-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- E A S P O R T ' S : N B A L i v e 2003 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- NBA Live 2003 FAQ for PC (Dos/Windows) FAQ created by Mad Monarch Gyl Mad Monarch Gyl (evil_tyrant_gyl@hotmail.com) Copyright 2003 by Mad Monarch Gyl Created: February 25, 2003 (02.25.03) MSN Contact: evil_tyrant_gyl@hotmail.com Version: Final Date of Update: May 7, 2003 (05.07.03) Disclaimer: This FAQ/Walkthrough is created for personal use only, meaning it should not be used for anything that gains any money. Magazines, Game Guides, Websites in particular should not have this guide with out my permission. Ripping off part(s) of this FAQ/Walkthrough and putting it as your own results you to be guilty of the crime "Plagiarism". Plagiarism is an act of stealing, ripping off, copying ideas or words of another person and taking it as your own without a crediting the real source the just way that he/she should have been thanked. To simply put it, Plagiarism is bad. Also, you could never ever use this FAQ/Walkthrough to make your own FAQ/Walkthrough, you must do everything yourself or if you do somehow use this or any other guide you should give proper credit to the author. Also, you could have this FAQ/Walkthrough on your website provided that not a single character has been altered and you must have my permission before you could do so. If you didn't have my permission then you have crossed the lines of the copyrights law. By the way, you could print the whole thing/parts of the FAQ/Walkthrough though. "Walang nakawan pare..." (Please don't steal =P) The guide could only be seen at: www.gamefaqs.com (D' Original) www.actiontrip.com www.cheatcc.com www.cheatplanet.com http://dlh.net www.computerunderground.com Contents: I. Introduction II. Revisions III. Controls IV. Main Menu V. Team Information VI. 2003 Team Roster Update VII. Game Modes VIII. Create Player (Ratings explained only) IX. Scoring Tips X. Defensive Tips XI. 1 on 1 ball checks XII. Tips & Tricks XIII. Credits *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- * Introduction - *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Hey! Gyl here! I've been writing reviews for a while now and after noticing that such a game like NBA Live 2003 don't have a proper guide for the PC version of the title. I've been playing the game and could pretty well say that I 've learned if not mastered most of the game's basic as well as some neat tricks back here. It's been a long time since I've tried writing a FAQ for GameFaqs but I never found the initiative to at least make the effort of sending the complete guide itself well anyway since the past is past, anyway It 's a pleasure for me to share what the Mad Monarch has learned so here we go! *-*-*-*-*-*-* * Revisions * *-*-*-*-*-*-* February 25, 2003 (02.25.03) Version 1 -------------------------------------- - It's basically what the FAQ is composed of. March 22, 2003 (03.22.03) Version 1.5 ------------------------------------- You could only view the FAQ from either of the two FAQ site that has my permission they are: www.gamefaqs.com www.actiontrip.com If your site is isn't there then you probably didn't asked my attention and still waiting to be found. Anyway the revision adds a March 21, 2003 NBA rosters update. Check it out. April 9, 2003 (04.09.03) Version 2 ---------------------------------- Another few batch of site that had my permission to post my work. If you ever saw my guide posted in a site that isn't posted here then they're in serious trouble. www.cheatcc.com www.neoseeker.com If your site is isn't there then you probably didn't asked my attention and still waiting to be found. A new topic has been added it's an explanation about Creating Characters. April 15, 2003 (04.15.03) Version 2.2 ------------------------------------- - Some correction made - New 1 on 1 ball checks - Arranged some details May 3, 2003 (05.03.03) Final Version ------------------------------------ Finally rounded up everything. From misspelled/typos/grammar error to a new lay out. Nothing much has changed so just check things out. May 7, 2003 (05.07.03) <8:37 AM> Just a Quick Update ---------------------------------------------------- I've declared the guide's last update but then again just to post the list of website you could view this guide. I'ts listed just below the disclaimer so go have a look. If the sire you've viewed this isn't on the list then just report them to me and we'll make the move. *-*-*-*-*-*- * Controls - *-*-*-*-*-*- *You can completely customize the controls in the game so let me just run you over with the default key configuration. ======= Keyboard ======= Offense: Button/Key Defense: Pass: X Switch Player Shoot: D Take Charge Spin Move/Jab Step: E Rebound/Block Crossover/Hesitation: S Steal Turbo: Turbo Alley-oop: Last Man Back Back down: Face Up/Box Out Direct Pass: Direct Switch Play calling: Play calling Pause: Esc Pause Movement: UP: UP ARROW DOWN: DOWN ARROW LEFT: LEFT RROW RIGHT: RIGHT ARROW ========= Keyboard 2 ========= Offense: Button/Key Defense: Pass: DOWN ARROW Switch Player Shoot: RIGHT ARROW Take Charge Spin Move/Jab Step: UP ARROW Rebound/Block Crossover/Hesitation: LEFT RROW Steal Turbo: Turbo Alley-oop: Last Man Back Backdown: Face Up/Box Out Direct Pass: Direct Switch Playcalling: Playcalling Pause: Esc Pause Movement: UP: E DOWN: S LEFT: X RIGHT: D *-*-*-*-*-*-* * Main Menu * *-*-*-*-*-*-* This section basically describes the game's menu. Play Now - The quickest way to start a game. Game Modes - This gives you a wide selection of game modes designed in the game. An exhibition game which is very similar to play now, start a Season or a Franchise, begin the Playoffs, ender the Practice mode to test out your skills or play 1 on 1. Team Management - A place to view stats and manage the NBA's rosters and even create or edit existing NBA player. Options - Save/Load games/roster, configure your controls, and change the detail setting or even view the credits. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- * Team Information - *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- This section will focus on a team's strength and weaknesses. This part also covers the most basic stuffs about the NBA teams like their current roster and all those basic information's like the court's location, the coaches and a bit more. The points given down here are set on the basics. No plays here just the simple ones like Pick and roll, Isolation etc... The tips are just information's to help you out so remember you could always run down your own strategy here. The lineup's order's is like this: |Position|Jersey|Name|Overall Rating|Height|Weight|Years Pro| With that let's begin: Atlanta Hawks(Atlanta, GA) --------------------------- Rating: 15th Coach: Lon Kruger Court: Philips Arena Starting Lineup: PG - #15 Emanual Davis :73 6'5 195 5 SG - #31 Jason Terry :86 6'2 180 3 SF - #13 Glenn Robinson :88 6'7 230 8 PF - #35 Shariff Abdur-Rahim :91 6'9 240 6 C - #42 Theo Ratliff :85 6'10 230 7 Bench Players: SF - #8 Darvin Ham :75 6'7 230 5 C - #2 Nzar Mohammed :78 6'10 250 4 SF - #14 Ira Newble :73 6'7 220 2 PF - #44 Alan Henderson :76 6'9 240 7 SF - #4 Chris Crawford :75 6'9 235 5 PG - #12 Dan Dickau :76 6'0 190 R SG - #5 Dion Glover :78 6'5 228 3 Injured Reserve: PF - #30 Mark Strickland :74 6'10 220 7 SG - #1 Dermarr Johnson :81 6'9 201 4 On the Offensive Side: o Get the ball to the low post Abdur-Rahim and Ratliff could make some serious damage down low. And could open up players for a quick basket. o Get your opponent to double-team. o Make your long-ranged shot going, though with only 3 players with the 3pt. Icon (Dickau, Davis and Terry) once they get hot they're unstoppable. o Don't run with the ball. Always try and get the ball near the basket slowly. Atlanta couldn't support a running game having a few players over the 90 speed rating. o Utilize Pick and Roll plays. Use Terry or Davis with it if you're planning for a quick trey or shatter the defense with Glenn Robinson running the pick and roll. Otherwise, your big men could smash it home if yo had a trouble running the play. o Try to mix your line-up with some bench then rest up your key players. Atlanta needs some help on court ones its key players starts to rest. Defending: o Don't make your opponent run for fast breaks. o Zoning up at times could pretty much help you out not only to grab some boards it'll make your opponents drive inside. Abdur and Ratliff could fortify your defense down low. o Always try to switch back to your big men inside to crash the board yourself. Don't rely much on the computer getting it. Key Players: SG - #31 Jason Terry - His 3pointing skill and a couple of FG baskets. SF - #13 Glenn Robinson - He could take the ball strong to the hoop. PF - #35 Shariff Abdur-Rahim - Crashing the board, and a strong move down low Boston Celtics(Boston, MA) --------------------------- Rating: 16th Coach: Jim O 'Brian Court: FleetCenter Starting Lineup: PG - #28 Tony Delk :81 6'2 189 6 SG - #34 Paul Pierce :95 6'6 230 4 SF - #55 Eric Williams :77 6'8 220 7 PF - #8 Antoine Walker :91 6'9 245 6 C - #40 Vin Baker :77 6'11 250 9 Bench Players: C - #4 Tony Battie :78 6'11 240 5 PG - #11 Shammond Williams :77 6'1 201 4 PF - #0 Walter McCarty :79 6'10 230 6 SF - #42 Kedrick Brown :78 6'7 222 1 SF - #5 Roshown Mcleod :77 6'8 221 4 PG - #2 J.R. Bremer :74 6'2 185 R C - #41 Bruno Sundov :66 7'2 246 4 Injured Reserve: PF - #45 Ruben Wolkowyski :70 6'10 275 2 On the Offensive Side: o Get your 3 pointing game going. Boston could get as much as it could from it's 3-point game could hurt a lot. o Make Paul Pierce work. Drive the ball inside or take a shot from the outside Paul could create a serious damage as he could carry the offensive part of Boston. o Walker could shoot the ball from the 3pt territory making him stay back there could make your opponent's fortification down-low weaker. o Use Baker's size to create a good screen. Defending: o Don't make your opponent run for fast breaks. o Go grab some rebounds. Switch to the nearest person and have him take the board. Boston isn't a rebounding team when you let the computer do the job. o Try to go for steals. Boston has a lot of major pick pocket in their line-up. Just watch out for the foul. o Force your opponent to take offensive charges. With Delk and Pierce running your back court you could mostly charge up and take the charge. Key Players: SG - #34 Paul Pierce - This guys could shot from the perimeter and take PF - #8 Antoine Walker a quick trey from the 3pt mark. Utilize thier advantages and this guys could win it for you. Chicago Bulls (Chicago, IL) ---------------------------- Rating: 20th Coach: Bill Cartwright Court: United Center Starting Lineup: PG - #22 Jay Williams :80 6'2 195 R SG - #32 Eddie Robinson :79 6'9 210 3 SF - #5 Jalen Rose :88 6'8 217 8 PF - #42 Donyell Marshall :85 6'9 210 8 C - #2 Eddy Curry :79 6'11 285 1 Bench Players: SF - #21 Marcus Fizer :81 6'8 260 2 C - #3 Tyson Chandler :80 7'1 235 1 PG - #9 Rick Brunson :75 6'4 190 5 SG - #44 Trenton Hassell :76 6'5 200 1 SG - #20 Fred Hoiberg :73 6'5 210 7 PG - #1 Jamal Crawford :78 6'5 190 2 SG - #21 Roger Mason :74 6'5 200 R Injured Reserve: C - #11 Dalibor Bagaric :69 7'1 290 2 C - #43 Corie Blount :73 6'10 242 9 PF - #35 Lonny Baxter :76 6'8 260 R On the Offensive Side: o Play an Inside game. o Take 3 pointers wisely. Chicago isn't a 3pointing team. o Get points from your bench. Chandler, Crawford etc... could help you dish out points while your players are resting. o Get Jalen Rose hot. He could make some serious damage once he started pouring it out. o Dual Poit Guards, Crawford and Williams could dash in or drop some dime to the open player using their speed. This could open up for Chicago's running game. Defending: o Don't make your opponent run for fast breaks. o Whip in dual centers (Curry/Chandler) and/or dual guards (Crawford/Williams) to either create a pressure on the back court with their speed and tight defending or go crashing the boards with the centers. o Chicago could pretty much man up on D having a decent defenders in their starting 5. Key Players: SF - #5 Jalen Rose - He could start the main offense of Chicago. PF - #42 Donyell Marshall - Great support down low whenever Rose is in Trouble. C - #3 Tyson Chandler - A great addition coming off the bench. Could crash the board and deliver baskets as well. Cleveland Cavaliers (Cleveland, OH) ----------------------------------- Rating: 29th Coach: John Lucas Court: Gund Arena Starting Lineup: PG - #2 Dajuan Wagner :75 6'3 200 R SG - #31 Ricky Davis :83 6'7 197 4 SF - #21 Darius Miles :87 6'9 210 2 PF - #32 Tyrone Hill :74 6'9 250 12 C - #11 Zydrunas Ilgauskas :80 7'3 260 6 Bench Players: C - #4 Chris Mihm :77 7'0 265 2 SF - #33 Jumaine Jones :82 6'8 218 3 PF - #4 Carlos Boozer :74 6'9 280 R PF - #40 Harold Jamison :68 6'9 269 3 C - #52 Desagana Diop :69 7'0 300 1 SG - #3 Jeff Trepagnier :70 6'4 200 1 SG - #10 Milt Palacio :73 6'3 195 3 Injured Reserve: SF - #23 Matt Barnes :72 6'7 235 R PF - #4 Michael Stewart :67 6'10 230 5 On the Offensive Side: o Play with Darius Miles and Ricky