As far as practices, skip all team drills by pressing options/start or selecting “no” when asked to perform one. These are a waste of time. Head straight for the weight room, and do the vertical jump or the agility ladder. These are quick and easy to gain gold ratings on. Two or three of these drills will get you maximum “doin’ work” points, which raises the total number of upgrades your player can buy (meaning his maximum skill ceiling).
Above: Your attributes should look something like this by about 20 games in.
Playing the games
We arrived at the most important section: Playing the games.
Unlike my previous guides for slashers, which still dominate in 2K17, the stretch big takes a bit of patience. It will be tough until you can get your long-range shooting statistics up to a respectable level.
Your main goal is simply to create open shot opportunities for your player. You can do this in a few ways.
Running pick-and-roll plays is the easiest way. Walk your big guy up to the ball carrier and press the screen button (Circle for PS4) while standing next to the player guarding him. Your teammate should run the opposite direction, causing his defender to bump into you. Your defender will likely start guarding the ball carrier, allowing you to either sprint toward the basket or take a few steps away from the ball to an open area behind the 3-point line.
Another option is what I call the Reggie Miller, as the former Indiana Pacer great always did this. Your defender will be between you and the basket once you cross the halfcourt line. Walk directly into him. Your player should start pushing him towards the basket, and your controller should start vibrating like crazy. When you get close to the basket, slam the sprint button and run the opposite direction — away from the basket and towards the three-point line. Your player should push the defender slightly and get some separation. Call for the ball and shoot it immediately. If you hesitate to press the shot button, your defender will make up the ground and likely block your shot.
Finally, look to score in transition. This means sprinting across the court when your team gets a rebound or a turnover on defense. Run straight down the center of the court, which will cause the defenders to bunch up in the middle, then slam that sprint button and move to the far sides of the court. Call for a pass, and you should have a quick look at a corner three.
Story mode/off-the-court notes
Above: Justice Young, left, is the mostly non-playable character who teams up with your player in the MyCareer story mode.
As NBA 2K17’s version of MyCareer involves a lot of off-the-court gameplay, here are a few tips.
- Make friends with Justice, the main supporting character, as fast as possible. Do this by going to all of the practices you can in the beginning and selecting the humble speech choices. Your player and Justice will eventually form a bond that gives you both attribute bonuses.
- Do the same for the strength trainer. You befriend him in the same way Justice is, but you trigger the relationship by going up to him during mandatory team practices and standing next to him. Don’t press any buttons, and the interactions will trigger.
- You don’t need to go to all of the red open practices. I find that one out of every three gets you where you need to go. You do, however, need to go to every blue mandatory team practice. If you don’t, you will lose playing time.
- Prioritize endorsements over the friendly hangout options. Endorsements yield in-game currency and take no time, while hangouts don’t really do anything.
That’s all I have. Making guides is by no means an exact science, so feel free to post any additions or alterations in the comment section.