NBA 2K12: Managing the Heat - Strategy Guide

Strategy Guide

NBA 2K12: Managing the Heat

Submitted on: 12/23/2011 by Mike Kilroy

An owner of the Miami Heat in NBA 2K12 doesn’t have to do too much to get the franchise in position to compete for an NBA title. In the video game world this truly is a Dream Team, but that doesn’t mean the roster is good enough as is, even with the Shane Battier signing.

Here are a few moves that can be made to set the Heat up for greatness, this season and beyond.

Release Juwan Howard
A long, long time ago in an NBA galaxy far, far away, Howard was good. Howard, a 55-rated power forward, gives you absolutely nothing. Plus, it will give you an open roster spot for a certain gun-toting point guard, which leads to the next step.

Sign Gilbert Arenas
While there is no option in 2K12 to install metal detectors at the locker room door, signing Arenas is still a good move for the Heat. One of the team's weaknesses is the glaring hole at point. Sure, you have Mario Chalmers (69 overall rating), Eddie House (62) and rookie Norris Cole (64), but none of them provide the overall talent that Arenas can bring to South Beach.

Arenas signed at a reasonable price and to a one-year deal, which is a great bargain for someone who averaged nearly 30 points a short while ago. He is not a guy you want long-term, especially with Cole and his high potential waiting in the wings on your roster. However, Cole's ratings jump after the first year, especially if he is free to get valuable minutes as a backup to Arenas.

So with the signing of Arenas, House and Chalmers are both expendable which can lead to a certain trade:

Trade Chalmers and House to the Denver Nuggets for Chris Anderson and 2013 first-round pick

With Arenas and Cole, both Chalmers and House are no longer needed. A great feature in 2K12 is the trade finder and when you plug Chalmers into it and you get 29 offers. The best one, arguably, is the Nuggets' offering.

The trade helps another weakness, Miami's rebounding, down low. Anderson has an A- rating for rebounding, and he radically ups the tattoo quotient and, well, the cool factor of your roster.

That 2013 first-round pick can come in handy later, either as trade bait or to land a top rookie in the third year of your franchise. I know some of you think this is unrealistic, but this is a video game. Have some fun with it.

Trade Mike Miller for J.J. Redick

Miller isn’t the sharp shooter he used to be, in real life or on the digital court. Redick, though, is money from 3-point range. Outside shooting is the third and final relative weakness of the Heat that gets shored up before the opening tip of the season.

Now, go win not one, not two, not three -- you get the picture.

Season results

I played through a season with these moves, playing roughly half of the 82 games schedule.

Predictably, the Heat finished with the best record in the NBA with a 63-19 mark, overcoming an 8-10 start.

LeBron James averaged 27.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game to win the MVP. Dwayne Wade averaged 24 points, Chris Bosh 16.1 and Arenas 14.4 points per game (and zero gun arrests).

Interestingly, as I was playing the season, the Lakers offered a trade that I nearly accepted. L.A. offered Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace (the artist formerly known as Ron Artest) for Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. I declined, however, but for a minute I considered it for the shear spectacular coolness of having Kobe, LeBron, Metta World Peace, Arenas and Anderson on the floor at the same time.

The Heat, though, came up short in the playoffs, losing to the Bulls in seven games in the conference final.

Oh, well. No ring again for King James.

Better luck next year.

How would you tweak the Heat to get LeBron that ring he craves?

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Member Comments

# 21 instant000 @ 12/24/11 03:39 AM

Agreed. The Heat have plenty of offense already. The only thing they can do to stiffen up is to bolster the following:
1 - backup SF (wait, they did that already. instead of bringing in Jones who can only shoot threes, they bring in Battier who can lockdown SG/SF and also shoot threes pretty good too)
2 - defensive PG - wait, Chalmers does this, plus he can also shoot threes, and is a VERY clutch player.

What's the starting lineup?
C - Anthony
PF - Bosh
SF - James
SG - Wade
PG - Chalmers

Considering they have two of the top five players in the league (admittedly the best SF, and arguably the best SG), and the Heat are in a pretty good spot.

I remember arguing last year how they should stick Lebron in the mid-post more, and I appear to have read some anecdotal evidence that the Heat have been doing that more, similar to how Jordan played mid-post back in the day and could either score it himself, or pass it off to the open man.

I haven't seen Lebron's post game, though, but I do know that if he wants to lengthen his career, that'd be a good place to start.

# 22 Louizzle @ 12/24/11 03:54 AM

There's no fun in managing the Heat, their team is already loaded. With these minor moves, you could go either way with keeping the current players you already have or trading them for players who are almost equally the same.

