The NBA 2K series has included an open-ended practice mode for years, and in MyCareer, the shootaround is a staple of your created player’s daily practice routine, where you can work on anything. But I’ve found these practice modes to be unstructured and not very helpful. They’re more for people who already have an idea of what they want to work on, as opposed to “show me how I can beat my man.” So, that’s where this video, by YouTuber LeCartt, comes to the rescue.
NBA 2K20’s practice mode does provide on-screen input direction (move the stick this direction, buttons or triggers, etc.) you’re still in a free-play environment, and if you’re not doing the trick right or in fact executing a completely different one, it’s hard to tell what you’re doing wrong. What I really need is something like this, a video of 10 go-to dribble moves, all of them leading to a shooting action.
Yes, this video is very fast-paced and it’s something even skilled players will need to stop, rewind and watch several times just to get one move right, if they are not already familiar with some of these ball-handling concepts. But in one minute, Lecartt cuts the bull and gives the viewer a toolkit that for sure will dust most human defenders in online play.
More importantly, you’re seeing the player demonstrate the tricks in the game, as opposed to just getting controller input icons. Don’t worry so much about the lingo in Lecartt’s narration, those are labels, not instructions. Focus on the way these moves clear space for the player, pick one or two that might work best for you, and practice them — just like you would work on your game in real life.
Also note that some moves cover a lot of space on the floor. That’s OK, too, you don’t have to break someone’s ankles and spin or blow past them in a straight line to still get a clean look at the basket. As I have seen in NBA 2K20, spacing and getting an open look is more important than ever, even with solid shooter ratings or badges. Lecartt’s channel has three other videos focusing on individual moves — all within NBA 2K20’s current title update — that might help your game, too.
