Defense is completely broken

[jk31]

I really hate how this game gets worse and worse each year.


My biggest strength always have been my defensive gameplan that took many opponents (online league) by surprise and took away their strengths while giving the ball to bad shooters/players.


In 2k21 it seems like most defensive settings don't have any effect at all. I played against the guy in our league that has Steph Curry. I know he runs him at SG to get him open with off ball screens. So what would be a smart move? Right, switch every screen. I don't care if I get mismatches but I don't want to be destroyed by Curry shooting wide open threes. What happens in this game? In 40 minutes of gameplay, I only saw my AI defenders switching on off-ball screens for a total of 2 times! Great job.


Next game I want to take away Kevin Durants penetrations. I set both my bigs (Gobert and Turner) to sag off their man, even as both were potent 3pt threats (Ibaka and Justin Holiday) to help/double on every Durant drive. Well I can count on one (okay lets be realistic, two) hands, how often even one of my big men was placed anywhere near my own basket. Most of the times they either were stuck in no mans land or guarding their man deny on the weakside.


And it is like that most games. Also for all other members in the league. The guy having Westbrook says it is completely boring as nobody is able to put up any inside defense as a) defensive settings don't have any effect at how your team plays and b) inside D in general is pretty nonexistent. Players, especially players like Westbrook, can get very low contested layups all the time, even when there are two good defenders sandwiching him or good shot blockers going up before him. He says he could basically put up 60 a game with Westbrook, but it is no fun at all for him to play this way.


I really hate it. This game has turned into casual paradise where it is important how to master arcade mechanics like aiming a meter (Mario Party and Wii Golf say hello) or how to trigger the right cheesy animations.

[Guard-ian]

Re: Defense is completely broken

Yes, the inconsistency of defensive plans and the too overpowered slashing players (Anteto, Westbrook, etc.), the new shooting mechanics where you have to green almost everything, etc, etc... all of that makes this game the worst NBA2k (from a sim perspective) of the decade... Involution.

[papaey]

Re: Defense is completely broken

Ace in general is broken. This is an easy fix. Giving too many PIP should result playing zones. Getting blown? Switch to full court press. This are basics and heck even nba live 2005 have this automatically. What the purpose of ace if you don't see this adjustments in game.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: Defense is completely broken

There are some base band aid settings that can help...but I've essentially made this same thread. Start with Ace off, flipping Switch All and turning the help defense coach slider up.

Defense is really bad this year though. Especially in user vs user play.

This thing that started in 2K20 where the center chases their assignment out of the paint regardless of setting needs to go in the scrap heap. I mean he will run past a drive man to do it. There is just a complete lack of awareness in general to protect the paint.

Try those settings out though, they do help a bit.

[alabamarob]

Re: Defense is completely broken

Turn that help defense slider to 95. Always have the man guarding the center on leave him

[CujoMatty]

Re: Defense is completely broken

I didnt think I'd ever see the day this game would be so broken.

Interior defense is completely borked and like 24th said the bigs are always a step behind and just chase dudes all over the place. I appreciate them trying to make bigs slower and less mobile but they cant get back to play defense on a missed offensive possession. Even on a make its questionable if they make it back to play D.

Everything to do with defense is just a chore. Trying to stay in front of my man takes all my concentration and now I gotta try and micromanage the other 4 guys on the court as well. It's not fun.

My games are full court marathon dunk fests with crazy fast break and PIP numbers for the CPU as well as myself.

It's a shame because the way the cpu can rotate from double teams is quite impressive but that's literally the only good thing I see on defense.

[ataman5]

Re: Defense is completely broken

As i've stated in another thread, the game at this state is complete mess. Why would we even try it to get it work AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS!?

Do we play the game to have fun or to be beta testers, well h. we are not even being heard to get it better or paid for anything, it doesn't get any better,too.

What are we doing really? It's comical now, a big trauma.

There are a lot of games out there who base it all on risk/reward factors on each elements except nba 2k for a good amount of 4-5 years they are not into it. They don't care....

[jk31]

Re: Defense is completely broken

Turn that help defense slider to 95. Always have the man guarding the center on leave him

I have the help slider at 100. Is this a "bug" that it needs to be at 95? And I basically always have both my bigs (Gobert and Turner) set to "leave him" for the oppsing players, even if they are capable from shooting. Like I mentioned in the first post. I want to stop Durant from driving and even leave Ibaka and Justin Holiday open. Still they don't do it.