What's fun is managing a lower tier team and making them into a contender.

# 23 Fruity @ 12/24/11 03:59 AM

I am a Mario Chalmers fan. He won me during his Jayhawks career. I think he should be developed.

In real life though, he should stay starter. He fits.

# 24 William J Alvarez @ 12/24/11 06:05 AM

Personally, I was never one to choose an already elite team to start a franchise/association in any sports game. I enjoyed choosing those young teams with great potential talent that has a strong chance of making the playoffs with good coaching/managing. With that said, with the rookies now inserted in NBA 2k12, ill soon start an Association with the Cleveland Cavilers.

# 25 zizoux @ 12/24/11 06:33 AM

Is there any way to acquire D. Howard via trade?
I can trade any player except Wade and Lebron.

# 26 EccentricMeat @ 12/24/11 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zizoux


	Is there any way to acquire D. Howard via trade? I can trade any player except Wade and Lebron.

With the Heat?

The only way to do it is to turn on trade override. You'll have to sign Dalembert or Chuck Hayes.

Heat Trade: Bosh, Dalembert/Hayes, Two First Round Picks

Magic Trade: Howard.

Then do another trade.

Heat Trade: Mike Miller, Shane Battier

Magic Trade: Turkoglu.

So the Magic will gain Bosh, a starting C (Dalembert/Hayes), Shane Battier, Mike Miller, and two 1st round picks.

I did two trades because you can only trade 4 players/picks from one team at a time, and in order for the Heat to get Howard they would have to give up more than that.

While this makes the Heat VERY thin, such things are necessary when trying to trade for BY FAR the best center in the league.

EDIT: Ok, so this year you can't sign a FA and then immediately trade him, so you'll have to wait 30 days in order to execute this trade.

# 27 chunt04 @ 12/24/11 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EccentricMeat


	Why do people keep saying that the Heat need a PG? They have Lebron and Wade, two guys that need/want the ball in their hands at all times. These two would NOT both play off-ball, so a PG would be completely worthless. All they need at the PG position is someone who is a good perimeter defender, and who can drain the open 3. A good SG would work at the point for this team, because he doesn't need to be able to pass. Deshawn Stevenson would do wonders for the Heat as their PG. As for their other needs, all they need is a rebounding and defending C. So in my associations, I just go out and sign Samuel Dalembert and Deshawn Stevenson. After those two moves, this team is NASTY. PG - Stevenson/Chalmers/Cole/House SG - Wade/Miller SF - James/Battier/Jones PF - Bosh/Haslem C - Dalembert/Anthony

I actually like this a lot... reminds me of the old Bulls teams with Ron Harper at PG. Great perimeter defender that can knock down a shot when need be. Pippen brought the ball up a lot of the time (much like Lebron) anyways.

# 28 lcisdmustang62 @ 12/25/11 03:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tril


	fun article, but instead of getting reddick, I would have made a move for Korver. I would have nevere considered the Kobe trade. and insteda of getting ANderson, I would have gone for a more verstaile big man. one who could play both the center and pf position. based on this game and not reality, a good virtual alternative wouldbe Chris Wilcox. Wilcox has been a solid backup in the 2k series for the paste several years.

i would rather just get klay thompson than either of these people and develop him

# 29 Saijahn @ 12/28/11 05:47 AM

How'd you get a first round pick for Chalmers and House..talk about a freebie.

# 30 mikestrong19 @ 12/28/11 06:33 PM

None of these moves really make sense. Cutting Juwan Howard would cost the Heat $1.3 million. I am not exactly sure about the MLE rules and how much the Heat have used, but they wouldn't be able to sign Arenas for more that $1-$2 million. He would probably be looking for something closer to $3-$4 million.

The trades make even less sense though. Why would the Nuggets give up their backup center for 2 guards? They already have 5 guards and couple of swingmen. There is no way that they would give up a solid big AND a 1st round pick just to create a logjam in the backcourt. The Heat would have to do a lot better than Chalmers and House to get Anderson, let alone a pick.

And a straight-up Miller for Redick trade would never happen. For the Magic to even consider it, the Heat would need to throw in a pick or two (probably 1st round).

2k12 is one of the best games I have ever played, but the trade logic is absolutely horrible. I don't see how you could get 29 offers for House and Chalmers.

# 31 noah1212 @ 12/29/11 02:58 AM

i like the idea of the guide, but for the heat? I dont think many people need it for a team like that. Try making guides for the bottom feeders (rockets please)

# 32 JasonMartin @ 05/11/12 09:06 PM

Kobe would decline the trade even if you accepted it, it doesn't work.

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