Davis' dunking style. This delivers a sure basket since both have a fairly decent speed and dribbling. o Play the pick and roll with Ilgauskas. He's a great finisher down low. o Avoid shooting 3's. Cleaveland doesn't have any 3pointer in their line-up probably the highest rating would be Jumaine Jones' 80. o Find a better shot selection. Don't just take shoots be sure that you're certainly it'll go in. o Cleaveland could get a lot with their running game. Having Miles and Davis around could give you easy basket with a quick jam. o Get help from the bench as well. Defending: o Don't make your opponent run for fast breaks. o Get Miles start his shot blocking game. He could leap and move quick enough to help out team mates that are mis-matched. o Crash the board. o Never ever make a player be in fould trouble since the Cavaliers don't have good replacements. Key Players: SG - #31 Ricky Davis - This two guys could be the heart and soul of the SF - #21 Darius Miles team. Both could deliver the ball strong to the hoop with their speed and leaping power. C - #11 Zydrunas Ilgauskas - This guy could get a lot of rebounds and could post up as he could tower most centers. Dallas Mavericks (Dallas, TX) ----------------------------- Rating: 5th Coach: Don Nelson Court: American Airlines Center Starting Lineup: PG - #13 Steve Nash :85 6'3 195 6 SG - #4 Michael Finley :90 6'7 225 7 SF - #41 Dirk Nowitzki :90 7'0 245 4 PF - #54 Popeye Jones :78 6'8 250 9 C - #45 Raef Lafrentz :86 6'11 245 4 Bench Players: PG - #31 Nick Van Exel :82 6'1 195 9 SF - #14 Eduardo Najera :76 6'8 235 2 SG - #22 Michael Redd :79 6'6 220 2 SG - #9 Tariq Abdul-Wahid :77 6'6 225 5 SG - #7 Adrian Griffin :76 6'5 230 3 C - #44 Shawn Bradley :77 7'6 275 9 C - #42 Evan Eschmeyer :71 6'11 255 3 Injured Reserve: PG - #6 Avery Johnson :76 5'11 180 14 SF - #2 Johnny Newman :71 6'7 210 16 C - #16 Zhizhi Wang :78 7'1 220 2 On the Offensive Side: o Dallas is a 3 pointing team so get as much from it. o Utilize Dirk's height advantage over most SF in the game as he towers them with his 7'0 hieght as well as his shooting skill. o Dallas could thrives in a running game as well. o Get as much help from the bench. o Dirk could play PF and Finley could play as SF as you fit in Nick Van Exel for added fire power. o FG shooting of this team is relentless. o Spread the ball around and get it to the open man. Dallas could pretty well shoot anywhere in the field. Defending: o Don't make your opponent run for fast breaks. o The rebound is no problem. o Dirk could make short work of smaller SF with his height. o Using V.Exel and Nash at the same time could create great pressure on the back court with their stealls. Key Players: PG - #13 Steve Nash - These guys could shoot absolutely anywhere and SG - #4 Michael Finley could take the ball strong to the hoop. They got SF - #41 Dirk Nowitzki a great shooting skill as well as speed. PG - #31 Nick Van Exel Denver Nuggets (Denver, CO) --------------------------- Rating: 28th Coach: Jeff Bzdelik Court: Pepsi Center Starting Lineup: PG - #11 Kenny Satterfield :77 6'2 170 1 SG - #41 James Posey :84 6'8 215 3 SF - #32 Ryan Bowen :72 6'9 220 3 PF - #7 Juwan Howard :83 6'9 260 8 C - #23 Marcus Camby :85 6'11 225 6 Bench Players: SF - #21 George Mccloud :77 6'8 230 12 SF - #22 Nikoloz Tskitishvili:76 7'0 225 R SF - #1 Donnell Harvey :71 6'8 220 2 PF - #31 Nene Hilario :75 6'11 260 R SG - #4 Predrag Savovic :71 6'6 225 R C - #30 Mark Blount :71 7'0 250 2 PF - #5 Rodney White :73 6'9 230 1 Injured Reserve: PF - #15 Chris Andersen :75 6'10 220 1 SF - #3 Vincent Yarbough :73 6'7 210 R PG - #8 Darrick Martin :74 5'11 170 8 On the Offensive Side: o Denver could be effective with their tall lineup. o They could rule the game with their inside game. o Posey and Satterfield's speed could give them better shot selections as they recieve the pick and roll from bigger guys. o Denver has a bench that could carry out the offense. o Pick and Rolls plus the Isolation with either your guards could free either your guard for a shot or the player making the pick. Defending: o Don't make your opponent run for fast breaks. o You big men could easily get those loose balls. o Shot blocking shouldn't be a problem. o Take the charge if your opponent tries to drive inside with either of your guards. o Use taller guys at situations you need them. Key Players: SG - #41 James Posey - Posey is a reliable Shooting Guard, paired with speed and a decent shooting skill. PF - #7 Juwan Howard - This two guys could work down low plus crash C - #23 Marcus Camby boards as well as take care of the rejection. SF - #22 Nikoloz Tskitishvili- From the bench his height and speed could create a quick advantage. Detroit Pistons (Detroit, MI) ----------------------------- Rating: 8th Coach: Rick Carlisle Court: The Palace of Auburn Hills Starting Lineup: PG - #1 Chauncy Billups :84 6'3 202 5 SG - #32 Rip Hamilton :82 6'7 193 3 SF - #34 Corliss Williamson :82 6'7 245 7 PF - #30 Clifford Robinson :85 6'10 225 13 C - #3 Ben Wallace :85 6'9 240 6 Bench Players: PG - #7 Chucky Atkins :78 5'11 160 3 SG - #20 Jon Barry :81 6'5 210 10 C - #39 Zeljko Rebraca :79 7'0 257 1 SF - #12 Michael Curry :75 6'5 210 8 SF - #22 Tayshaun Prince :76 6'9 215 R SG - #24 Hubert Davis :74 6'5 183 10 PF - #52 Don Reid :75 6'8 250 7 Injured Reserve: PF - #13 Memmet Okur :75 6'11 249 R PG - #6 Pepe Sanchez :69 6'4 195 2 On the Offensive Side: o Make your role player produce some baskets. o Utilize 2nd or 3rd chances coming from the offensive rebound Ben Wallace could bring you. o Ben not only is a good rebounder but could post for a dunk as well. o Detroit has a tough starting lineup and could bring up a perimeter based team from its bench. o 3pt shoot should be selected wisely. o Corliss and Clifford could do some pretty serious damage inside while Rip could try to dash in for the hoop. o Utilize Detroit's bench. You could get decent points from them. Defending: o Don't make your opponent run for fast breaks. o Rebounding wouldn't be a problem with Ben arround. o Detroit could seriously man up on D. Key Players: SG - #32 Rip Hamilton - These two guys could work well in and out just SF - #34 Corliss Williamson don't rely much on their outside game preferably they'll do damage driving inside. PF - #30 Clifford Robinson - These two nasty big men could do damage while C - #3 Ben Wallace securing both the offensive and defensive glass Golden State Warriors (Oakland, CA) ----------------------------------- Rating: 19th Coach: Eric Musselman Court: The Arena at Oakland Starting Lineup: PG - #3 Bob Sura :80 