[jk31]

Re: Defense is completely broken

There are some base band aid settings that can help...but I've essentially made this same thread. Start with Ace off, flipping Switch All and turning the help defense coach slider up.

Defense is really bad this year though. Especially in user vs user play.

This thing that started in 2K20 where the center chases their assignment out of the paint regardless of setting needs to go in the scrap heap. I mean he will run past a drive man to do it. There is just a complete lack of awareness in general to protect the paint.

Try thise settings out though, they do help a bit.

I usually play with ACE off (or "offense only", as I like to have automatic playcalling) and the help slider is on 100 since the middle of 2k20. I will try "switch all" but the few times I tried it, it didn't show any effect at all...


Is "gap" better or "leave him" in regards to getting a help side by the big? I tested it in 2k20 and "leave him" resulted in the big standing on the help side but sprinting back to his own man as soon as a drive comes.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: Defense is completely broken

I usually play with ACE off (or "offense only", as I like to have automatic playcalling) and the help slider is on 100 since the middle of 2k20. I will try "switch all" but the few times I tried it, it didn't show any effect at all...


Is "gap" better or "leave him" in regards to getting a help side by the big? I tested it in 2k20 and "leave him" resulted in the big standing on the help side but sprinting back to his own man as soon as a drive comes.

Switch All is really helpful in transition, and situations in the half court when you are completely out of position.. as opposed to guys just standing there in their stance while guys are driving right past them, smh

"Gap" is more effective. "Leave Him" has been bugged for quite a while.

[youALREADYknow]

Re: Defense is completely broken

ACE is a mess, but there are ways to hack it into doing some things. Most importantly, turn ACE OFF for user controlled teams.

If you want your center to stay in the paint & provide help defense, then you have to set the entire team’s defensive settings in specific ways. The way help defense works in this game is based on 2K’s “one pass away” strong-side logic which can override the individual player’s off-ball setting. I’ve been able to get around this by making sure the rest of the team (PG/SG/SF/PF) are set to Tight Off-Ball while setting the Center to Gap or Leave Him. Any player set to Gap is a potential help defender.

The rest of the assignment logic has more to do with P&R and off-ball screen settings since most of 2K’s offense is ball screen related. The best way to keep big defenders in the paint is to set everyone’s P&R to Go Over, No Hedge, Stay Attached No, No Help vs Screens, and Go Under Off-Ball Screens. Then set the opposing big’s defensive settings to Go Under for everything.

The other contrarian thing I do is set Help Defense sliders way down to a range between 5-25. I don’t think many people understand what this slider does since 2K20/21 because it’s clearly different from the earlier games. It used to clearly mean help rotations from the paint, but now I’ve only seen it impact double teams and logic to help/trap on perimeter/drives. That’s usually going to result in your bigs (who are set to Gap or Leave as the primary help defender) rushing around the perimeter looking for ball handlers to help against. If you keep the Help Defense coaching slider low, but have your other P&R/Help defensive settings correct then you will see more NBA style help defense in the paint. The game’s defensive rotation logic seems to use those defensive settings over the help defense slider.

Having said all of that, some things are truly broken defensively and have been that way for years. Switching logic is broken as far as positioning is concerned which is why so many ball handlers get open looks in 2K against switches.
Go Over and Switch off-ball logic is broken when you see how defenders are willing to run away from their assignment towards the sidelines in transition or in the paint.
Gap on-ball still keeps the on-ball defender too close on the perimeter.
Catch Hedge positioning is too far on the perimeter when defending side/wing P&R which makes it almost useless at defending either the drive or roll.

[jk31]

Re: Defense is completely broken

ACE is a mess, but there are ways to hack it into doing some things. Most importantly, turn ACE OFF for user controlled teams.

If you want your center to stay in the paint & provide help defense, then you have to set the entire team’s defensive settings in specific ways. The way help defense works in this game is based on 2K’s “one pass away” strong-side logic which can override the individual player’s off-ball setting. I’ve been able to get around this by making sure the rest of the team (PG/SG/SF/PF) are set to Tight Off-Ball while setting the Center to Gap or Leave Him. Any player set to Gap is a potential help defender.

