What You Can Learn From NBA 2K!

Okay, I must admit I am a gamer.  Not all the time.  There are only a few games that I play and NBA 2K is the main one.  I like that you can be the players and the coach.  I decided to take the game I enjoy and tell you some valuable things you can learn from NBA 2K.

Be a team player

Sure, Kobe Bryant can take over a game and force his will to earn a victory but I've learned that the game flows better and is often easier when I get the whole team involved.  It's interesting how by getting everyone involved, you can swing the momentum and have a wonderful game.

Time management

You have 24 seconds to setup your offense and get a good shot.  This takes time management.  You have to be aware of how much time you have available and figure out what you can do and cannot do in that time.  On defense, you have 24 seconds to defend against scoring.  You don't want to make bad defensive moves when times almost up.

Risk management

What is the risk if you take a high percentage shot?  Low.  You're very likely to make it and if you miss it, your team will have time to recover for defense.  What is the risk of a low percentage shot?  High.  You'll probably miss and you usually won't have time to recover for defense.  You'll have to balance your risk to have a strong game.  You want more close, high percentage shots but some 3 pointers can really open the game up.  You just have to weigh the risks and benefits.

Focus

Whether you're playing offense or defense, you have to maintain focus.  That focus could result in a block or a steal on defense or an alley-oop on offense.  With the control you have over your players, focus comes into place when making passes and making shots.  For some shots, you have to release the ball at the best time while avoiding a blocked shot.  You could include patience here also because I try to steal the ball a lot but that gets me in foul trouble sometimes.  Also, you have to be patient against shot fakes.  If you jump at a shot fake, you can get embarrassed!

Know your team 

You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your team to use them most effectively.  You can learn which players are good 3 point shooters and where they prefer to shoot from and how much space they require to launch a good shot.  You can learn what post moves work best for your players.  Not only is it important to learn your players, but you also have to learn about your opponents.  When I first started playing, I used the Lakers and thought I had enough talent to defeat any team.  How can you defeat a team when you don't know their strengths and weaknesses?  If you play the wrong team, that team may be great at fast breaks and then they score every time you miss a shot.  The team may have great shot blockers and you keep trying to take it to the hoop.

You never know

Some players may shock you the more you use them.  They may have more skills than you realize.  You may think a player sucks because he's missing a lot of shots but maybe you're not taking the right shots.  You may think a player doesn't have talent because he's deep into the bench.  That player may surprise you.  Look at what happened with Linsanity!

Some people say I'm wasting time playing NBA 2K.  I would disagree.  I'm reducing stress and I'm honing valuable skills with what I learn.  It's all about how you look at it.


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