Those who pick up NBA 2K22 for the first time and try to get into the action quickly are in for a rude awakening and will probably demand a refund. This series has grown in complexity over the years and that means it's jam-packed with nuanced and difficult to execute moves that take time to practice and perfect.
Nobody comes into this game and masters dribble-moves, post play, and aggressive defense right away. These things come with time and are part of the learning process. These are some other parts of NBA 2K22 that give players fits at the beginning.
Updated on May 10th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: Any tip that can avoid being the object of scorn online is a welcome one. And there are plenty of places where players can go wrong, especially new gamers in the franchise. It's a fun and rewarding experience but it takes as much prep work as it does practice. Simply making a cool player and joining a favorite team isn't just going to make for bad results, it could make for disastrous results, up to and including getting a spot on the bench for an entire career. Don't let it happen! This list has been updated with a few new tips for anyone that wants to be competent the very moment that their sneakers hit the court.
13 Not Spending Enough Time Testing
Oftentimes, rookies get a general feel for a position, accept that it does well enough, and then they go straight to MyCareer. But every point guard online has a perfect build. It all comes down to making those tweaks and getting every inch out of the character.
There is no limit to how many times a build can be tested. But once players spend hours, Virtual Currency (VC), and unlock items for that player, there is no getting it back. The process of making a MyPlayer can, and should, take hours.
12 Ignoring What The Defense Gives Them
There is nothing wrong with making the best three-point shooter to ever walk the earth. But if gamers become too obvious and take the same shot every time, opponents, both human and AI, will figure it out and adjust to stop the shot.
So if this happens, players can either keep trying to shoot and keep missing, or they can drive in for an easy layup. It's all about reading the defense and doing what they give, not purely playing to player strengths.
11 Chucking The Ball
"Chuckers" are an issue in every rec league across the nation. A player on a team will take unworthy shots or drive toward a basket that is completely defended. Even the best dunking build possible can't win a battle against triple coverage.
The problem can get worse in NBA 2K22 because the other players aren't physically there to tell somebody to knock it off. Smart shots are the name of the game. Not even the game's best player shoots when well-covered, and that's an example that should be followed, not resisted.
10 Staying On Man During A Defensive Breakdown
Man-to-man defense is amazing. For players that can fight through the screen, it's preferable to the alternative, which is switching off. That way, no mismatches happen and the other team's best player can get matched against a great defender to neutralize him. But even the best plans can go up in smoke.
During fast breaks or when another player gets stuck on a screen, go over and help out. Yes, sometimes that means that the matched player is open for a free shot. But it's better to do that than allow uncontested dunks and layups at the basket.
9 Simulating Games
There's no denying that playoff games are more exciting than regular-season games. But skipping them is a bad idea. Playing games leads to higher OVR ceilings, badge points, and VC for boosts and attributes. Those three reasons alone should be enough.
Perhaps nothing suffers more than the role-playing element, though. Players that simulate their games will play no better than their player's OVR. Even at 99, sometimes the AI gives the player a poor performance and it's all over the headlines. Just don't do it.
8 Lack Of Participation In The Stamina Fight
The scoreboard is a result of what happens on the court. Scoring will happen when players make smart choices employ solid tactics. And one of the best and most overlooked tactics is the stamina battle. Yet it's also one of the most important.
An empty stamina meter, in some games, simply slows a runner's speed down. But in NBA 2K22, it also lowers accuracy, makes them unable to stop post scorers, weakens their screens, and more. Use strength and tight defense and make opponents use their stamina early so they'll be weaker later on.
7 Not Calling Plays
Because the actual gameplay is conducted through a player or team's eyes, it's understandable that gamers don't know that they can be the coach, too. They're missing out on a system that can give them an advantage on every play.
By using the playbook and calling for a play on court, players can get somebody open on a three-ball, ask for a screen, or change the defense to stop certain players or style of shooting. Teams that always seem to have the upper hand usually do thanks to changing the plays.
6 Forgetting To Update Their Animations
Animations are every bit as critical as the attributes that govern them. A layup with an easily blockable animation is straight-up inferior to one that is executed in a safe, expeditious manner. Badges can help, but ultimately if a hand gets on the ball, it's getting blocked.
This needs to be a process that goes hand-in-hand with progression. At first, the best shots and dribbles are going to be locked behind a statistical barrier. As the player gets better, these animations should be updated consistently.
5 Joining Online Modes Too Early
Fresh after making a MyPlayer and hopping online, there is a tidal wave of minimum-level players that hit the hoops and try to compete against online players. Take a guess at how well these minimum-level players do against a level 99 that has been putting in work?
Besides just losing, it upsets other teammates, and rightfully so. They are expected to pick up dead weight on their team and likely lose the game before it begins. It wasted everyone's time and burns a lot of bridges. Level up a few times before going online.
4 Playing MyTeam Without Playing MyCareer
MyTeam is a fun mode that can be ridiculously expensive for players that want to use the best of the best cards. Getting the VC for a pack that will greatly help the team happens very, very slowly during these games. Thankfully, MyCareer is far more liberal with handing out VC.
The VC earned in these games is not tied to MyCareer. Use this mode as a cash cow, playing a few games, earning several thousand VC in the process, then cash in with MyTeam. Player wallets will be grateful for this tactic.
3 Ignoring The Screen
Online modes are dominated by screens for a good reason. They knock off defenders and provide completely uncontested shots. The thing is, every rookie wants to be the shot-scoring guy when there is a deficit of screen-setting guys.
Setting screens is oftentimes thought of as thankless work, but teammates are grateful, wins rack up fast, and breaking after a pick can result in some free alley-oop finishes. If that's what thankless work is, everybody should be lucky enough to sign up for more of it.
2 Getting Angry At Teammates
There is sometimes a perfectly good reason to get angry at teammates. They could make any of the other errors listed here. They might be genuinely new and pressing the wrong buttons. Even computer teammates will sometimes botch their defensive assignments so badly that it makes players think they are trying to lose the game.
There are better things to do than get angry. Use one of the many team finders and play with trusted friends. Or call plays and have the AI stop allowing free trips to the hoop. There will always be some mistakes, but anger is never the solution to them.
1 Fouling Out
Steals and blocks are great and all, but the quickest way to get no more steals and blocks is to try and get them when they're not there and foul out of the game. Watching from the bench is a needlessly helpless feeling.
New players will need to take some time and understand when the right time and wrong time to go for these turnovers are. It's good to be aggressive. But there are times when it's impossible to generate a takeaway. Gamers need to keep foes off of the free-throw line during these moments.