6'5 200 7 SG - #23 Jason Richardson :85 6'6 220 1 SF - #33 Antwann Jamison :88 6'9 223 4 PF - #21 Danny Fortson :84 6'8 260 5 C - #25 Erick Dampier :78 6'11 265 6 Bench Players: PG - #0 Gilbert Arenas :78 6'3 191 1 SF - #10 Mike Dunleavy :79 6'9 221 R PF - #1 Troy Murphy :79 6'11 245 1 SG - #4 Jiri Welsch :72 6'7 208 R C - #31 Adonal Foyle :72 6'10 265 5 SF - #34 Chris Mills :80 6'7 220 9 PG - #11 Rafer Alston :77 6'2 173 3 Injured Reserve: C - #22 Dean Garrett :73 6'11 250 6 PF - #2 Dean Oliver :70 5'11 175 1 On the Offensive Side: o Use a run and gun offensive tactic. o J-Rich and Jamison could take it strong to the hoop. o Use Sura's 3pointing skill whenever possible. o Mix your bench players with your starting 5, Golden State could make use of its bench but not rely much on it. o Better shot selections. Smash it down whenever it's possible. o Playing with dual point guards works perfectly with Arenas and Sura lining up the back court. o Muster all fast break points as you can. Richardson and Jamison could work as a great finisher. o Play Isolation with the either Richardson/Jamison. The two could mostly sum up to heaps of damage. Defending: o Get your shot blocking game running. o Crash boards with your big men. o Zoning up and calling double teams at the right time works perfectly. o Pressure the back court with two point guards (Sura and Arenas). o Avoid getting easy baskets from their big men. GS should double up when necessary as they have no player in the 7'0 mark. Key Players: SG - #23 Jason Richardson - These two guys could play well with pick and SF - #33 Antwann Jamison rolls or play one on one with isolation. These guys could take it strong to the hoop while taking advantage with their height and speed. Houston Rockets (Houston, TX) ----------------------------- Rating: 17th Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich Court: Compaq Center Starting Lineup: PG - #3 Steve Francis :91 6'3 195 3 SG - #5 Cuttino Mobley :84 6'4 210 4 SF - #41 Glen Rice :72 6'8 220 13 PF - #2 Maurice Taylor :79 6'9 260 5 C - #11 Ming Yao :79 7'5 296 R Bench Players: PF - #21 Kenny Thomas :81 6'7 245 3 PF - #33 Eddie Griffin :83 6'10 232 1 PG - #12 Moochie Norris :79 6'2 185 5 C - #13 Kelvin Cato :76 6'11 275 5 SF - #42 Walt Williams :77 6'8 230 10 SG - #18 Oscar Torres :75 6'6 210 1 SF - #9 Bostjan Nachbar :76 6'9 221 R Injured Reserve: C - #52 Jason Collier :69 7'0 260 2 PG - #6 Tito Maddox :74 6'4 190 R PF - #44 Terence Morris :73 6'9 221 1 On the Offensive Side: o Utilize Yao's skills. He could make easy lay-ups and FG shoots with his height. o Start a 3 pointing game with Houston. You could upgrade your line up to a full roster of 3 pointers. o Bring your bench players along. Most of Houston's guys could easily hit those treys. o Pick and roll works well with Yao. o Get 'The Franchise' going. o Run with the ball. Houston could soar with their fast line up. Defending: o Attempt for steals. Houston has a couple of major pick pockets. o Pressure the back court with dual guards. o Crash the board with Yao. Adding in Cato for the PF position fortifies the basket. o Attempt for offensive fouls. Houston could really run. o Make Yao work his shot blocking power. Key Players: PG - #3 Steve Francis - Pick and Roll and some more pick and rolls. C - #11 Ming Yao combination would surely power houston offensively creating space for your three pointers as they try to stop the two. Indiana Pacers (Indianapolis, IN) --------------------------------- Rating: 14th Coach: Isiah Thomas Court: Conseco Fieldhouse Starting Lineup: PG - #11 Jamaal Tinsley :81 6'3 195 1 SG - #31 Reggie Miller :84 6'7 195 15 SF - #5 Ron Mercer :79 6'7 210 5 PF - #7 Jermaine O'Neal :87 6'11 242 6 C - #52 Brad Miller :82 7'0 261 4 Bench Players: SG - #15 Ron Artest :84 6'7 246 3 SF - #44 Austin Croshere :80 6'10 242 5 SF - #3 Al Harrington :79 6'9 250 4 PF - #24 Jonathan Bender :80 7'0 219 3 PF - #10 Jeff Foster :76 6'11 242 3 SG - #20 Erick Strickland :79 6'3 218 6 SG - #20 Fred Jones :71 6'2 218 R Injured Reserve: C - #27 Primoz Brezec :64 7'1 252 2 PG - #2 Jamison Brewer :66 6'4 184 1 PF - #6 Carlos Rogers :70 6'11 232 8 On the Offensive Side: o Try to control the game and make it flow your way. o Try to not run with the ball. Indiana's big men couldn't run as quick as they should. o Make serious damage with O'Neal and the two Millers. o O'neal could pretty much put up big numbers and could play a good postup game. o Get your bench running. Artest, Harrington etc... could juice up a couple of additional baskets. o Attempt to create a space for Reggie Miller and attempt for a quick 3points. o Mix it up. The starting 5 and Indiana's bench pretty well match up when mixed properely. Defending: o Crash boards with your big guys. o Try not to make turnovers to avoid fast breaks which Indiana couldn't defend much at times. o Your big men is pretty much enough to guard downlow just be sure to reject a lot of baskets. o Manning up on D is great for Indiana's guys. Key Players: SG - #31 Reggie Miller - He could make those 3 pointers... and some more of it. PF - #7 Jermaine O'Neal - He could pretty much post up and slam it down as wells as crashing boards and making some rejections. C - #52 Brad Miller - He could shoot and play hard down low. SG - #15 Ron Artest - A great help coming from the bench and an extremely good defender. Los Angeles Clippers (Los Angeles, CA) -------------------------------------- Rating: 12th Coach: Alvin Gentry Court: Staples Center Starting Lineup: PG - #24 Andre Miller :88 6'2 200 3 SG - #50 Corrie Maggette :84 6'6 228 3 SF - #7 Lamar Odom :88 6'10 221 3 PF - #42 Elton Brand :90 6'8 265 3 C - #34 Michael Olowakandi :82 7'0 270 4 Bench Players: SF - #3 Quentin Richardson :84 6'6 236 2 PF - #54 Chris Wilcox :77 6'8 221 R C - #2 Matt Ely :77 6'10 260 R SG - #20 Bryant Stith :76 6'5 210 10 SG - #52 Eric Piatkowski :77 6'6 225 8 SG - #0 Marko Jaric :68 6'7 198 2 PG - #1 Keyon Dooling :74 6'3 196 2 Injured Reserve: SF - #32 Tremaine Fowlkes :70 6'8 220 2 C - #45 Sean Rooks :68 6'10 260 10 C - #18 Cherokee Parks :73 6'11 240 7 On the Offensive Side: o Avoid taking 3's. LAC isn't a good 3 pointing team. o Make a perimeter game. The clippers could do damage with their outside shooting. o Brand and Olowakandi could sum up heaps of damages with their height and power. The two could support a strong low post game. o Drive inside. Odom and Miller could drive in and dish to either of your big men if they're in trouble. o Rest key player whenever they're low in stamina. The Clippers doesn't have much of a bench. o Pick and rolls