With the release of NBA 2K16 upon us, we take a look at 10 exciting features that are brand new to the 2K world.
1 – 2K Pro Am
For 2016, 2K is releasing a new mode of game play called Pro-Am. Similar to the Pro-Am leagues that NBA players play in during the offseason, Pro-Am will feature an online league of sorts. In Pro-Am, people will have the ability to use their MyPlayer player and make their own teams with their friends via online.
They can also choose their team logos, uniforms, and arenas on their own, even uploading images for the logo if desired. Better yet, 2K says that these games will have no wait- they will start immediately after everyone is ready to play. This mode is the first of it’s kind, and Pro-Am should be super fun.
Click “Next” to see the second best new feature in NBA ‘2K16!’
2 – Newly added Classic Teams
For those who like to play as the classic teams, 2K is adding more classic teams to choose from in 2k16. So far, we know that the teams below will be added to the classic teams that will be transferred from 2K15:
-2003-2004 Minnesota Timberwolves
Led by Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell, Wally Szczerbiak – 58-24 record, lost West Finals
-2012-2013 Miami Heat
Led by Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James – 66-16, won 27 straight games, won Finals
-2007-2008 Celtics
Led by Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo – 66-16, won Finals
-2006-2007 Cleveland Cavaliers
Led by Eric Snow, Larry Hughes, LeBron James, Drew Gooden, Zydrunas Ilgauskas – 50-32, lost in Finals
Click “Next” to see the third best new feature in NBA ‘2K16!’
3 – New Rating System
Leaked by Mike Stauffer, the person in charge of player ratings in 2K16, is a new ratings system for player ratings. According to rumors, the new rating system will use a scale based off the highest rated player for each category. In other words, a player’s ratings will be determined by analyzing, for example, if the best free throw shooter in the league is rated at 99, other players’ free throw ratings will be determined by testing their ability against the best free throw shooter’s ability. This should clear up any weird ratings in the past, and should create a clearer system of rating placement throughout all of the players.
Reports say that Michael Jordan has the highest rating in the game, at 99 overall. LeBron should have the highest rating among active players, at 94 overall. With the new rating system, there will be 57 players in the 80’s, overall. In total, there are 6 active players expected to have an overall rating over 90. We have been told who those 6 are- LeBron, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, James Harden, and Stephen Curry. Its safe to say that playing with any of these 6 guys should make for a great time.
Click “Next” to see the fourth best new feature in NBA ‘2K16!’
4 – NBA Draft
People playing previous 2K NBA games have complained year in and year about about the lack of a more interesting draft. Finally for 2K16, 2K developers have listened. The NBA draft is now revamped, with the ability to skip picks if the player doesn’t want to wait to hear every pick. Also, players will be able to see prospects’ stats from college, and how they rank compared to their class. Although this doesn’t seem like a huge improvement, the draft is one of the hardest things to improve, as it has so many changing factors- not a single draft is similar in any way, with players and team philosophies changing year in and year out.
Click “Next” to see the fifth best new feature in NBA ‘2K16!’
5 – Coaching Staff
Ever had the desire to poach a coach from another team but 2K wouldn’t let you? Now you can. in 2K16, players in MyGM mode will be able to lure coaches away from their current teams, although compensation may be necessary if it is a coach trade. Also, if the current coach is not doing as well as expected, the new 2K will allow for players to promote people to head coach from their current staff, promoting internally instead of bringing someone in. This is another not-so-significant upgrade in the game, but it will make the game just that much more fun.
Click “Next” to see the sixth best new feature in NBA ‘2K16!’
6 – Summer League
Instead of simply playing in preseason games, players will now be able to participate in the Las Vegas and Orlando Summer Leagues. This will allow players to get an early start on improving their MyPlayers, and in MyGM, this gives players the ability to try out new draft picks and sign undrafted players/free agents.
Also, the yearly Summer League will close with a 2K Hoops Summit, which will feature the best players from next year’s draft class in a USA vs. World format. This is the first of it’s kind, and the addition of some college players into an NBA game is something that has never been done before.
Click “Next” to see the seventh best new feature in NBA ‘2K16!’
7 – Full Body Scans
In the past, 2K images in-game only featured player’s head shots. For 2K16, 2K took full-body shots of every player, coach, and cheerleader. This will make the game even more realistic, from tattoos to accessories that players wear on the court. Also, 2K has added player celebrations, movements, and gestures from pregame and at the freethrow line to make the game as real as possible. For example, people playing as the Golden State Warriors will see Steph Curry chew on his mouthguard as he is stepping up to the free throw line for an attempt.
Something that has been criticized in the past is how unrealistic the crowds look in previous 2K games. For 2K16, 2K also took shots of people that would be in the crowd, and although there has not yet been an image released, they are promising that their revamped crowd will look the part while watching the games.
Click “Next” to see the eighth best new feature in NBA ‘2K16!’
8 – MyCareer
As the Director of 2K16, Spike Lee wanted to revamp the MyCareer mode. Called a “Spike Lee Joint”, players of MyCareer will start out as a top-notch high school player working his way to college, and making the decisions necessary to make it to the NBA. This is drastically different from 2K15, where MyCareer started with the draft. This should give players more to play through, and should make the career mode more interesting for those who enjoy it year in and year out.
Click “Next” to see the ninth best new feature in NBA ‘2K16!’
9 – NBA on TNT
For the pregame, halftime, and post game reports, the game will transfer over to NBA on TNT with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Shaq, similar to NBA games in real life. For the players who don’t skip over the breaks in the game, the NBA on TNT broadcast in 2K16 should be very realistic, mirroring the broadcast they would do during a real NBA game. While we’re not sure how in-depth they will analyze your game play, it is pretty certain that there will be some level of summarizing the first half during halftime. The only thing missing is Charles Barkley, who will be missed. There has been no rumor yet as to why he was left out of the game.
Click “Next” to see the 10th best new feature in NBA ‘2K16!’
10 – Team Relocation
For the players who enjoy MyGM, a new feature makes for a bigger change than expected. In sports, team relocation is one of the lengthiest and most controversial aspects of sports. In 2k16, players playing MyGM mode will have the ability to pitch to their “Team Owner” to relocate the team to another city. The player will be tasked with convincing the owner(s) to approve the move, such as signing an All-star player or top notch rookie (as the Seattle Supersonics signed Kevin Durant). The player will also be allowed to choose the city to move the team to, the arena design, logo design, and stadium location among other choices. The choices that the player chooses will have a direct impact on how the NBA feels about the move, which is as realistic as can be.
