Defensive Tips

[pdreams]

This game is to the point where some things are beyond rediculous, and my teams defense is at the top of the list. There are times when no matter what you cannot stop the CPU's offense whether I am guarding the ball or not. At times, when I am guarding the ball I have seen all five of the players on the court gravitate to one player leaving multiple players wide open. Defenders just act like they are stupid and DO NOT stay with their man and of course when I try to switch players they've already blown past me and scored. I've tried both man and zone but nothing works. Blocks that should happen never do. Anyone experiencing this or have any ideas.

[miknhoj1983]

I'd like to know as well if people had some defensive tips. I basically run around tripping over my own feet while players drive by on me. Every time I try to steal I get called for a reach in foul. Should I hold L2 on the player and just block their path? What's the best defensive techniques?

[mythreesons]

Quote: Originally Posted by miknhoj1983

I'd like to know as well if people had some defensive tips. I basically run around tripping over my own feet while players drive by on me. Every time I try to steal I get called for a reach in foul. Should I hold L2 on the player and just block their path? What's the best defensive techniques?

I remember reading somewhere that the reach/steal is most effective when the player is doing a move... also you are more vulnerable to be schooled: "You reach, I'll teach"

[pdreams]

What difficulty do you play on? I'm on Hall of Fame

[hirst1000]

When you go for blocks are you tapping or holding the button. Don't use intense-d while they are driving on you, it slows you down laterally. Try to keep your body between the opposing player and the basket. Try and know the tendencies and strengths of the player you are guarding, that's probably the most important thing.

[PRBoricua]

Quote: Originally Posted by hirst1000

When you go for blocks are you tapping or holding the button. Don't use intense-d while they are driving on you, it slows you down laterally. Try to keep your body between the opposing player and the basket. Try and know the tendencies and strengths of the player you are guarding, that's probably the most important thing.

This is good advice, normally. However what I find to be the case most of the time while playing is that one of the guards stands at the top of the key dribbling, dribbling, dribbling until either they get into the paint for an easy layup, get fouled in the act of shooting, draw a double team and kick it out for a wide open look and last but not least, never being able to penetrate, tossing up a shot clock buzzer-beater that goes in WAY too often.

I'm not perfect on defense, I make a lot of mistakes, and the CPU should and does punish me when I screw up, but sometimes, it doesn't matter what you do, the computer is going to score. I've seen so many ridiculous shots go down it's frustrating. And not from star players, or lights out jump-shooters, but bench bums.

[RogerBlack]

This game was never designed to play "lights out" TEAM defense. Know this.

It has always been (intentionally) tailored toward allowing one-on-one, 'me first'-type of ballers the opportunity to use Superstars to perform fancy dribble moves... to get deeeep into the paint .... and score.

This is WHY your CPU teammates constantly leave their man wide open, or completely move out of their way and allow them to score.

Whenever you neutralize the CPU's ability to allow their man to score if the opponent needs a bucket... (by MANUALLY playing good 'help defense' and rotating properly ON YOUR OWN) you usually get instantly penalized by getting caught in animation that feels like your player is 'running in mud'.

Thus, preventing you from beating your opponent to a spot for an obvious charge, or just blocking their shot into the cheap seats.

9 times out of 10, if you play good defense once, or twice in a row, your CPU teammates will manage to let a DIFFERENT player get wide open and score the very next trip downcourt, to stay competitive.

Which usually results in Superstars (who you may lock down) having bad games... while benchwarmers drop unrealistic 'career highs' in points, or rebounds. Or both.

Just my opinion.

Every single game I have ever gotten MORE than 3 blocks has come from playing off the ball and MANUALLY providing 'weakside help' and blocking the shots taken by whoever my CPU teammate has been guarding. Not from face-up defense alone.

Playing 'decent' defense involves ALOT of 'manual switching' between teammates, imo.

Simply put - play off the ball, (but always cheat off your man a bit) whenever possible.

As soon as the CPU offense starts their drive to the bucket... Rush over toward whoever has the ball that your CPU teammate is defending BEFORE that CPU teammate has any chance of blowing his coverage. (Which he inevitably will)

You don't necessarily have to always 'double-team' your CPU opponent... just constantly 'be in the vicinity' of the man with the ball instead. (i.e. if you are not face-guarding someone, then always try to be ONLY "one pass away")

Think ahead.
As much as possible.

Because if you don't anticipate your CPU teammate 'getting beat off the dribble'... or getting stuck on a pick.... you will always get stuck in mud, whenever you (manually) try to recover / help.

[LorenzoDC]

Quote: Originally Posted by pdreams

This game is to the point where some things are beyond rediculous, and my teams defense is at the top of the list. There are times when no matter what you cannot stop the CPU's offense whether I am guarding the ball or not. At times, when I am guarding the ball I have seen all five of the players on the court gravitate to one player leaving multiple players wide open. Defenders just act like they are stupid and DO NOT stay with their man and of course when I try to switch players they've already blown past me and scored. I've tried both man and zone but nothing works. Blocks that should happen never do. Anyone experiencing this or have any ideas.

I have had the same issues, and here's something else I found out about how to combat it.

The "rhythm" mechanic under the hood of the game is very powerful. The CPU will still make runs, but there's a lot you need to do as a player to minimize CPU rhythm and maximize your own. When rhythm is against you, the CPU will play impossible defense and offense, stealing your passes, you miss all your shots, the CPU makes all of its shots mo matter what you do.

Here's what I am learning to do and it seems to work:

1. Learn how to see what the CPU is doing on offense and defense by learning the different POE's and what they look like on the court. The announcer commentary and Doris Goodwin give you a lot of hints. Make sure you are adjusting your own POE's A LOT to combat the CPU. There's a lot of rock-paper-scissors in this, and you can't let yourself get on the wrong side of it. If you do, the CPU will generate rhythm and you could lose control of the game.

2. Call time out as soon as you can feel/see the CPU generating positive rhythm. Nip it in the bud. Try not to wait long.

3. Change your POE's during fouls shots or any other breaks frequently, even if what you have been doing is working. That's because the CPU AI adjusts to you when you are having success, and by making changes you can stay a step ahead of the CPU and generate your own rhythm and momentum. Make the rhythm engine under the hood work for you, not against you.

4. Work hard to avoid bad passes and turnovers. When your defensive players begin to show blue icons, that can begin a slide for you. Play off ball defense if you have to, but if you do what the other guys said about being careful not to be burned off the dribble, that helps.

5. If you start to get any of your offensive players warm (yellow icon) or hot (red icon), feed them! They can start to play lights out and that can snow ball for you in a very good way. This can happen for your defensive guys too, like if you have a pick pocket or blocking specialist.

6. If you can feel your rhythm slacking, make extra passes on offense before taking a shot. When your players touch the ball more frequently, they can generate more team rhythm. I used to get more frantic on offense when the CPU starts to cheat the hell out of me with rhythm and play more shoot at will type offense. Turns out that reduces player touches and can make things worse.

If you do all those things, the game will begin to play a lot differently for you. You can find that the rhythm dynamic will start to work for you, and things will start falling for you the way the CPU has been looking like it's totally cheesing against you. When the rhythm dynamic maxes out for one team, it is total cheese. People makes shots, defensive plays, steal like crazy, and the other team can't do anything right.

The big difference here from CG is how the CPU AI adjusts to your play style using the POE system and how that affects the game rhythm logic. Game rhythm invisibly but dramatically alters actual in game ratings and sliders. It's the same effect as if you were to customize the sliders to gimp one team and cheese the other. But it won't be visible in the actual sliders menu.

Try it! And good luck! Let me know how it goes.