do some major scoring as well. Defending: o Use Olowakandi and Brand's strenght to make a tight D' down low. o The clippers could support a major man to man defense as their players have an average height and could run after their defender. o Avoid getting easy baskets when you try to go on an all out bench only a few players from it could do some defense. Key Players: PG - #24 Andre Miller - He could drive in and dish it out. SF - #7 Lamar Odom - Let him show of his dunking skills. He could seriously slam it home. PF - #42 Elton Brand - A great low post player with a bag of FG shooting as well. He could grab a lot of boards for you. Los Angeles Lakers (Los Angeles, CA) ------------------------------------ Rating: 1st Coach: Phil Jackson Court: Staples Center Starting Lineup: PG - #2 Derek Fisher :82 6'1 205 6 SG - #8 Kobe Bryant :95 6'7 215 6 SF - #17 Rick Fox :81 6'7 235 11 PF - #52 Samaki Walker :78 6'9 255 6 C - #34 Shaquille O'Neal :96 7'1 224 10 Bench Players: PF - #5 Robert Horry :86 6'10 238 10 SF - #3 Devean George :81 6'8 225 3 SG - #20 Brian Shaw :77 6'6 200 13 SF - #35 Tracy Murray :77 6'7 228 10 PG - #11 A.J. Guyton :73 6'2 185 2 PF - #35 Mark Madsen :71 6'9 245 2 C - #45 Soumaila Samake :67 6'10 240 1 Injured Reserve: PF - #14 Stanislav Medvedenko:75 6'10 255 2 PG - #12 Jannero Pargo :72 6'2 170 R SG - #21 Kareem Rush :77 6'6 215 R On the Offensive Side: o Let Shaq and Kobe do the damage. The two could seriously put up monstrous numbers. o Line-up for three point baskets. The Lakers could do a serious damage with it having almost half a dozen of player who could score the 3 ball. o Let Kobe and Shaq create some mismatch as well as conjuring up trouble down low. o With Shaq's strenght he could power his way in for a shot. o Kobe could play a wild game with his mad speed and dribbling ability. He could dash in and leap for the dunk, take a perimeter shot or even take a quick three, o The Laker's bench can produce some numbers. o Pick and roll shines. o Kobe's isolation shines even brighter. o Run and gun! Defending: o Man to man D works perfectly. o They could match mostly any team and not find a trouble with the rebounds. o Make Shaq block shots as well as grab loose boards. o Kobe could also play as a Point guard either adding more fire power or a defensive player in the game. Key Players: SG - #8 Kobe Bryant - The two dynamic duo could shoot well, grab C - #34 Shaquille O'Neal the rebound, reject shot as well as making some troubles on the offensive side. Memphis Grizzlies (Memphis, TN) ------------------------------- Rating: 13th Coach: Sidney Lowe Court: The Pyramid Starting Lineup: PG - #2 Jason Williams :84 6'1 190 4 SG - #8 Michael Dickerson :84 6'5 190 4 SF - #31 Shane Battier :84 6'8 220 1 PF - #16 Pau Gasol :86 7'0 227 1 C - #42 Lorenzen Wright :81 6'11 240 6 Bench Players: PF - #0 Drew Gooden :79 6'10 230 R PG - #22 Brevin Knight :77 5'10 170 5 PF - #4 Stromile Swift :83 6'9 225 2 SG - #1 Wesley Person :80 6'6 200 8 PF - #44 Tony Massenburg :77 6'9 250 10 PG - #25 Earl Watson :73 6'1 190 R SG - #13 Gordon Giricek :69 6'6 216 R Injured Reserve: C - #15 Cezary Trybanski :74 7'2 240 R PF - #21 Robert Archibald :77 6'11 250 R PF - #20 Chris Owens :68 6'7 245 R On the Offensive Side: o Pau could work well down the stretch. o Jason Williams could run it down for a drive or dish it out for quick basket to either Gasol or Wright. o Memphis' Bench could help out and score some numbers as well. o The team could start a 3 pointing game as well but don't rely much on it. o Pick and roll plays works with Gasol perfectly. o Posting up with your big men could produce some numbers as well. Defending: o Man to man D works well. o Crash the boards with Gasol, utilizing his height. o Attempt to take charge to gain the possession back. o Never let fast break points go. o Make your big players block shots. Key Players: PG - #2 Jason Williams - Get him to run the pick and roll. He could shot from the perimeter as well. SF - #31 Shane Battier - Get his shooting going. Give him a quick screen then use it for a shot. PF - #16 Pau Gasol - With his height he could create a serious match-up when down in a SF spot. Miami Heat (Miami, FL) ----------------------- Rating: 25th Coach: Pat Riley Court: American Airlines Arena Starting Lineup: PG - #5 Travis Best :81 5'11 181 7 SG - #6 Eddie Jones :89 6'6 210 8 SF - #4 Caron Butler :79 6'7 217 R PF - #44 Brian Grant :82 6'9 254 8 C - #50 Vladimar Stepania :78 7'1 255 4 Bench Players: SF - #3 Laphonso Ellis :77 6'8 240 10 PG - #21 Anthony Carter :74 6'2 195 3 SG - #24 Jimmy Jackson :80 6'6 220 10 PF - #22 Sean Marks :69 6'10 250 4 PG - #7 Mike Jones :74 6'2 190 1 C - #52 Ernest Brown :66 7'0 244 1 PG - #5 Ellie House :77 6'1 180 2 Injured Reserve: PF - #35 Malik Allen :67 6'10 255 1 SF - #45 Rasual Butler :73 6'7 205 R PG - #11 Khalid El-Amin :74 5'10 200 2 On the Offensive Side: o Caron could support the team's running game as the finisher. He could easily slam it down the hoop. o Get Eddie Jones the ball and have him work his way for a basket. He could score both inside and outside effectively. o Have Grant post up near the basket and make a quick slam. o Make your bench productive. Defending: o Put a tighter defense down low. o Be sure to catch all loose rebounds. o Zoning up works well but if he goes for a 3 pointing game shift to man-to-man then make a quick double team. Key Players: SG - #6 Eddie Jones - Great permiter shooter. He could carry Miami's main offense. SF - #4 Caron Butler - A great support player when Jones starts to struggle. Milwaukee Bucks (Milwaukee, WI) ------------------------------- Rating: 24th Coach: George Karl Court: Bradley Center Starting Lineup: PG - #10 Sam Cassell :86 6'3 185 9 SG - #34 Ray Allen :92 6'5 205 6 SF - #17 Anthony Mason :79 6'8 255 13 PF - #5 Tim Thomas :86 6'10 240 5 C - #40 Ervin Johnson :73 6'11 255 9 Bench Players: SF - #7 Toni Kukoc :78 6'11 235 9 PG - #12 Kevin Ollie :72 6'2 195 5 PF - #35 Jason Caffey :74 6'8 256 7 C - #8 Jake Przybilla :71 7'1 255 2 PF - #12 Marcus Haislip :77 6'10 230 R SG - #15 Ronald Murray :71 6'4 190 R SF - #45 Cedric Henderson :73 6'7 225 5 Injured Reserve: PF - #31 Jamal Sampson :70 6'11 235 R C - #50 Dan Gadzuric :69 6'11 240 R PG - #34 Mike Wilks :70 5'11 185 R On the Offensive Side: o Ray Allen is the man. He could carry the whole offense up and start firing from the perimeter. o Sam could drive it strong or dish it to Allen. o Thomas could create space and start throwing down some baskets. He's quick and could move great down low. o Use Allen and Thomas for the Pick and