Monday Tip-Off: Going Back to Manual Substitutions

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Dunks, Layups & Three-Pointers

The midrange jumpshot has become an underrated and too-often scorned method of getting buckets in the NBA. You can blame analytics and box score watchers for that, as well as the success of the Golden State Warriors in the 2010s. Threes may be worth more than twos as the saying goes, but a missed shot is worth zero, and three-pointers remain more difficult to hit; a fact backed up by consistent three-point percentages over the years. Nevertheless, modern shot charts demonstrate how the midrange is ignored in favour of shooting in the paint (sensible) and chucking threes (less so).

Ironically, despite their reputation for ushering in the three-point revolution and making the midrange jumper unfashionable, the champion Warriors actually did a lot of damage from that area. Kevin Durant operated in the midrange frequently during his Warriors run, and despite being a prolific three-pointer gunner, Klay Thompson also regularly attempted shots inside the arc but beyond ten feet. The midrange was Shaun Livingston's bread and butter. Nevertheless, the philosophy is to either get those extra points with three-pointers, or go for the high percentage shot with dunks and layups at the rim. To that end, it reflects a long-time basketball gaming strategy!

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Matching MJ in NBA 2K14 MyCAREER

Obviously, simply saying that I'm reflecting on matching MJ is a huge spoiler for how Year 6 of my NBA 2K14 MyCAREER turned out! Of course, I've already revealed that via my story topic, and a highlight reel of the 2019 NBA Finals. To that end, this column isn't intended to keep everyone in suspense about the results, but rather to share my thoughts as I continue to play through a full MyCAREER in NBA 2K14 for PlayStation 4. Although I did take a break to play some other games that captured my attention, I knew it wouldn't be long before I returned to complete my latest season.

While Year 6 did bear some similarities to the Drive for Five in my fifth season, in other ways it once again proved to be a unique journey with its own ups and downs. From vying for statistical feats, to players getting injured, to contending with different matchups in a league that's seen a variety of changes over the course of six seasons, I was definitely as invested in Year 6 as any prior campaign. Even though the cutscenes didn't exactly reflect it, I actually felt like a veteran who's been around the block a few times; a feeling that I enjoyed as it made the year special. And so, on top of matching MJ with six titles, here's how Year 6 of my NBA 2K14 MyCAREER went down.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: When Companies Join in the Memes

Like any joke or popular fad, online memes eventually run their course. To that end, the general lifecycle of a meme has been astutely lampooned by several people. Last year, Man Carrying Thing posted a sketch that summed up the rapid rise and fall of many an absurd meme that achieves inexplicable popularity. While "OK Boomer" lives on as a common retort, cartoonist Kasia Babis aptly used it as an example of a meme's lifecycle. Another cartoonist, Alex Krokus, perfectly captured the general response to brands jumping on memes and online trends.

Alex's comic in particular resonates with me, because we've seen more and more brands attempt to join in on viral trends as a marketing strategy. Naturally, this also includes video game developers and publishers. On paper, it makes sense for these companies to angle for some viral positive publicity by attempting to cultivate a fun and relatable image, though this can easily backfire. This is especially true whenever a company tries to lean into jokes and memes about itself. Although it can be a very effective strategy if they end up pulling it off, it can easily fail to achieve the playful vibe that they're aiming for. All too often, it instead comes across as condescending.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Confidently Incorrect Gotchas

Through message boards, chat rooms, social media platforms, and Discord servers, the internet provides us with various ways to connect and discuss the hobbies and interests that are important to us. To that point, we have numerous avenues to tell each other that we're wrong! This is of course a very old observation about online discourse. Cunningham's Law posits that posting an incorrect answer is the best way to get the correct information about a topic. The iconic xkcd strip "Duty Calls" sums up our need to argue with each other: "Someone is wrong on the internet!"

You don't have to be a troll or a toxic member of an online community to have felt the catharsis of telling someone they're wrong and setting the record straight. As much as we rightfully call out the obnoxiousness of an "um, actually", there's no denying its appeal. Besides, it is possible to offer up a correction and useful information without being a pompous know-it-all. Unfortunately, the appeal of being the one to catch a mistake or misinformation leads some people to be very quick on the draw. In short, some of us are way too eager to shout "wrong" in an effort to embarrass someone else and sound smart. This is how we end up with so many confidently incorrect gotchas.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Why Are You Playing That?

