This is what you should be able to do with Freestyle Air...

[Alcoholic]

http://nba.com/theater/video/allen_dunk_8_cc828.avi

Watch the video. It's cool how Ray moves the ball out of the way and then dunks it. That's something I'd like to do.

[Andrew]

Absolutely. I'm looking forward to some previews of Freestyle Air, hopefully we'll see some moves similar to that.

[jwin]

just a thought but should ea also put in more options for defensive players too. with a move like that and the same shot blocking that live has now it doesn't seem like any defender will come close to contesting it or blocking it, or worse it will be an unrealistic looking block like a player going up with his right hand and the defender swipes from behind at the left hand and mysteriously the shot gets blocked.

they probably won't ever put in intentional fouls or grabbing a player in the act of shooting, but to me it seems like the in air moves might make it too easy to score, and the 170-162 games might come back.

[Alcoholic]

About intentional fouls, I think they should expand it. I mean, if you intentional foul someone, you really just grab them, but if they are on the fast break and you wan't to prevent the easy shot, they usually push them or whatever so they don't get the shot in. They should make it so you can push players (lightly not flagrant) in the air. But maybe flagrant is possible for example you make Shaq push Boykins or something.

[Andrew]

Hopefully the most acrobatic moves are reserved for the most athletic players who can handle the ball well. The level of fatigue should also come into play. As long as it isn't overdone (I'm presuming there will be a slider for Freestyle Air) we should be able to maintain realistic scores.

[jwin]

i hope so, live finally seemed to have the right balance again, with the help of the sliders of course, and it felt like the game was back on track towards better things. hopefully this is an improvement and maybe have more of a situational effect than being an unstoppable sort of thing.

btw andrew, is it possible we might get an interview with tim sometime over the summer on some of the new features?

[Andrew]

Possibly. I don't want to conduct one too early though, as legal issues will likely prevent it from being too informative.

[Cameron]

I wonder if freestyle air might apply to blocking as well? It would be sweet to have hand control on blocks... not just jump and have the frickin dunking guy's animation change from dunk to get blocked...

[jwin]

qweet i'm hoping they will add something along those lines also, just so it would look more realistic, and maybe they could improve the rotation of the defenders you're not controlling too so that the freestyle air moves don't just look like breakaway layups. at least if the other cpu defenders also contested the shots, it would put more reality into the moves by having to try to score around the defenders, and not have it look like the special moves from bulls vs. blazers. anyone remember the d.robinson windmill from the top right corner of the key? or the shawn kemp scoop finger roll ?

[Alcoholic]

I hope the computer defenders will do a little bit of freestyle air defense of their own, but not so much that the players let them do the guarding for them..