ThrashMetalFan wrote:1) Where do you get your depth charts from? I refer to cbssports.com and some players that are listed as, for example, 4th in the lineup, are 2 point ratings ahead of the 3rd man in the lineup in your rosters. This can be sort of an inconvenience, considering that cbssports.com is probably the most reliable, accurate, and up-to-date listing of depth charts on the web.
From the boxscores themselves. Although I do make allowances, I generally go by how many minutes they're playing on a regular basis. NBA Live doesn't have the best substitution logic so you have to do what you can to try and get it to give the right bench players the most minutes. So yeah, I base the lineups on the boxscores and stats of the latest games so if a regular starter is coming off the bench in the latest couple of games, the rosters will reflect that.
As for the allowances I mentioned, those are things like keeping Michael Beasley as the sixth man even though in some games he might end up playing the second most minutes off the bench. I do check the depth charts but I find they don't always work out well in trying to work with NBA Live's substitution logic (or lack thereof

) and they don't always recognise current injuries or who's actually getting the most minutes.
ThrashMetalFan wrote:2) Why is Yi Jianlian's name listed as Jianlian Yi. I understand that Chinese players' last names are technically their first names, however this is not the case with Yao Ming.
It's done so that "Yi" will appear on the back of his jersey. I still haven't been able to figure out how to do that without reversing the names, if I find a way I'll definitely switch it back. Unfortunately right now it's one or the other, correct name on the back of the jersey or correct name in the roster listings.
ThrashMetalFan wrote:3) Why are certain players unable to have flashy dunks/participate in the dunk contest. A few include Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook, Joe Alexander. The last two were eligible to be in it, but lost in the NBA.com fan voting, so them not being able to even participate or do flashy dunks in the game, is a cause of concern.
Players need a dunking rating of 80 for the game to recognise them as eligible for the dunk contest. As for the range of dunks they perform, that's governed by their dunk package. The dunk packages are not without their limitations and there isn't a perfect package for every player in the league so sometimes I've had to go with the most appropriate one I can find. I've got a stickied thread for ongoing support of dunk packages though, so if you do see anyone who's performing dunks they shouldn't or not performing dunks you think they should or you have any specific suggestions of dunk package values for specific players please let me know.