The rest of the assignment logic has more to do with P&R and off-ball screen settings since most of 2K’s offense is ball screen related. The best way to keep big defenders in the paint is to set everyone’s P&R to Go Over, No Hedge, Stay Attached No, No Help vs Screens, and Go Under Off-Ball Screens. Then set the opposing big’s defensive settings to Go Under for everything.

The other contrarian thing I do is set Help Defense sliders way down to a range between 5-25. I don’t think many people understand what this slider does since 2K20/21 because it’s clearly different from the earlier games. It used to clearly mean help rotations from the paint, but now I’ve only seen it impact double teams and logic to help/trap on perimeter/drives. That’s usually going to result in your bigs (who are set to Gap or Leave as the primary help defender) rushing around the perimeter looking for ball handlers to help against. If you keep the Help Defense coaching slider low, but have your other P&R/Help defensive settings correct then you will see more NBA style help defense in the paint. The game’s defensive rotation logic seems to use those defensive settings over the help defense slider.

Having said all of that, some things are truly broken defensively and have been that way for years. Switching logic is broken as far as positioning is concerned which is why so many ball handlers get open looks in 2K against switches.
Go Over and Switch off-ball logic is broken when you see how defenders are willing to run away from their assignment towards the sidelines in transition or in the paint.
Gap on-ball still keeps the on-ball defender too close on the perimeter.
Catch Hedge positioning is too far on the perimeter when defending side/wing P&R which makes it almost useless at defending either the drive or roll.

Thanks for your tipps. I will definitely try that out. Though I have to admit that setting everyone to tight is not really what I want as I usually want some wings to be left open if they are bad shooters. But if it means that I get a helpside, I will try it out.


@alabamaarob and 24th letter I tried out your tips with help slider 95, center to leave him and switch all. Well after 5 minutes off bull**** I switched to a 2-3 zone.

[alabamarob]

Re: Defense is completely broken

I have the help slider at 100. Is this a "bug" that it needs to be at 95? And I basically always have both my bigs (Gobert and Turner) set to "leave him" for the oppsing players, even if they are capable from shooting. Like I mentioned in the first post. I want to stop Durant from driving and even leave Ibaka and Justin Holiday open. Still they don't do it.

The paint defense is not very good, and the defensive rotations are inconsistent. My advice is strictly off what works for me. If I leave my bigs in “leave him”, and turn the help defense slider up to 95, I am usually able to keep the HOF cpu under 50 pip every game. I have spent most of 2k21 trying to learn how to shoot and have yet to get into the specifics of the defensive settings, but those settings work for me.

I can post a video of a game where I have kept paint scoring low if you want. Or if there is a team you want me to play, and try to keep them under 50 pip let me know.

The main way that the cpu is able to score pip on me is on offensive rebounds, and wild contested layups. However, I don’t give up a lot of open looks in the paint.

[jk31]

Re: Defense is completely broken

The paint defense is not very good, and the defensive rotations are inconsistent. My advice is strictly off what works for me. If I leave my bigs in “leave him”, and turn the help defense slider up to 95, I am usually able to keep the HOF cpu under 50 pip every game. I have spent most of 2k21 trying to learn how to shoot and have yet to get into the specifics of the defensive settings, but those settings work for me.

I can post a video of a game where I have kept paint scoring low if you want. Or if there is a team you want me to play, and try to keep them under 50 pip let me know.

The main way that the cpu is able to score pip on me is on offensive rebounds, and wild contested layups. However, I don’t give up a lot of open looks in the paint.

Maybe it's different when playing the CPU? I mostly if not solely play in our online league and both me and others report that they feel like paint D and AI defense in general is nonexistent. I basically use what you suggested for years (besides the switch all) and this year what I see very often is, that the center actually is ready for helping but as soon as the drive comes, he sprints away to his own man leaving the paint wide open.

[Baebae32]

Re: Defense is completely broken

The defense has regressed so much since 2K19. Transition, half court, all of it is just so rigid. My biggest gripe is that off ball defenders are not programmed to recognize that the ball is the most important thing on the court especially when driven into the paint. Like commented above, far too often in 2k will a defender be in good position to help on a drive only for them to run in the opposite direction to start a box out animation rather than contest the shot.

Not to mention how the game still is unable to recognize the presence of more than 1 defender in the interior contest animations