Roll. Take a quick trey with Allen or pass it to the rolling Thomas. o Mix the starting 5 with the bench. Milwaukee's bench isn't as productive as it should be. o Run a slow game whenever your main guns (Cassell/Allen/Thomas) is out resting. Buying out as much time is very essential. Defending: o Switch to the guard Cassell to double up on D. He's quick enough to get right back to his man if he descided to pass it back. o Tim Thomas could be your #1 man when it comes to rebounding and rejecting shots so be sure to have him do those things. o Force the offense to turnover the ball with the offensive foul violation Allen and Cassell could do most things perfectly and at the same time get right back to their man. Key Players: PG - #10 Sam Cassell - Great point guard, he could dish points and assist all together. SG - #34 Ray Allen - You main gun. Use him up to the fullest. He could drive in, shoot or take 3s. PF - #5 Tim Thomas - Good low post player. Minnesota Timberwolves (Minneapolis, MN) ---------------------------------------- Rating: 11th Coach: Flip Saunders Court: Target Center Starting Lineup: PG - #7 Terrell Brandon :83 5'11 173 11 SG - #10 Wally Szczerbiak :83 6'7 244 3 SF - #21 Kevin Garnett :95 6'11 220 7 PF - #32 Joe Smith :83 6'10 225 7 C - #8 Rasho Nesterovic :79 7'0 248 4 Bench Players: SG - #44 Anthony Peeler :77 6'4 208 10 SF - #13 Kendall Gill :77 6'5 215 12 PG - #11 Troy Hudson :81 6'1 170 5 C - #25 Marc Jackson :77 6'10 270 2 SF - #13 Felipe Lopez :76 6'5 195 4 SG - #1 Maurice Evans :69 6'5 220 1 PF - #20 Gary Trent :78 6'8 250 7 Injured Reserve: C - #3 Loren Woods :74 7'1 246 1 PG - #36 Igor Rakocevic :71 6'2 184 2 PG - #99 Randy Livingston :73 6'4 209 6 On the Offensive Side: o Get Garnett rocking the rim. He could power his way in or shoot a jumper near the hoop. o Szczerbiak's shooting skill could come in handy. Use pick and rolls to free a space for this shooter. o The bench could get hot if you start using them right but it'll result to a slower game. o Use KG to the fullest. Have him do most of the offense and have Szczerbiak rest earlier then replace him if he's tired and with the rested Szczerbiak to carry the offense. o Supporting players like Joe Smith, Brandon and Nestorovic should get on the act and start helping out if the two started to struggle. Simple Pick and Roll or +Isolation could pretty much bring easy baskets. Defending: o Use Garnett's height and leaping ability to crash the boards and reject some shots. He's one crazy defender. o Just stay ahead of the player you're guarding and attempt for a steal. o Your big men could easily swarm driving players that are smaller making it less frequent to hit the shot. Key Players: SG - #10 Wally Szczerbiak - Could carry out the offense with KG. He could really shoot well. SF - #21 Kevin Garnett - He's one crazy offensive and defensive player. New Jersey Nets (East Rutherford, NJ) ------------------------------------- Rating: 6th Coach: Byron Scott Court: Continental Airlines Arena Starting Lineup: PG - #5 Jason Kidd :93 6'4 212 8 SG - #30 Kerry Kittles :82 6'5 180 6 SF - #24 Richard Jefferson :82 6'7 222 1 PF - #6 Kenyon Martin :87 6'9 234 2 C - #55 Dikembe Mutombo :83 7'2 2650 11 Bench Players: PF - #54 Rodney Rogers :85 6'7 255 9 SG - #12 Lucious Harris :76 6'5 205 9 SF - #34 Aaron Williams :76 6'9 240 8 PG - #2 Chris Childs :77 6'3 195 8 C - #35 Jason Collins :74 7'0 260 1 PF - #14 Jamie Feick :74 6'8 255 6 SG - #1 Brandon Armstrong :71 6'5 188 1 Injured Reserve: PF - #21 Brian Scalabrine :67 6'9 240 1 SG - #8 Tamar Slay :74 6'8 215 R SF - #13 Donny Marshall :72 6'7 230 5 On the Offensive Side: o Get the ball to everyone. New Jersey's lineup could hit shots from almost anywhere in the field. o Create damage down low with K-Mart. He could speed things up and slam it down with a dunk. o Kidd could create space simply driving inside and dishing it out to the open player. o Jefferson could take the ball strong to the hoop and smash it down or he could make a quick jumper. o Almost all of the NJ's players are able to hit a pretty decent perimeter jumper and at the same time some could smash it hard. o Even their bench could create a lot of bench production. Defending: o Switch to Jason Kidd to help out grab those rebounds. He's one of the few guards who could grab 2 or more boards in a night. o K-Mart could reject shots as good as he could smash it in the hoop. o Rebounding is never a problem. o Man to man D is great simply double with Jason Kidd when there's a mis-match. Key Players: PG - #5 Jason Kidd - He could pass, shoot, grab boards. Any Questions? PF - #6 Kenyon Martin - Take the ball to the low post and smash it in he could reject shots as well. New Orleans Hornets (New Orleans, LA) ------------------------------------- Rating: 7th Coach: Paul Silas Court: New Orleans Arena Starting Lineup: PG - #1 Baron Davis :91 6'3 223 3 SG - #4 David Wesley :81 6'1 203 9 SF - #24 Jamal Mashburn :85 6'8 247 9 PF - #42 P.J. Brown :83 6'11 239 9 C - #5 Elden Campbell :85 7'0 279 12 Bench Players: SF - #9 George Lynch :77 6'8 235 9 C - #21 Jamaal Magloire :80 6'11 259 2 SF - #2 Stacey Augmon :77 6'8 213 11 SG - #32 Courtney Alexander :77 6'6 205 2 SF - #54 Lee Nailon :77 6'9 238 2 PF - #35 Kirk Haston :71 6'9 242 1 PG - #17 Bryce Drew :77 6'3 184 4 Injured Reserve: PF - #50 Matt Bullard :70 6'10 229 11 PF - #6 Jerome Moiso :70 6'10 232 2 PF - #34 Robert Traylor :79 6'8 284 4 On the Offensive Side: o Elden Campbell is very effective downlow and could hit short ranged jumpers as well. o Monster Mash could take it strong to the hoop or shoot outside. o Baron could start firing and would be great with the pick and rolls. o You should rest up one of your key players and have the other work the offense. It's pretty hard to come up with a high number bench score. o Use your big guys. o Fast breaks! Defending: o Man-to-man is the choice. o Grab loose balls. o Never let fast breaks happen. o Clog the driving line when using a bigger line up. Key Players: PG - #1 Baron Davis - He could shoot well and come up a point from pick and roll plays. He could produce even with isolations. SF - #24 Jamal Mashburn - An offensive monster. That's why he's named as Monster Mash. C - #5 Elden Campbell - Great player underneath the rim. New York Knicks (New York, NY) ------------------------------ Rating: 18th Coach: Don Chaney Court: Madison Square Garden Starting Lineup: PG - #4 Howard Eisley :77 6'2 180 8 SG - #20 Allan Houston :84 6'6 200 9 SF - #8 Latrell Sprewell :88 6'5 195 10 PF - #34 Antonio Mcdyess :86 6'9 245 7 C - #40 Kurt Thomas :81 6'9 235 7 