SHOOTING: X button
To shoot the ball, press and hold the
X
button. When your player reaches the
top of his jump, release the
X
button to release the shot. As in the real NBA,
timing is crucial. If you let
go of the button before
the player reaches his
peak, he’ll likely short-arm
the shot. Similarly, if you
release the shot while the
player’s on his way down,
he’ll be more likely to
have the shot drift on him
or have it blocked.
Releasing the shot at the
top of the player’s jump
gives you the greatest
likelihood of draining it.
PUMP FAKES: tap X button
To perform a pump fake, tap and release the
X
button in an attempt to get the
defender to jump into the air. If he bites, you’ll have a good chance to drive around
him into the lane. At the very least, you may be able to freeze the defender and
create a little space, enabling you to get a cleaner look at the basket.
CROSSOVER DRIBBLES: B button
Players like Tim Hardaway and Stephon Marbury have made a career out of
faking one way with the dribble then breaking their defender’s back by crossing
over in the other direction. If you catch a defender flat-footed as you dribble
toward him, press the
B
button to cross over and zip past him.
New this year is a special crossover move. If you press the
B
button while your
player is dribbling in place, he will swing his arms in a wide crossover motion.
Then, move the
left thumbstick
in any direction to have the player fake his
crossover and blow past his man.
TURBO/SPEED BURST: right trigger
By pulling the
right trigger
, you’ll kick your player into overdrive so that his
speed and energy pick up a notch. Use turbo to get that extra step past the
defender or to gain a bit of extra oomph when you’re backing down a defender
down low. Be careful not to overuse this however, as your player will tire too
quickly if he’s continually sprinting up and down the court. If you see him
languishing with his head down, it’s probably time to get him out of there.
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Coach’s Corner: Know Your Players
Getting the hang of when to release the
X
button is just the first step
to becoming a good shooter (and scorer). Perhaps the next most
important aspect to shooting is to learn your players’ shooting ten-
dencies. If you’ve got Shaq firing from behind the three-point line
all afternoon, it won’t matter how perfectly you release the shoot
button – he’s not gonna be hitting anything. Similarly, even if your
5'10" point guard's releasing shots in the paint at the peak of his
jump, his shots will likely be, uh, “returned” (leaving “SPALDING”
imprinted backward on his forehead). Good jump shooters like
Reggie Miller or Ray Allen will have a little more leeway with regard
to releasing the ball at the exact pinnacle of their jump, just as the
big guys like Tim Duncan will generally have a bit more room for
error down low.
