On Ball Defense is HORRIBLE!!

[ImInThis]

Maybe it's just me and my team? I cannot for the life of me stay in front my opponent. I've been playing 2k for years and I play on ball 80% of the time so I know what I'm doing. I know what good defensive settings are.

This game is horrid when playing on ball and everyone I play does nothing but turbo all game. I was able to shut these turbo cheesers down back in NBA 2k16. Now? It's just pathetic, I can barely stay on them going to the rim

[ForeverVersatile]

Quote: Originally Posted by ImInThis

Maybe it's just me and my team? I cannot for the life of me stay in front my opponent. I've been playing 2k for years and I play on ball 80% of the time so I know what I'm doing. I know what good defensive settings are. This game is horrid when playing on ball and everyone I play does nothing but turbo all game. I was able to shut these turbo cheesers down back in NBA 2k16. Now? It's just pathetic, I can barely stay on them going to the rim

I haven't played online but try extending the pressure in the defensive settings. Don't play up too tight so you can cut off the angles. Mix in a little off ball and play the help. Make sure your biggs are getting back on defense so they can defend the paint.

[2_headedmonster]

Every basketball game before this one has fooled people into believing they had good on-ball defense thanks to over physical contact animations that let them ram into the ball handler.

The on ball defense in this game is groundbreaking. Lateral quickness matters, angles matter, acceleration matters, strength matters.

My suggestion to you would be to give ball-handlers more space than you're accustomed to. This will allow you to react to their moves, while staying between them and the rim. If someone makes an aggressive move, use the quick Shuffle to keep up what do sow sparingly because a quick counter can make you pay.

[ChaseB]

Quote: Originally Posted by 2_headedmonster

Every basketball game before this one has fooled people into believing they had good on-ball defense thanks to over physical contact animations that let them ram into the ball handler. The on ball defense in this game is groundbreaking. Lateral quickness matters, angles matter, acceleration matters, strength matters. My suggestion to you would be to give ball-handlers more space than you're accustomed to. This will allow you to react to their moves, while staying between them and the rim. If someone makes an aggressive move, use the quick Shuffle to keep up what do sow sparingly because a quick counter can make you pay.

Yep, and who you're using matters as well. Guys like Kyrie are just going to get exposed much more easily than a Pat Bev etc.

[Nwordbelike]

Quote: Originally Posted by 2_headedmonster

Every basketball game before this one has fooled people into believing they had good on-ball defense thanks to over physical contact animations that let them ram into the ball handler. The on ball defense in this game is groundbreaking. Lateral quickness matters, angles matter, acceleration matters, strength matters. My suggestion to you would be to give ball-handlers more space than you're accustomed to. This will allow you to react to their moves, while staying between them and the rim. If someone makes an aggressive move, use the quick Shuffle to keep up what do sow sparingly because a quick counter can make you pay.

+10000 the defense is on point this year

[fakeassc]

Here's some crappy advice from me.

Against CPU, backing off and defending vertically. I used to defend laterally and try to cut off the CPU, but they always seem to react better and go the other way (esp on higher difficulties). Instead, I learnt to defend vertically and basically just try to contest at the rim (basically tempting them into bad jumpers, which if you read animations well enough, you can predict their pullups).

Against humans it's a way different story. I'd say play offball and just accept that onball defense will never be effective because the offensive player will always pass and be one step ahead of you to take advantage of bad CPU defense rotations.

[strawberryshortcake]

Quote: Originally Posted by ImInThis

Maybe it's just me and my team? I cannot for the life of me stay in front my opponent. I've been playing 2k for years and I play on ball 80% of the time so I know what I'm doing. I know what good defensive settings are. This game is horrid when playing on ball and everyone I play does nothing but turbo all game. I was able to shut these turbo cheesers down back in NBA 2k16. Now? It's just pathetic, I can barely stay on them going to the rim

Note: I don't play online. So the following may not apply. I only play offline hall of fame difficulty.

Serious question and definitely not meant to be demeaning. Is the on ball defense horrible or do your stick skills need work? Are you able to better blow by the defenders this year? If you answered yes to the second question, then there's your answer. Because that represents real basketball.

The same on ball defense technique is still used to shut down your drivers. Nothing has changed in that regards. What has changed however is sticky body up defense is much more tame this year, and almost non-existent. A better representation of real basketball.

Because I am terrible at the sticks when it comes to isolation, I never really did it in the past. My game revolves around player movement, ball movement, calling plays and improvising on the spot. BUT, if I wanted to blow by my defenders this year, I actually can. I seldom elect to do it, because I still heavily rely on ball and player movements. Defensively, I still use the same past 2k on -ball defense to shut down the CPU hall of fame driver though and it still works. I love playing defense, clamping the CPU down and drawing 24 second shot clock violations. But you do need to play both on-ball and off-ball defense to be successful.

[Wolf Ticket]

This seems to go back and forth from year to year

2k16 - where is the defense? guys just slide past me
2k17 - where is the freedom of movement? I can't break my man off the dribble
2k18 - Where is the defense?...

...

Give it time, game has been out a few day, no one is supposed to be a great defender (or great anything) yet.