Bench Players: SF - #35 Clarence Weatherspoon :78 6'7 270 10 PF - #32 Othella Harrington :78 6'9 235 6 PG - #21 Charlie Ward :83 6'2 185 8 SG - #49 Shandon Anderson :78 6'6 210 6 PF - #31 Mark Pope :69 6'10 235 4 C - #51 Michael Doleac :73 6'11 262 4 C - #50 Felton Spencer :64 7'0 290 12 Injured Reserve: PG - #30 Frank Williams :76 6'3 205 R SF - #7 Lavor Postell :71 6'5 215 2 C - #44 Travis Knight :73 7'0 235 6 On the Offensive Side: o Fuel your offense with Houston and Sprewell. o Both could hit shots from almost anywhere in the field. o Use Mcdyess and Thomas downlow. They could add some more baskets. o Mcdyess is explosive down low and could come up with doulbe digit numbers. o There's a pretty decent points that could be acquired from the bench. Defending: o Zone up. New York lacks taller guys and could find themselves in trouble when facing taller opponents. o Doubling up isn't a problem since most guys could quickly run back to defense. o Get the rebounds. With the height of your PF and C you should personally grab the ball yourself. Key Players: SG - #20 Allan Houston - These guys could start throwing out 3pointers SF - #8 Latrell Sprewell as well as driving inside or a FG shoot. PF - #34 Antonio Mcdyess - An explosive dunker and a great defender. Orlando Magic (Orlando, FL) --------------------------- Rating: 4th Coach: Doc Rivers Court: TD Waterhouse Centre Starting Lineup: PG - #10 Darrell Armstrong :87 6'1 180 8 SG - #1 Tracy Mcgrady :95 6'8 210 5 SF - #33 Grant Hill :86 6'8 225 8 PF - #8 Pat Garrity :82 6'9 238 4 C - #54 Horace Grant :78 6'10 245 15 Bench Players: SF - #50 Mike Miller :80 6'8 218 2 PG - #11 Jacque Vaughn :76 6'1 190 5 C - #34 Steven Hunter :75 7'0 220 1 PF - #40 Shawn Kemp :78 6'10 280 13 PF - #4 Ryan Humphrey :72 6'8 235 R SG - #5 Jeryl Sasser :74 6'6 200 1 C - #55 Andrew Declercq :75 6'10 255 7 Injured Reserve: C - #44 Peter Cornell :69 6'11 270 1 C - #00 Olumide Oyedeji :66 6'10 240 2 SG - #2 Jaren Jackson :77 6'7 225 R On the Offensive Side: o Two words! Tracy Mcgrady! o Grant Hill could deliver some baskets as well. o Pat Garrity could send home a 3 pointer a couple of times. o Lining up for the three pointers is a great Idea having Garrity Miller, Mcgrady and Armstrong right there. o Run those fast break. o Get the bench productive with simple plays. Posting up or give an Isolation or even use the 3 point plays. o Orlando could create damage with their shooting game. Defending: o They pretty much match up well on D. o Mind the rebounds. o Get your opponents to take the charge. o Try to swat the ball away with Armstrong who could really steal balls. Key Player: SG - #1 Tracy Mcgrady - He could perform miracle acts. He could power the Orlando Magics to victory with his mad shooting capability. Philadelphia 76ers (Philadelphia, PA) ------------------------------------- Rating: 27th Coach: Larry Brown Court: First Union Center Starting Lineup: PG - #20 Eric Snow :81 6'3 204 7 SG - #3 Allen Iverson :91 6'0 165 6 SF - #4 Keith Van Horn :84 6'10 255 5 PF - #44 Derrick Coleman :81 6'10 270 12 C - #11 Todd Macculloch :76 7'0 255 3 Bench Players: SG - #8 Aaron Mckie :82 6'5 209 8 SF - #21 Greg Buckner :74 6'4 210 3 C - #1 Samuel Dalembert :70 6'11 250 1 SF - #5 Monty Williams :76 6'8 225 8 PF - #23 Brian Skinner :74 6'9 265 4 PG - #5 Will Avery :71 6'2 180 3 SF - #7 John Salmons :73 6'7 210 R Injured Reserve: C - #0 Alvis Jones :65 6'11 265 1 PF - #25 Damone Brown :71 6'8 202 1 PF - #50 Sam Clancy :73 6'7 240 R On the Offensive Side: o AI, he's the faster player around so have him dish in for the drive. He could perform killer crossover to leave his man behind. o DC performs well down low and could take fouls as he proves to be making those 3 point play over and over. o Kieth Van Horn and AI could line up for 3 but you better sure it's a wise decision. o Get help from the bench. o Run and gun. 76ers could thrive itself with fast break points. Defending: o Go help AI when he's facing a larger and more aggressive player. o Pull down some rebounds. o 76ers should not let dashing player in easily. o Create steals. 76ers has the best player who could steal the ball. Key Player: SG - #3 Allen Iverson - AI could produce point for the 76ers. He could use his speed to create trouble down the stretch. Phoenix Suns (Phoenix, AZ) -------------------------- Rating: 26th Coach: Frank Johnson Court: America West Arena Starting Lineup: PG - #3 Stephon Marbury :87 6'2 205 6 SG - #1 Penny Hardaway :84 6'7 215 9 SF - #31 Shawn Marion :91 6'7 215 3 PF - #24 Tom Gugliotta :79 6'10 250 10 C - #25 Jake Tsakalidis :75 7'2 290 2 Bench Players: PF - #45 Bo Outlaw :79 6'8 220 9 C - #42 Scott Williams :72 6'10 260 12 SF - #2 Joe Johnson :78 6'7 235 1 PF - #32 Amare Stoudemire :74 6'10 245 R PF - #4 Alton Ford :68 6'9 280 1 SG - #23 Casey Jacobson :74 6'6 215 R PG - #0 Randy Brown :69 6'2 190 11 Injured Reserve: C - #43 Jake Voskuhl :71 6'11 245 2 SF - #14 Dan Langhi :71 6'11 220 2 On the Offensive Side: o Starbury and 'The Matrix' could start the show for the Suns. o Marbury has a mad scoring talent and even works well running with the pick and roll. He could dish out some dimes as well. o Shawn Marion is the man. He could score serious baskets and still manage to play tight defense. o Get help from the bench. E.i. the rookie Amare could grab major boards, Bo Outlaw could play a better D than Gugliotta, etc... o Better shot selection. Pass it to the open man. Defending: o The Suns has a number of rebounding players which will not give you a problem getting the rebounds. o Play a tight man-to-man Defense. Key Players: PG - #3 Stephon Marbury - They could get the whole Sun's offense SF - #31 Shawn Marion fired up. Portland Trailblazers (Portland, OR) ------------------------------------ Rating: 3rd Coach: Maurice Cheeks Court: Rose Garden Starting Lineup: PG - #3 Damon Stoudmire :84 5'10 171 7 SG - #6 Bonzi Wells :86 6'5 210 4 SF - #33 Scottie Pippen :83 6'8 228 15 PF - #30 Rasheed Wallace :93 6'11 230 7 C - #34 Dale Davis :82 6'11 252 11 Bench Players: C - #11 Arvydas Sabonis :78 7'3 292 7 SG - #1 Derek Anderson :81 6'5 195 5 SG - #10 Antonio Daniels :78 6'4 205 5 SF - #21 Ruben Patterson :80 6'5 224 4 PG - #5 Jeff Mcinnis :79 6'4 179 5 PF - #50 Zach Randolph :78 6'9 253 1 SG - #24 Qyntel Woods :76 6'8 221 R Injured Reserve: C - #44 Ruben Boumtje :67 7'0 257 1 SG - #7 Charles Smith :77 6'4 200 4 C - #00 Amal Mccaskill :64 6'11 245 3 On the Offensive Side: o Pass the ball around. The Trailblazers could shoot almost anywhere in the court. o Take the ball inside and let Rasheed do some damage. o Use