Key points of interest from the Polygon article:
- There are over 300 dunks in the game.
- Lottery Pick boosts include hot spots that multiply the point value of the shot, and debuffs for your opponent such as halving the length of their shot clock.
- The shot clock is at 12 seconds, rather than the usual 24.
- Four player local multiplayer is supported, along with two player head-to-head online. An early update will add four player online support. Post-release support will also include roster updates.
- Players are unlocked with card packs, though there won't be any microtransactions (at least initially).
- Each team has at least three active players in addition to retired players. More players will be added later, though Charles Barkley and Kobe Bryant are two noteworthy players Saber doesn't have access to.
- A dunk contest and three-point shootout are planned to be added post-release.
It all sounds pretty good for the most part. I'm a bit iffy on the shot clock being so short, but with the pace of the game, it might be an appropriate rule change. I'm also still not a huge fan of the idea of the points multipliers for perfect releases and whatnot, but I'll give it a chance. The plans for post-release support sound great if they can make it all happen.