NBA 2K12 My Player 101

 

Now that the NBA lockout is over and the season is scheduled to start on Christmas Day -- joy to the world, King James will come -- it's a perfect time to explore the My Player mode in NBA 2K12 .

I’m usually not a big fan of such modes, but I gave this one a whirl because I always wanted to be a 6-foot point guard with mad hops and skills. And let me tell you, this mode can be addicting if you don’t mind occasional bursts of frustration because of your boneheaded AI teammates. This tutorial is all about the fictional point guard from Ohio named World B. Free II.     Make a good first impression

I found the decisions I made early in my career came back to haunt me.

I played a fairly solid game in the amateur All-Star Game that kicks off your career. I scored a game-high 18 points, but only had a “C” teammate grade, which was frustrating to no end. I could have had 10 or more assists had my post-player teammates make a stinkin’ layup. What also hurt my rating was calling for the ball too much. But when I am standing wide open in the corner for an easy 3-pointer, and my uncoordinated teammates decide to drive the lane into the teeth of the defense, how is it my fault?

What also got my baggy shorts in a bunch was the fact the ball-hogging teammate of mine who shot 22 percent from the floor was drafted ahead of me.

Oh well, such is life.

The pre-draft interview process is also paramount. It’s tricky because you can choose from four different answers to the questions a general manager will pose to you. I chose to say all the right things to the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets, but purposely tanked my interview with the Indiana Pacers. In hindsight, Indy would have been the best place for me. I would have been in the starting lineup as a rookie. Instead, I got stuck in Phoenix behind Steve Nash. I did get a cool billboard proclaiming, “The Future is Here.”
Still it was an epic fail on my part.

Be a star

Another fishy aspect about being a point guard in My Player is it sometimes rewards you for being a bad teammate. The more I played like Allen Iverson, the more I was rewarded.

Sure, you can’t take every shot and get pats on the back from your teammates, or the game, but take all the important shots and it will reward you handsomely. The biggest boosts I received were by hitting last-second and game-winning shots. I made sure I took as many as I could throughout my career, which finally took off in Phoenix once Nash (finally) retired.

Get defensive

Another way I was able to cement my role as NBA elite was by playing great defense. I don’t know if it was my skill on the sticks or the kind of player I whipped up, but I was able to handle anyone I guarded rather easily.

The trick here is to not let the player you are shadowing score by whatever means necessary. Luckily as a point guard, I was guarding lesser scoring threats than, say, if I were a shooting guard or small forward. I was also able to play some pretty good help defense without letting my counterpart go off on me. 

Another tip is to lay off the steal button every once in a while. Sure, you get a pretty good bump up by making a handful of steals in the game, but you are also punished for those ticky-tacky reach-in calls. Choose your spots wisely.     Do the little things

Boxing out isn’t flashy and won’t bring the bling, but those things add up and make your teammates and coaches like you. Setting screens, even as a tiny 6-foot point guard, will also endear you to your sometimes brain-dead cohorts.

Know your weakness

Another problem I ran into was not allocating points into my attributes correctly. I wanted to be a flashy, dunking point guard and the attributes I really needed to focus on for my position — ball handling and security, pass, mid-range shot — suffered. This stunted my growth and will be something I will change the next time I play through. I won't change the mohawk or the tats. Those stay.

The important thing to remember is you can’t be good at everything. Pick a few skill sets and drive those rating up. I may have been a turnover machine, but, boy, my dunks were sweet.

Do you have any tips to make the My Player experience even better?