Weekly Challenges (2K18)

[harryl]

Just thought I'd start up a new thread to discuss whatever the latest Weekly Challenges are...

[harryl]

Tried to play the current #4 Challenge vs. the Heat non-cheesily a few times and, each time, was doing quite well...until I wasn't. Now I get what everyone was saying about this.

It's definitely beatable and it can be beaten straight, even with a modest lineup, if you are really methodical and disciplined.

I ended up finding it very easy to beat in a moderately cheesy way, in terms of Offense. And also tailoring defensive settings in a way that makes basic sense.

Used this lineup:

• Gold Avery Bradley
• Gold Carmelo Anthony
• Sapphire Kawhi Leonard
• Gold Pau Gasol
• Gold Brook Lopez

1. Offensively, ISO Dragic and/or Waiters and beat up on them. And use a Center who can shoot to keep Whiteside honest and not allow him to camp by the paint. You'll want to make sure you're running a 4- or 5-out offense to get your bigs (and Whiteside) well away from the paint.

I assigned Kawhi to guard Waiters and Carmelo to guard Winslow. And my staple was to get the ball to Carmelo either on the perimeter or to have him post up, call for ISO Quick Play with Dion Waiters guarding him, and then just beat him up.

You generally can post-spin Melo on Waiters. You can also explode past him from Triple Threat. Or spin-explode. Or post up; if Melo is hot, his post fade can be money over a smaller crap defender.

Make sure, again, to be using a freelance that has your 5 outside, otherwise Whiteside will be camping just outside the key on the weak side. Even if your 5 is in the weak corner, Whiteside is still going to be cheating way over toward the key. But, if so, he's generally a little too late to block the drive and will be more prone to fouling.

Mix things up with P&R or whatever else you do. It's more effective to not be monotonous, and less boring.

2. Defensively, I went with the following settings/strategy...
Dragic: Moderate On-Ball/Moderate Off-Ball Pressure, Go Under

• Waiters: Tight/Tight, Go Over
• Winslow: Gap/Gap, Go Under
• Johnson: Moderate/Gap
• Whiteside: Moderate/Gap

Obviously, the concerns are Dragic and Waiters. It might even help to set Double Team on Drive on these guys, but I think auto Help gets what you need. Put high-end defenders on him. I had Sapphire Kawhi on Waiters but, really, Avery Bradley or P-Bev or Thabo could probably do fine. The reason Kawhi was most valuable is to make it impossible for the CPU to hide Waiters on someone other than Carmelo. (If they put Winslow on Melo, then I'd work Waiters in ISO with Kawhi.)

The key is that you just let Winslow take as many deep jumpers as the Heat want him to take. He's a bricklayer. Use his defender to double up on pressuring any drive by Dragic and Waiters and they'll be really inefficient and ineffectual. If they pass to Winslow and he takes a three because shot clock is low and he's totally wide open, that's a great outcome for you.
You can also cheat off Johnson a fair amount. He can hit shots if you leave him wide open...and he may hit some crazy contested shots if the CPU is out to **** you. But better that than let Dragic lift a ton of floaters over your head or have Waiters drop ridiculous and-ones.

To me, stopping Dragic and Waiters is not that big of a deal. The harder thing, with a low-end lineup, was getting enough points to overcome the starting deficit.

[Crazytwisted123]

post 2 hoooray hooray

[BruhBruh]

This was awesome thank you so much. I think it took me like 5 tries, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

[harryl]

Next Weekly Challenges Reward will be Ruby Bruce Bowen, who is just simply perfect, as the embodiment of a 3&D wingman:

http://2kmtcentral.com/18/players/8060/bruce-bowen

Did not expect the really high 95/94 Open/Contested 3, and definitely not the 85 Off-Dribble 3. High 80's for mids.

In terms of his Defensive ratings, he's perfect to stay in front of guys and put on a strong Contest. Will not be good for stealing or blocking.

Also is going to end up being on the slow side, but can have long-lasting utility defending better and better wings if you slap a Speed/Accel shoe on him. I need to take a closer look at what's available. To me, the ideal would be to max out his Contest and also get big boost to Accel.

[BruhBruh]

Quote: Originally Posted by harryl

Next Weekly Challenges Reward will be Ruby Bruce Bowen, who is just simply perfect, as the embodiment of a 3&D wingman: http://2kmtcentral.com/18/players/8060/bruce-bowen Did not expect the really high 95/94 Open/Contested 3, and definitely not the 85 Off-Dribble 3. High 80's for mids. In terms of his Defensive ratings, he's perfect to stay in front of guys and put on a strong Contest. Will not be good for stealing or blocking. Also is going to end up being on the slow side, but can have long-lasting utility defending better and better wings if you slap a Speed/Accel shoe on him. I need to take a closer look at what's available. To me, the ideal would be to max out his Contest and also get big boost to Accel.

how were this weeks challenges?

[PRBoricua]

Having a real tough time with the last challenge against the Pelicans who have a combo of Davis & Cousins, who are both amethysts. They destroy me on the glass and in the lane by throwing back everything. Not to mention they can both shoot mid-range and never mind how good they are in the post.

Add in Jrue Holiday, who can't miss from anywhere on the court and this one is pretty ****ing difficult.

Have played them four or five times already, I hang in there until the 4th quarter then they just run away with it after that.

[AussieAdz19]

Quote: Originally Posted by harryl

Next Weekly Challenges Reward will be Ruby Bruce Bowen, who is just simply perfect, as the embodiment of a 3&D wingman: http://2kmtcentral.com/18/players/8060/bruce-bowen Did not expect the really high 95/94 Open/Contested 3, and definitely not the 85 Off-Dribble 3. High 80's for mids. In terms of his Defensive ratings, he's perfect to stay in front of guys and put on a strong Contest. Will not be good for stealing or blocking. Also is going to end up being on the slow side, but can have long-lasting utility defending better and better wings if you slap a Speed/Accel shoe on him. I need to take a closer look at what's available. To me, the ideal would be to max out his Contest and also get big boost to Accel.

Kind of wishing I was completing these challenges now, I'm using his Gold card in Supermax coming off the bench and is a budget beast, basically a 6'8'' Danny Green/Klay Thompson.