steal. It also means that by default, people resort to just passing around the perimeter rather than risk passing inside, meaning bigs get completely freezed out.
3) Ineffective inside play: The bricking of open or near-open layups is well documented. In addition, post moves are glacially slow, allowing for easy double teaming or easy stonewalling, even by mediocre defenders. Because passing is so dangerous due to #2, this often results in a bad shot or turnover rather than an effective kickout. This, along with #2, results in the ball sitting on the perimeter and players jacking 3s all night long.
4) Transition over-effectiveness: This is a result of two things, first, full court passes are way easier than last year (as long as they don't go near a defender), really encouraging long bomb fast breaks. Also, in an effort to show real differentiation in player speed, its routine to see 1 or 2 guards sitting in the corner mere moments after a defensive rebound, ready for that full court pass to drill an uncontested 3.
Notice I didn't complain about the 3 point shooting? I don't think its actually much worse than last year. Its just that players default to this as the only method of scoring more than anything else.
I feel like these problems could all be solved, if 2K cares.
1) Remove the 5 player minimum. It's just too hard to get a game if you want to play a guard/wing.
2) Reduce the effectiveness of interior D on standing layups with high ratings, and speed the animations slightly on spins/drop steps, etc, especially at higher badge levels (we know they have better animations, you get them in takeover).
3) Bring back the annoying but needed unreliability of deep passing from last year. We all hated it, but the alternative is worse. Or, make deep passes slower and easier to pick off.
4) Players with higher pass ratings should put more zip on the ball, making it harder to time. Passes in the halfcourt often seem leisurely and are easily picked off. Put more arc on the overhead pass (which often I can't tell any difference between it an a regular one).
Comment