Last time we proved that defense alone isn’t enough to win a championship in NBA 2K14, but many of you asked if a team full of shooters would do the trick.

It’s time to find out!

I simulated one 82-game season with some of the game’s best shooters on the same team without any concerns from a defensive standpoint. Now, of course there’s going to be a big advantage if I have Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love all on the same squad, so I had to put in limitations. When I was looking at defense, no player on the roster could be above a 79 overall. This was done for the same reasons above. Since offense is weighed more heavily in 2K’s rating system—as in the better at shooting you are, the higher you’re rated, where that’s not necessarily the case with defense—I made sure that nobody was above an 82 overall.

My gameplan was simple: I was going to start with the Los Angeles Clippers so that I had about as much trade bait as I needed to bring in my team of shooters. I also turned injuries to “Off” so that the true effect of my scorers would be felt in each game.

Here’s a look at my roster full of guys that I either started with or acquired through a series of trades.

Point Guard
Jose Calderon (Overall: 76)
-Key Ratings: 90 Shot 3PT, 90 Shot Medium, 90 Free-Throw, 89 Pass
-Badges: Dimer, Pick & Roll Maestro
Jose Calderon might be rated below Steve Nash who’s my backup point guard, but it isn’t because of anything that can be done on offense. Calderon will be a threat to score with range, or be the perfect set-up guy. I was concerned about him being too similar to Nash, but I couldn’t keep either of them away from the squad.

Steve Nash (Overall: 80)
-Key Ratings: 91 Pass, 90 Free-Throw, 88 Shot Medium, 87 Shot 3PT
-Badges: Flashy Passer, Dimer, Catch and Shoot, Pick & Roll Maestro
It’s a really good thing that there won’t be any injuries in this season. Nash is the perfect player to run point guard for my team. He’s a threat anywhere from mid-range to the three-point line, but his 91 Pass rating means he’ll be able to put the ball in the perfect spot for all of my shooters. Nash is my team’s Sixth Man. No moving was required on this one, he just had to change jerseys.

Shooting Guard
Jamal Crawford (Overall: 80)
-Key Ratings: 99 Ball Handling, 91 Shot Medium, 89 Free-Throw, 83 Shot 3PT
-Badges: Ankle Breaker, Catch and Shoot, Pick Dodger, Shot Creator
This was a perfect marriage from the beginning because Jamal Crawford is already on the Clippers. He’s a natural shooting guard as he is looked at to put up points in bunches, but his 99 Ball Handling clearly shows he’ll be able to step in at point if needed. I’m very excited about having this guy on the squad.

Klay Thompson (Overall: 75)
-Key Ratings: 88 Shot 3PT, 88 Shot Medium
-Badges: Catch and Shoot, Corner Specialist
There were other shooting guards who had higher Shot Medium and Shot 3PT ratings, but none had both as high as Klay Thompson’s. We all know him as the streaky-shooting shooting guard for the Golden State Warriors, but I’d like to introduce him as my Los Angeles Clippers 7th man.

Jimmer Fredette (Overall: 71)
-Key Ratings: 90 Shot 3PT, 85 Free-Throw
-Badges: Catch and Shoot
How can I not have Jimmer on this team?!

Small Forward
Gerald Green (Overall: 76)
-Key Ratings: 97 Vertical, 93 Dunk, 85 Shot 3PT, 83 Shot Medium
-Badges: Highlight Film
Gerald Green brings a unique ability to my team. He’s the only player with really special athletic abilities that compliment his shooting. He’s no slouch from out deep, either. We’ll see if he ends up being my most dynamic scorer.

Kyle Korver (Overall: 64)
-Key Ratings: 94 Shot 3PT, 85 Free-Throw
-Badges: Corner Specialist
There’s no secret as to why I wanted Kyle Korver to be on this team. He might have a very low overall and be questionable in a lot of other areas of basketball, but he’s not new to shooting. Korver is one of the game’s top three-point shooters, so he’ll find his way onto the court for my team.

