Maurice Dixon

@WriturRece | mdixon27@gmail.com

So in less than six months, NBA 2K18 will be available for all who enjoy the series or those who just want to play a new basketball game.

Many fans will be eager to experience the new MyPlayer story (@ShakeDown2012), the new MyTeam setup (@TwoBrosGaming) and the new MyGM mode (@UniqueMazique) to list a few, and more power to that group of people, but for myself and others such as @CNICKTWO4, @UC704, Shawt Dawg (@iRepLakerNation) and @NYCDaFuture, we will be hoping to see improvements in the Play-Now Online mode–the essence of true competition.

Yes, you can get that in MyTeam but a team full of starters without true reserves can hide genuine skills. Reality-based (simulation) gameplay with current or classic rosters has always been my interest. I’m from the era when you and your friends picked up the joysticks and battled to make the other person pass the controller.

For the second straight year, I’m hoping the transition defense on made baskets is adjusted to where the AI players find their man on a more consistent basis. There are too many instances where my possession ends with a dunk and my opponent rushes the ball back down the court for the same result.

I have logged many NBA games for highlights and that rarely happens, especially after a made free throw. It would be nice to be able to control player emotions, freeing them from those animations since there is very little honor among online gamers, who constantly pause the game to brag, try to get charge calls near half court and quit after behind by 10 points in the first half.

There is nothing more fulfilling as a competitor than overcoming a deficit on the way to an unbelievable victory. (This is why I never quit!)

In 2K18, the return of a true transition game would be beneficial when bad shots are taken and live-ball turnovers are forced. There were too many occurrences of players hesitating or being grabbed during the change of possession in 2K17. Also the accuracy of tough shots need to be adjusted during a catch-and-shoot situation and out of the triple-threat position because professionals rarely fade away on those types of shots. Now off the dribble, that animation makes more sense when a defender closes out on the shot.

I’ve been around long enough to know that gameplay issues will always be present but the alley-oop pass by the big man in the lane after an offensive rebound has to go.

The aforementioned complaints along with too many missed wide-open jumpers by proven shooters makes 2K17 equally frustrating and enjoyable, which, in a sense, keeps us on our toes for the next random challenge in this mode.

Also since matchups aren’t as random as the year before but are tier based, can the mirror-match (Golden State Warriors vs. Golden State Warriors) issue be eliminated? Incorporating the option to randomly switch to another team once could remedy this problem, and if one player still decides to back out afterwards then that individual automatically forfeits like in 17.

Personally a rematch option for Play-Now Online would be nice to experience along with the choice to compete under different quarter lengths. Obviously, Play-Now Online isn’t the most popular game mode these days but I never had an issue getting a game in when I wanted to so give this community something fresh for the next installment of 2K, which I think will feature Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Isaiah Thomas or Giannis Antetokounmpo as the cover athlete or a shared cover of three of the four.

As a longtime fan of basketball video games, I’ve always welcomed the opportunity to go head-to-head against another player and I hope online play continues and is better in 2K18.