NBA 2K17 News Post

Are Three-Pointers Overpowered in NBA 2K17?

05:11 PM - November 29, 2016 by RaychelSnr

The three point basket has changed how the game of basketball is played -- and as recently as last year, a revolution on how teams approach the shot has really taken hold throughout the NBA.

NBA 2K has understandably had a bit of difficulty in keeping up with a game that is changing before our very eyes at times. At what point are three pointers too easy vs. at what point are they unrealistically hard?

And how do you strike that balance?

I have noticed quite a bit of chatter on three-pointers in NBA 2K17 over the last couple of weeks, with many of the complaints seemingly coming down on the "they're too easy to convert" side of the debate.

It's possible that is the case, but its also possible how you are shooting the three ball could depend on which team you are using, what player you are shooting with, what mode you are playing in, and any other number of factors.

On a personal anecdotal level, I played four games of NBA 2K17 recently and averaged 40.4% from behind the three point arc with the OKC Thunder. In real life the Thunder are hitting 34.5% -- but I'm also playing with a different personnel set at this point. The Spurs lead the league at 39.9% from behind the arc and the league wide average has hovered around the 35% mark for years now.

So technically we should expect to see the three point shots we take consolidate around that sort of an average.

But I'm not so sure there's a singular answer here. Could threes be too easy for certain types of shooters and not nearly easy enough for others? Are you finding that universally three point shooting percentages are too high? Too low? Are they just about right?

Sound off in the comments about your own experiences with three pointers in NBA 2K17!

Game: NBA 2K17Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PC / PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 14 - View All

Member Comments

# 1 Kurupt_XxX @ 11/29/16 05:54 PM

no they are not

# 2 Smirkin Dirk @ 11/29/16 05:59 PM

Im 45 games through MyLeague.

Im shooting 49.5% on 7 attempts with Redick
28% on 5 attempts with Paul
27% on 2 attempts with Rivers
30% on 1 attempt with Felton
36% on 5 attempts with Crawford.
36% on 1 attempt with Griffin.
45% on 2 attempts with Johnson.
44% on 2 attempts with Speights.
25% on 1 attempt with Mbah a moute.

Im perfectly happy with it. There are streaks and cold patches in there.

If I was to make one criticism, I don't think CPU bad shooters are bad enough. I have left some bad ones open and seen them hit a few.

ALthough these stick out in my mind and might be shaping my perception.

# 3 Quentin32 @ 11/29/16 06:17 PM

I must suck because if I shoot more than 15 of em I have yet to shoot 50%
Granted my teams have been OKC, Det, & TO

# 4 SpeedyClaxton @ 11/29/16 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smirkin Dirk


	Im 45 games through MyLeague. Im shooting 49.5% on 7 attempts with Redick 28% on 5 attempts with Paul 27% on 2 attempts with Rivers 30% on 1 attempt with Felton 36% on 5 attempts with Crawford. 36% on 1 attempt with Griffin. 45% on 2 attempts with Johnson. 44% on 2 attempts with Speights. 25% on 1 attempt with Mbah a moute. Im perfectly happy with it. There are streaks and cold patches in there. If I was to make one criticism, I don't think CPU bad shooters are bad enough. I have left some bad ones open and seen them hit a few. ALthough these stick out in my mind and might be shaping my perception.

How can you shoot 25% on one attempt ? It should be 4 attempts at least to count as 25%, in other words you need to be 1 for 4.

# 5 VAWereWolf65 @ 11/29/16 06:23 PM

Shooting stats inflate so much this year. I'm 5 years into my career and there are already 3 or 4 people who have all of their open shot attributes at a 99. it's absurd.

# 6 Gosens6 @ 11/29/16 06:24 PM

Like Dirk said, my biggest complaint at this point is bad shooters hitting 3s on too much of a consistent basis.

I leave guys open who I know can't knock em from deep, and they drain em. Of course, I'm okay with that happening every once in awhile, but bad shooters are bad shooters. It's hard for me to label any player in 2k a "bad" shooter that I'm comfortable leaving open

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

# 7 Smirkin Dirk @ 11/29/16 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpeedyClaxton


	How can you shoot 25% on one attempt ? It should be 4 attempts at least to count as 25%, in other words you need to be 1 for 4.