Steve Novak (Overall: 53)
-Key Ratings: 92 Shot 3PT, 90 Free-Throw
-Badges: Catch and Shoot, Corner Specialist
Now I know Steve Novak is listed as a small forward, but he’s way too slow-footed at 6’10” to realistically guard other small forwards, so he’ll mostly be seeing time at power forward. He’s easily the lowest-rated player on my team, but I can’t keep him off the floor if he wants to have 92 3PT Shot rating. That on top of two badges makes him an ideal spot-up shooter for my Clips.

Power Forward
Ersan Ilyasova (Overall: 73)
-Key Ratings: 87 Shot 3PT, 83 Defensive Rebound, 77 Shot Medium, 75 Offensive Rebound
-Badges: Charge Card
Ersan Ilyasova is the perfect power forward to stretch defenses with. He’s clearly a great three-point shooter with an 87 rating. What might be more important, though, is that his rebounding numbers are so good. Securing second and third chances on the offensive end, or grabbing that crucial defensive rebound can sometimes be what makes the difference.

Matt Bonner (Overall: 61)
-Key Ratings: 88 Shot 3PT
-Badges: Catch and Shoot
Do we have a Matt Bonner sighting? Bonner isn’t on the team so that he can play 20 minutes a game and hoist up a load of shots. He’ll be getting very minimal playing time because he’s such a liability everywhere else on the court, but he’ll provide some veteran leadership and red hair. Two things I couldn’t pass up.

Center
Spencer Hawes (Overall: 70)
-Key Ratings: 85 Defensive Rebound, 84 Shot Medium, 81 Block, 80 Shot 3PT
-Badges: None
Spencer Hawes doesn’t get his fair due in NBA 2K14, but he will for my team. He’s a seven-footer who can stretch the floor, but also brings the added bonus of being a great rebounder and shot-blocker. He’s one of the guys I’m most excited about.

Byron Mullens (Overall: 66)
-Key Ratings: 87 Shot Medium, 77 Shot 3PT
-Badge: None
Byron Mullens can shoot the ball effectively, especially from mid-range, but he’s mostly on the team to give Hawes a breather every now and then.

Team Rotation and Minutes
PG: Jose Calderon (30 Minutes)
SG: Jamal Crawford (30 Minutes)
SF: Gerald Green (30 Minutes)
PF: Ersan Ilyasova (30 Minutes)
C: Spencer Hawes (30 Minutes)
6th: Steve Nash (28 Minutes)
7th: Klay Thompson (26 Minutes)
8th: Kyle Korver (11 Minutes)
9th: Jimmer Fredette (10 Minutes)
10th: Byron Mullens (7 Minutes)
11th: Matt Bonner (5 Minutes)
12th: Steve Novak (3 Minutes)

 

Results
Overall Record: 35-47 (Missed Playoffs)
Awards: Klay Thompson (Sixth Man of the Year)
Season Team Statistics:
-1st in Points Per Game: 110.6
-1st in 3-Point Field Goal Percentage: 41.3%
-1st in Free-Throw Percentage: 82.5%
-30th in Opponent Points Per Game: 112.6
-30th in Rebounds Per Game: 43.6

Well, this isn’t what I had in mind. I was actually very confident in this team before the season began. I felt like each position had players who could be difference-makers on the court, but I was unexpectedly hit with one major problem once the season started.

Team chemistry.

I began the season with a team chemistry of 60 percent, only to end it with one of 13 percent. Too many people wanted to be the guy taking shots and it ruined our season. We went into the All-Star Break with a 24-31 record, but weren’t able to turn the year around before it was all over.

Now, there were definitely some positives such as Klay Thompson winning the Sixth Man of the Year award. Another thing I liked seeing was how the team statistics ended up. My primary goal was to put together a team of perimeter shooters and not care at all about what kind of defensive players I had.

 

Ending the year in first in three major offensive categories and last in two big defensive categories showed that the game reflected what kind of team I had. It’s just a bummer that we weren’t able to at least have a shot at the playoffs.

So defense doesn’t win championships in NBA 2K14, but I wouldn’t be putting all of your eggs in the offensive basket, either.

Balance is the key to being successful in NBA 2K14, and that’s more than okay with me.