The dream for over 70,000 NBA 2k League prospects became one step closer to reality on Friday February 2nd, at 8 pm EST. Well, not exactly. After a 30 minute technical delay, prospects were able to access the combine and start playing. As the first weekend has concluded, here are the top 5 takeaways from the first weekend of the NBA 2k League Combine.
1. team communication
Overall, communication between players varied from stream to stream. Why? Because on some teams, every player had a headset to talk through switches, situations and encourage others. By every team member having a mic, it allows for adjustments to be made between and during possessions. This presents a huge, and completely fair, advantage for teams with five players who can talk to each other.
Conversely, players who are on teams without this ability have a tough time winning, and grading out well. It’s not impossible to play well without complete communication between all the players, but the automated grading tracker can only monitor so much.
Essentially, you need some way to communicate with your teammates if you want to perform as best you can. As a whole, players were communicating well. Yes, there are instances in which it was not up to par; however, it’s fair to project that it will improve throughout the NBA 2k League Combine.
2. Stats Aren’t Everything
Just approach this one from a logical perspective. Teams don’t operate at a high level if everyone is getting 20 plus points a game. Of course you want to show your proficiency as a scorer, but that can’t, and won’t, be the deciding factor in hearing your name called at the draft.
Stats do matter, but it’s not the conventional ones. You have to go beyond the numbers on the screen and contextualize them in terms of “what does it tell me about this player?”. For example, let’s examine defensive rebounding. If a player is averaging double digit rebounds, that’s great; however, it’s important to see the distribution.
If player “X” is averaging 12 rebounds per game, and nine of them are defensive, it means a few things. First, it shows that player “X” is playing smart defense. Player “X” is most likely playing some type of hedge defense when the ball is away, and as a result, is in a good position to crash when the shot goes up, as opposed to being glued to their opponent who isn’t a scoring threat at the time.
It also means that player “X” is limiting the opposition’s chances to score. At its core, that’s the definition of a defensive rebound. Think about it this way: if player “X” is getting nine defensive rebounds a game, and on average there are 54 possessions in a game, then player “X” is lowering the amount of points the opposition can score by about 17 percent. If that player can also score low double digit points per game, that’s valuable, and that tells scouts you can impact the game in many ways.
3. Less is More
You’ve probably heard that phrase before, but how does it apply to the NBA 2k League Combine? Well, it means that you don’t always have to be moving or doing something. Players are constantly complaining about floor spacing and too many people cutting. So, if you aren’t near the play on offense, stay where you are. You aren’t doing anything for your rating or team by dragging your man into the action for no reason. And for the love of God, please stop cutting into the paint when people are driving or running a pick and roll.
The same philosophy applies on defense. If your man isn’t presenting himself as a scoring threat, or is fine staying in one place, don’t move. So many times players are moving for no reason, or are playing too tight to their man. Also, please stop spamming block and steal. It happens every game. Someone puts themselves out of position for a rebound or help defense because they are too active with unnecessary movements.
4. Never Give Up, Don’t Ever Give Up
The words of Jim Valvano have never rang truer. If you lag or time out, that’s one thing. But if you quit on your teammates because you’re frustrated with them or you’re losing, then you are essentially undraftable. Think about it, there are over 70,000 prospects competing for 102 spots. These GM’s and scouts are looking for ways to eliminate you, not draft you. If you quit and hang your teammates out to dry, consider yourself done.
5. You’re Always Being Watched
This is a continuation of number four, but it can be applied to everyone in every situation. You are constantly being watched. Your words are being recorded. Within two minutes of a tweet about a popular player quitting mid game and ranting on his teammates, I was messaged by a franchise director about the incident to confirm which player it was.
Moreover, you have to monitor what you say. Even if you don’t quit, you can’t be arguing with your teammates and freeze them out. Please stop trying to justify your inability to adjust by saying, “bro the spacing is terrible”, “bro I can’t do this man”, or “I can’t play with these guys”. And at this point, swearing and slurs should not be occurring in these games. Don’t be foolish enough to think the NBA 2k League Combine is only about wins and stats.
It’s embarrassing to think that people who cared so much about this combine a week ago are the first people who are throwing their hands up and complaining. Do everything in your power to keep your composure, and show that nothing will keep you from accomplishing your dreams of making the league.
Featured Image courtesy of NBA2kLeague.com
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