Across the season he is averaging 1 attempt per game, and shooting 25%.

# 8 Smirkin Dirk @ 11/29/16 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gosens6


	Like Dirk said, my biggest complaint at this point is bad shooters hitting 3s on too much of a consistent basis. I leave guys open who I know can't knock em from deep, and they drain em. Of course, I'm okay with that happening every once in awhile, but bad shooters are bad shooters. It's hard for me to label any player in 2k a "bad" shooter that I'm comfortable leaving open Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

I'm wondering if this is just one of those things that stand out in your mind.

As in, Ill remember Tony Allen making a 3 on me, but will forget the 4 that he missed.

Im going to scout thruogh my boxscores and pick out the bad shooters to test this.

# 9 Rockie_Fresh88 @ 11/29/16 06:30 PM

I can only talk about my experience in pro am.

I can say it's so weird see deep threes so successful at this high a percentage. Especially from stretch bigs. Idk , I mean how many big men even have limitless range bronze ?

As for threes overall , I would like to see them toned down a little but I'm ok with what we have.

# 10 Gosens6 @ 11/29/16 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smirkin Dirk


	I'm wondering if this is just one of those things that stand out in your mind. As in, Ill remember Tony Allen making a 3 on me, but will forget the 4 that he missed. Im going to scout thruogh my boxscores and pick out the bad shooters to test this.

Honestly, it probably is, because percentages at the end of the game are usually where they're supposed to be, but I remember when guys who shouldn't draining 3s are just draining them a game.

It's not serious enough for a particular player to stick out in my mind, but it does happen from time to time. But like you said, I definitely notice the makes more than I do the misses.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

# 11 Vroman @ 11/29/16 07:20 PM

Biggest oddity is that extra range 3pt with sharpshooter feels at least as high% shot as a midrange. And overall shooting is just too easy for sharpshooter , i've got 64% 3pt in park (could be better if I didnt play bunch games without badges) and 70% 3pt in pro am games and I think its way too high even for good shots.

Using NBA teams I didn't notice 3pt being overpowered, its just combination of HoF badges that puts it nba-jam level.

# 12 ILLSmak @ 11/29/16 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockie_Fresh88


	I can only talk about my experience in pro am. I can say it's so weird see deep threes so successful at this high a percentage. Especially from stretch bigs. Idk , I mean how many big men even have limitless range bronze ? As for threes overall , I would like to see them toned down a little but I'm ok with what we have.

Yeah, overpowered is a weird word, and speaking only about online play as well, I would say this:

I think they are more imbalanced. The percentages are too high because the game believes a good wide open shot should be high percentage. However, ways to get that wide open shot are many. It's too easy to get what the game thinks is a wide open shot.

The reason they are imbalanced is because, as I have spoke, they have an artificially inflated level of paint defense. Driving defense and post up defense is actually more powerful than perimeter defense. I think that it was originally included because the game was a dunk fest, but if people are shooting 50+ percent from 3 points, I believe in order to change the game they should make it easier to score inside especially vs smaller defenders and when you aren't doubled as well as make it so that people don't get as many crazy blocks when you are driving.

Once they tackle this problem, they will see a realistic defense that is trying to stop the inside score and then they can dial back the accuracy of what will be better 3 point shots and make the game less one dimensional.

In pro am, you can score inside, but in Park it's almost a signal of someone being bad when they don't play primarily for the 3. Even in pro am, the 3 is way more of a weapon than it is even for the GSW.

The ability to recover and block a dunk/lay up is higher than the ability to recover and make a jumper miss, imo, and the ability of people to shoot from super deep makes this even worse because if you are setting picks 30 feet from the basket you can't do any sort of complex help.

-Smak

# 13 SixGod @ 11/29/16 07:44 PM

From a Park/Pro-Am experience, I don't think 3's are OP as every archetype has the ability to hit an open 3 with the right badges. I DO however, think that the sharpshooter/stretch big archetype is OP.

