Help with Player Control

[JdotK]

So I've owned and played this game since the first and have always been horrible with two things: Defense and Dribbling. While I have been a member here for something like 9 years, I've mostly just lurked and downloaded all the great mods the real community here works so hard on. In years past I just used Cheat Engine, make my player basically 99 in everything and stop playing after 2 or 3 weeks. Now I am actually hoping to make the game last by not cheating my ratings, besides dunking (still have to earn the points for actual good dunks, though). And since I am no longer 99 everything, the two things I am horrible at are no longer hidden behind my ratings.

So now I am here to actual ask for pointers. First, defense: I find it nearly impossible to guard man to man, my character feels clunky and unresponsive and basically unable to stay in front of a defender whether he has the ball or not, even when I read which way he's trying to drive. I end up trailing and going into a stupid block shot animation as it's literally my last defense. It would be easy for me to say the controls are the culprit and that the players don't control life like by (lack of) design, but I feel the game is too solid for that to be the case so it must be something I'm not understanding. Is there a proper time to hold left trigger? I there a way to chase around the defender through screens that doesn't make me feel like I am playing the worse controlled game ever? Same on offense actually... every time I try to get free on a screen I find myself stuck to players, sometimes even my own teammates... it's gotta be something I am doing.

As for dribbling, I am actually a lot better at it this year; I find myself getting penetration a lot easier. I guess my main question regarding that would be how come I keep dribbling the ball off of myself even when controlling Rondo and not being high pressured? And any other tricks that someone who sucks might not know.

Last question: Is there any way to make a LeBron type of player? I tried making a Athletic and tall SF for my association season, and my character ends up being the size of Shaq, but shorter. I can't imagine there not being a way to make the same physique as LeBron, or even Durant... or even Jeff Green. I'm basically looking to make a 6'9 athletic swing man who can dribble, not a taller Big Baby.


Thanks for the help.

[chaodck]

1.- On-ball Defense: Try anticipating your man, the proper time to use the LT is when you're in space near your man, 1 on 1. If you see a screen let go of LT and try to move ahead of it or behind it, then quickly hold RT to regain your position, then, when you're 1 on 1 again, hit LT once again trying to stay in front of your man. Of course when you're guarding a skillful dribbler it's gonna be very hard to maintain in front of him. Another good trick is when 'locked' in tight D, hold the RT (so, basically hold both triggers), and you move faster while in intense D.

2.- Off-ball Defense: Always keep a space between you and your man so you can juggle through the screens, try to anticipate where he'll launch and stay in front of him. If you like going for the passing lanes, do not stay 100% in front of him, or the passer won't pass him the ball. Try to use RT to keep up, but do not use LT, unless you're guarding someone in the post.

3.- Dribbling: Your best bet here is to try and develop go-to moves. Practice, do the tutorials again if necessary and practice them in the gym alone. I find that with decent dribbling a good go-to move is to do a legged crossover (flick RS diagonal-down to non-ball hand), then quickly do a crossover to the other side (flick RS to the non ball hand), if you're successful, you should have gained a step, then rush into the lane (with RT pressed) or do a spin (half circle to non-ball hand) to gain another step. To finish it off, the spin layup/dunk is quite usefull, clicking B (circle in PS controller) 2 times and then X (square in PS). Develop your own moves to suit your style, the dribbling part is just practice and work, nothing else.

For the last question I don't know exactly what you mean. If I'd wanted to make a LeBron-ish type of player I'd make a 6'7"-6'10", 250-260 pound forward. That should make it.

[Patr1ck]

Lateral defensive sliding is pretty bad this year. You can beat anyone off the dribble, and so can the cpu. I found that moving backwards and to the side that the cpu drives in an attempt to meet the ball handler after their first steps can stop the drive pretty well. So, in this case, less is more. There is no reason to think that we can keep ballhandlers stationary with our defense. You give up some distance, but not an immediate bucket.

Don't overdribble since turbo/energy gets drained while using it. I think once it's in the red you have a chance of fumbling the ball. Like chaodck said, try a couple of sequences where you only use one or two dribble moves. Turn off the shot clock and play a test game where you just reset after every move to try out different moves in different ways.