Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to basketball video games, the real NBA, or another area of interest to our community, either as a list of five items or in the form of a Top 5 countdown.

In this community, we know basketball, and we know basketball video games. When it comes to virtual hoops, I think it’s fair to suggest that we have some people in our community who are pretty good on the sticks. Nevertheless, as much as we know about basketball – the real thing, and its virtual equivalent, be it NBA Live or NBA 2K – there are some mistakes that we’re prone to making. As those mistakes add up, so too do our losses, whether it’s to the CPU in one of the franchise modes, or to other users online.

So, in this week’s Friday Five, I thought I’d list some of the mistakes that we’re prone to making, and offer up some advice on how to avoid them. These are the things that I try to keep in mind when I’m playing NBA Live or NBA 2K; both the pitfalls I’d prefer to avoid, and the strategies I employ to try and do so. Without any further ado, here are five mistakes that we make when we play basketball video games…and a few ways that we can avoid them.

1. Not Learning the Advanced Controls

Basketball video games have come a long way in the past couple of decades. Way back in the day, we had a very basic set of controls to work with: shoot, pass, steal, block/rebound, turbo/sprint, and of course, directional movement. In fact, when it came to the PC version of NBA Live, we didn’t even have a steal button until NBA Live 98! While today’s games still utilise contextually appropriate animations, we have much greater control over the players, from dribbling moves to the types of shots that we attempt. Mastering the basic controls is essential, and a good start towards finding success on the virtual hardwood.

However, it’s also vital that we familiarise ourselves with at least some of the more advanced controls in modern NBA Live and NBA 2K games. While you don’t need to bust out the most complicated moves every trip down the floor – in fact, trying to do so could actually end up working against you – it’s important to master a few advanced moves, to fully take advantage of the game’s most explosive ballhandlers and versatile scorers. On higher difficulty settings and against human opponents, a comprehensive knowledge of the controls will be a huge advantage in eluding defenders and shutting down opponents. So, if need be, break out that manual, and hit the practice gym!

2. Allowing Frustration to Overcome Us

The ability to maintain poise, perform well under pressure, and not get rattled by early deficits and misfortune, is a quality that’s associated with great players and teams alike. The successful basketball gamer also needs to keep a cool head, and be willing to persevere patiently and intelligently, when things aren’t going their way. A few bad shots and defensive errors can lead to big deficits, but as long as there’s ample time left in the game, the opportunity is there to make a run. However, that’s not going to happen if you’re allowing anger and frustration to throw you off your game, and deviate from smart strategies.

It’s easier said than done, I know. When the CPU does something that feels a bit cheap, chances are you’ll be gritting your teeth, or perhaps muttering at the screen. Don’t go throwing your controller, though. You will miss high percentage shots from time to time; that’s realistic, after all. The best scorers in the league are going to get their points, so don’t lose your cool when they get a bucket despite your best efforts. Avoid desperation threes, and don’t try to force the issue while you’re attempting to catch up. Take things one play at a time, and compete on every possession. Above all, remember that it’s just a video game. I know we take basketball gaming fairly seriously around these parts, but a loss isn’t the end of the world. In fact, it’s something you can often learn from.

3. Ignoring the Midrange Game

Launching a bunch of ill-advised threes when you need to erase a deficit is a risky strategy, but even when the score is close, getting too trigger happy from downtown can be a recipe for disaster. It’s usually a symptom of a larger problem, though: when playing basketball video games, it’s very easy to ignore the midrange game. On offense, we’re usually inclined to either drive to the basket for a layup or dunk – the highest percentage field goal attempts in basketball – or take the three-pointer, because of the extra point. We avoid the midrange because there’s a fear of risking the safety of an inside shot, without the possible reward of three points.

I think this is partly a throwback to the days when jumpshots in sim-oriented basketball games were much less reliable. If you wanted to win consistently, you really needed to get inside for dunks and layups, with the occasional boost of a three-pointer. On top of that, compared to a pretty layup, thunderous dunk, or cold-blooded three-pointer, midrange jumpshots can seem kind of boring. However, the midrange game has improved in basketball games over the years, and while it may not be spectacular, it’s a solid, reliable play. Don’t be afraid to pull up from midrange if the open shot is there, and don’t get stuck trying to score all your points at the rim, or from long range.

4. Overusing Turbo/Sprint

Player fatigue and sprint meters are not new concepts. In fact, they’ve been implemented in some form pretty much since turbo and sprint controls were first included in basketball video games. Even NBA Jam games have featured a meter which discouraged gamers from constantly holding down turbo. The sim games have naturally (and pleasingly) taken an increasingly realistic approach to the use of turbo/sprint as the years have gone by, but it’s still quite possible to use it too often, or at the very least, ineffectively.

Overusing the turbo trigger not only fatigues your players quicker and leaves them unable to sprint or explode off the dribble at inopportune moments, it can also lead to them being out of control. Reckless use of sprinting can cause you to overshoot the mark at both ends of the floor, leaving you off-balance offensively, and giving opponents a lot of room to shoot or drive when you’re on defense. It’s also tempting to hold down sprint every time you drive, but there are times when slicing through the defense for a layup is preferable to attempting to power through for a dunk. Barrelling into defenders at top speed when the paint is packed is also a good way of losing the ball, or picking up a charging foul. Try to only use sprint when you really need that burst of speed to blow by a defender, catch an opponent, or finish with a dunk.

5. Impatience & Not Picking Our Spots

Basketball video games have gotten a lot better over the years in so many ways, and a lot of the things that we’ve long wanted to see are now being implemented. If you don’t believe me, go back and play an older release…or for that matter, watch me play one. While these improvements have been great to see, it has meant that we’ve needed to change our strategies, and in some cases, that’s been a difficult adjustment. As gamers, we want to beat video games, and we expect to dominate once we’ve mastered the controls. To that end, we get used to relying on certain tricks and strategies which are far less effective now that the games have become more and more realistic.

Simplistic strategies, such as “try to dunk it every time”, are going to come up short these days. You don’t need to be an expert when it comes to basketball strategy, but running plays – even randomly selected quick plays – will help set you up for good shots. As mentioned above, don’t go charging into the paint if it’s packed; take stock of what the defense is giving you, try to elude them, and create space. Again, if the opportunity isn’t there, don’t force the issue. What you have in mind and what’s feasible may not be one and the same. Take your time, and stay alert. Be ready to change up your strategy, if it means throwing a more effective counter-punch.

What are some other common mistakes we make when playing basketball video games? What advice would you give your fellow basketball gamers? Let me know in the comments section below, and as always, feel free to take the discussion to the NLSC Forum! That’s all for this week, so thanks for checking in, have a great weekend, and please join me again next Friday for another Five.