Shooters are traditionally 1-dimensional players but 2K has given this archetype other attributes that should be a lot lower.

To compare, a LDD is great defensively and arguably limited offensively. Sharpshooters should've been the offensive version of an LDD where they are great offensively but limited defensively.

It's hard to argue because as the original poster has mentioned, this is the way the game is going and 2K has made the most popular archetype one of the best overall IMO.

# 14 isdatyt @ 11/30/16 12:30 AM

I think threes are accurately powered for the most part. I do think that some players that shouldn't make ANY make way too many. But other than that, it makes sense.

I think the problem is that every other method of scoring, as well as the defense in some areas are inconsistently powered. The spacing just doesn't accommodate other ways to score the ball. It's too cluttered to have a good off the dribble mid-range game like DeRozan, or dominate in Iso drives like Kyrie. Even post scoring seems like it's been nerfed since launch.. It's this problem that makes 3 point shooters much more valuable because they excel at the only type of offensive skill set this game seems to accommodate.

The defense also pick and chooses when to be effective. Like 3's wouldn't seem so deadly if they weren't always so wide open due to nonsensical defenders.

# 15 hokimkim @ 11/30/16 01:36 AM

I'm a cpu v cpu player, and believe it or not, my ben simmon hit can hit 33% 3 point by only changing his jumpshot signature to:

Quick, release 27, base kobe

# 16 hokimkim @ 11/30/16 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hokimkim


	I'm a cpu v cpu player, and believe it or not, my ben simmon hit can hit 33% 3 point by only changing his jumpshot signature to: Quick, release 27, base kobe

BTW, it's in simworld slider

# 17 Hellquist @ 11/30/16 01:43 AM

YES.

Players with D and F grades are hitting at a high clip. Can you imagine the higher grades?

Shots off screens are even more OP.

# 18 Smirkin Dirk @ 11/30/16 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gosens6


	Honestly, it probably is, because percentages at the end of the game are usually where they're supposed to be, but I remember when guys who shouldn't draining 3s are just draining them a game. It's not serious enough for a particular player to stick out in my mind, but it does happen from time to time. But like you said, I definitely notice the makes more than I do the misses. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Im averaging 9/25 and shooting 37%.

My opponents are shooting 8/22 at 35% (I felt this was a little low in terms of opponent 3s attempted. But it's literally spot on).

Ive just gone through box scores from the past 46 games. I have edited my roster to account for players' 3 pt accuracy and volume. These are the outliers.

Frankly, my mind has overstated the issue. I thought bad guys were nailing them; they arent.

In fact, I'd like more outliers now.

Lin 3/5, then 3/6. Chris McCullogh hit one, Rodney Stuckey hit one. Tyreke Evans went 3/5. Jokic hit 3 on me. Tyreke hit another 3/5 on me. Mudiay went 4/12. Gay went 3/4. I remember Aaron Gordon nailing a pull up 3.

# 19 Black Bruce Wayne @ 11/30/16 03:42 AM

http://stats.nba.com/leaders/#!?Seas...PerMode=Totals

There are currently 37 players, in the real NBA, shooting 40 % or above from 3. (at this point in the season)

Players nowadays are shooting and making more 3 pointers than ever.

The question is do we want 2k to mimic the real life 3point shooting or to have its own reality?

UPDATE: Ok, not more than ever. I went back to 1995 and the league was still lighting it up
http://stats.nba.com/leaders/#!?Seas...PerMode=Totals

# 20 Trackball @ 11/30/16 03:44 AM

Of course they are.
They're overpowered in the game because they're overpowered in real life.

2015-16 league average 2pFG%: 49.1%
Points per shot attempt: 0.982

2015-16 league average 3pFG%: 35.4%
Points per shot attempt: 1.062

Threes are worth more.
There's no point in shooting anything else. Ever.

« Previous12 3 Next »

More Links

Are Three-Pointers Overpowered in NBA 2K17?