10:58 AM - September 10, 2015 by Steve_OS
EA Sports and the NBA Live 16 team have just released a blog on the new playcalling system, which includes a new Play Wheel for calling and selecting plays. The team also talks about improvements on defense, which promises better help defense, ball denial, and screen defense.
NEW PLAYCALLING SYSTEM
You’ll find a lot more plays for each team, and that gives you more choices to keep your opponent off-guard. With more plays at your fingertips, you’ll get new ways to choose which plays to run.
CHOOSE A QUICK PLAY
First, when bringing the ball up the court, you can press the LB/L1 button to run the CPU-recommended Quick Play. A prompt tells you which play will run if you use Quick Play. No guessing and hoping that you might get a play you like. You’ll know exactly which play will be run.
SPIN THE PLAY WHEEL
If you don’t like the Quick Play suggestion, hold down the LB/L1 button and bring up the new Play Wheel. Select a play based on the top five combinations of players and play types for the line up on the floor. Want to learn Westbrook’s pick and roll plays easier and faster? Just select them from the Play Wheel and learn how they run.
If you want to choose the exact play, you can access the whole playbook through the Play Wheel. Sort plays by play type and find the exact play that you’re looking for.
SHIFT YOUR FOCUS
You’ll spend half your time on defense, so we’ve improved the AI on that side of the ball as well. Improvements include better help defense, ball denial on the perimeter, and screen defense.
Help defense is at its best in NBA LIVE 16. No more just driving at the hoop for easy dunks and layups. If you can beat your defender, be prepared to be challenged at the rim. The defense also will rotate open to shut down any threats the ball carrier penetration causes. Be prepared to make that extra pass from the kick out to get an open shot.
WATCH YOUR THREAT
You’ll discover denying the ball to outside threats too. Off-ball defenders will make it tough for you to get open shots or even get the ball to your best shooters. Get up on an off-ball player as a user, and deny him with the LT/L2 button when near your man.
Defenders will also try to bump cutters on their way to the hoop to get the offense out of rhythm and deny open cuts to the basket. You will really have to work hard to get your best players open looks in this year’s game.
SLOW HIM DOWN
Screens are going to be tougher for you too. No longer can you just call a pick and easily attack the basket every single time down the court. The screener’s defender is a smarter and more active in defending the ball carrier. From hedging, to switching, trapping and icing a screen, the defenders will do a much better job of containing the pick and roll game.
Not only will the two defenders in the pick and roll play better defense, but the other three defenders will be more aware in taking away kick outs and helping out on the roller. You’ll also see players switch on off-ball screens when a threat may get open off of one.
Can't afford photoshop, so microsoft paint by default.
. I'm certain he was the same in 15, as with Barnes who looked very good in that game. I'm guessing the angle of the shot may be distorting or creating the uneven appearance, especially in relation to PJ Tucker. Overall ecstatic about the graphics thus far and the all important defensive improvements announced today. I always knew there was a very capable team there at EA, just looking forward to the demo for further validation.
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