I'm sure that at this point, it's hardly a secret that I'm an enthusiastic advocate for retro basketball gaming. I've written a number of articles detailing the fun that I'm having revisiting old favourites and discovering new retro kicks, and explaining why I think it's worth considering if you're not enjoying newer titles. To that point, I don't want to keep harping on points or treading familiar ground in my articles, but the fact of the matter is that there's still pushback and scorn when it comes to playing older games. Again, "why are you playing that?" is the common refrain here.

Obviously, this is the internet where everyone has an opinion, and believes that their preferences are correct. However, I will entertain the question of why I and others still play older basketball video games, because I'm sure that some people are asking that in good faith. Considering all of the technological advances that have been made over generations of basketball games, not to mention the fact there's a new NBA season every year, I'm sure it is quite puzzling that some of us do choose to play games with outdated graphics, simpler mechanics, and old rosters. Nostalgia is a major factor, but there's more to it than that, and the stigma against retro basketball gaming is insulting.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Fanboys & Recency Bias; Look, I Get It

Recency bias is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to online discourse these days. New isn't always better, because neither humans nor the world in general are perfect. There are peaks and valleys, missteps and corrections, good and bad ideas alike. In a similar vein, I don't hold the opinions of fanboys in high esteem, either. "Stan culture" is way out of control, muddying discussions with ridiculous takes and performative debate, not to mention attacks on people who dare to disagree or dislike what you like. That isn't a recent thing of course, but social media has made it worse.

However...I get it. As someone who has made a few more trips around the sun than some folks who insist that the latest NBA 2K is always the best, or that today's NBA players are bigger, faster, stronger, and more talented than the "plumbers" of the past, I understand the feelings and the thought process. I disagree and may grumble about the youth of today with curmudgeonly sentiment that I'm still way too young for, but I honestly do get it. After all, I was your age once! I've been a fanboy too, and a victim of recency bias. It's something that I'm pushing back on now, but it's not just an issue with the younger generation today. It's something that we all have to grow out of.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Enhancing the Original Rosters

Our modding community has produced some incredible projects going right back to the 90s. The original NLSC rosters by Tim and Lutz kept games up to date, saving gamers the trouble of doing it themselves and allowing some old favourites to remain current for the people that were still playing them. We've also had retro season roster mods for multiple games, including projects that span decades. NBA games have been turned into makeshift college basketball titles, and even revamped with foreign league mods. That's just a very brief overview of the fantastic work that's been done!

However, we shouldn't overlook the value of simpler projects. I'm not just talking about minimalist mods, although I do remain an advocate for them as well. What I'm referring to here are mods that focus on the original rosters and setting of a game. On the surface, they're not as impressive as a comprehensive current roster update for an older game that people still enjoy, an accurate retro season mod, or a total conversion, but they're still worthwhile projects. With a handful of old favourites retaining their popularity years later, other classics getting a second look, and an increasing interest in retro basketball gaming, I'd like to see more mods that focus on original rosters.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Going Back to Manual Substitutions

Since I first got hooked on the virtual hardwood, my basketball gaming habits and preferences have evolved over the years. A couple of obvious examples that I often refer to are falling into a rut where I was grinding to level up a new MyPLAYER every year, and then subsequently breaking that habit by eschewing the latest release for some old favourites and new retro kicks. Of course, when it comes to my habits and preferences and the way that they change, isn't always necessarily that big and drastic. I've also changed my mind about certain gameplay options and settings.

Like most basketball gamers I'm sure, I have my preference when it comes to manual and automatic substitutions, though it's a setting that I have changed my mind about. More to the point, I've changed my mind about it a couple of times, or at least become far more flexible about my preference. Much like my other evolving virtual hardwood habits, there are reasons why I've come to prefer manual or automatic substitutions at different times. Right now though, I find that I favour manual substitutions whenever I play a mode that provides that level of control. Not only has it been refreshing to make that change, but it's reminded me why I always used to prefer calling the shots.