pick and roll plays. Wallace and Davis could pretty much do a great screen and at the same time get the basket as they roll. o Dash inside. Portland got a fast back court. Stoudmire and Wells could run inside for a quick basket. o Isolation. Those two could play it with their dribbling and speed. o Get your bench production going. Portland needs a productive bench while key players are resting. o Get shots from behind the arc but not too much. Taking a screen will be a nice idea then simply pass the ball to the rolling player if you couldn't find a shot. Defending: o You can use a taller Center (replacing Davis with Sabonis) this will secure a good rebound as well as a possible shot blocker down low. o Double Team. Portland's back court could run back and forth with their speed o Zone in and clog the middle. You could cause a turnover but at times it'll result for a foul or a pass to the outside so be careful. o Attempt for steals and block shots. Key Players: SG - #6 Bonzi Wells - His speed and scoring ability is great. PF - #30 Rasheed Wallace - A relentless attacker down low. He could get those rebounds and reject shots as well. Sacramento Kings (Sacramento, CA) --------------------------------- Rating: 2nd Coach: Rick Adelman Court: Arco Arena Starting Lineup: PG - #10 Mike Bibby :83 6'1 190 4 SG - #13 Doug Christie :86 6'5 205 10 SF - #16 Peja Stojakovic :85 6'9 229 4 PF - #4 Chris Webber :95 6'10 245 9 C - #21 Vlade Divac :85 7'1 260 13 Bench Players: C - #7 Keon Clark :84 6'11 221 4 PG - #24 Bobby Jackson :82 6'1 185 5 SF - #5 Kedo Turkoglu :77 6'10 220 2 SG - #8 Mateen Cleaves :71 6'2 205 2 C - #31 Scott Pollard :78 6'11 265 5 PF - #51 Lawrence Funderburke :76 6'9 230 5 SF - #3 Gerald Wallace :78 6'7 215 1 Injured Reserve: PF - #52 Chucky Brown :72 6'8 220 13 PG - #25 Brent Price :72 6'1 185 9 SF - #34 Corsley Edwards :70 6'9 275 R On the Offensive Side: o Half a dozen of Sacramento's line up could hit a Jumper from almost anywhere in the field. o The King's could start firing three pointers all night long. o You could upgrade your line up with a dual point guard for added speed. o Work down low. A lot of players could easily bring it home in that territory Chris Webber could deliver it easily for you. o Peja could shoot and will tend to not miss so take advantage of his skill. o Sacramento's bench could score as much as some of the league's starting lineup. Defending: o Not much of a problem defending. Man-to-man Defense is enough. o Simply double up on D whenever there's a problem. o Grab the boards. Anyone in their line up could do it. o Get some shots rejected. Key Players: SF - #16 Peja Stojakovic - He hit shots from almost anywhere. PF - #4 Chris Webber - He could easily slam it down, shoot from the perimeter, Grab rebounds and block shots. San Antonio Spurs (San Antonio, TX) ----------------------------------- Rating: 21st Coach: Gregg Popovich Court: SBC Center Starting Lineup: PG - #9 Tony Parker :79 6'2 180 1 SG - #8 Steve Smith :81 6'8 221 11 SF - #12 Bruce Bowen :75 6'7 200 6 PF - #21 Tim Duncan :95 7'0 260 5 C - #50 David Robinson :86 7'1 250 13 Bench Players: PG - #10 Speedy Claxton :76 5'11 166 1 SF - #3 Stephen Jackson :72 6'8 220 2 PF - #31 Malik Rose :81 6'7 255 6 C - #42 Kevin Willis :78 7'0 245 18 SG - #13 Emanuel Ginobili :78 6'6 210 R PG - #25 Steve Kerr :72 6'3 180 14 SF - #35 Danny Ferry :70 6'10 235 12 Injured Reserve: PG - #22 Erick Barkley :72 6'1 185 2 PG - #1 Jason Hart :72 6'2 181 2 C - #27 Mengke Bateer :76 6'11 290 1 On the Offensive Side: o Play with your big men down low. They could create serious damage. o Or bail out with an outside shot. San Antonio is a good all around team passing the ball around could create space and slowly bring down baskets. o 3 pointing seemed to be an option for this team as they have a number who could shoot it from that range. o An even bench production. o Make Tim run the whole offense. Get the double team and drop off assists. o Run for fast breaks. The Spurs could run pretty well. Defending: o Your big men could take care of the rebounds. o Go try out for steals. o Reject shots if you can. o Manning up on Defense is pretty much enough. Key Players: PF - #21 Tim Duncan - He could shoot the ball from the perimeter as good as he could take it strong to the basket. Seattle Supersonics (Seattle, WA) --------------------------------- Rating: 10th Coach: Nate McMillan Court: Key Arena Starting Lineup: PG - #20 Gary Payton :92 6'4 180 12 SG - #24 Desmond Mason :83 6'5 222 2 SF - #7 Rashard Lewis :89 6'10 215 4 PF - #52 Calvin Booth :74 6'11 231 3 C - #33 Jerome James :74 7'1 272 2 Bench Players: PG - #8 Kenny Anderson :81 6'1 168 11 SF - #31 Brent Barry :86 6'6 203 7 PF - #77 Vladimar Radmanovic :80 6'10 234 1 C - #14 Peja Drobnjak :74 6'11 272 1 C - #9 Vitaly Potapenko :76 6'10 285 6 SF - #45 Ansu Sesay :74 6'9 225 1 SG - #40 Joe Forte :77 6'4 194 1 On the Offensive Side: o Gary, Desmond and Rashard could deal with the offensive side. They could carry the whole offense up. o Have them drive in and score down low. o Get the pick and roll running. o Start a running game. It's hard to stop the Sonics when they run. o Start a problem down low and simply pass it to the open man when they double Defending: o Watch for the rebounds. o Zone if bigger guys or the opponent started driving a lot. o Man up if they're thinking of perimeters. o Be sure to reject shots and attempt for steals. o Force your opponent to take offensive charges. o Pressure them right away from the back court. Key Players: PG - #20 Gary Payton - This three guys could bring off the offense SG - #24 Desmond Mason firing. They could drive in for the basket or SF - #7 Rashard Lewis deal it off with a jumper. Toronto Raptors (Toronto, CND) ------------------------------ Rating: 22nd Coach: Lenny Wilkins Court: Air Canada Centre Starting Lineup: PG - #20 Alvin Williams :81 6'5 185 5 SG - #24 Morris Peterson :82 6'7 215 2 SF - #15 Vince Carter :94 6'6 225 4 PF - #33 Antonio Davis :86 6'9 230 9 C - #00 Eric Montross :66 7'0 270 8 Bench Players: SF - #30 Lamond Murray :85 6'7 235 8 SF - #13 Jerome Williams :79 6'9 206 6 PG - #11 Lindsey Hunter :76 6'2 195 9 C - #7 Nate Huffman :72 7'1 245 R PF - #5 Michael Bradley :76 6'10 225 1 SF - #1 Chris Jefferies :75 6'8 215 R SG - #8 Jermaine Jackson :70 6'5 204 3 Injured Reserve: C - #32 Mamadou N'Diaye :67 7'0 255 2 SG - #44 Derrick Dial :75 6'4 184 3 SG - #30 Dell Curry :75 6'5 205 16 On the Offensive Side: o Have Vince start pouring points and simply have other players (like Davis, Peterson) to help out. o Never attempt a 3 pointing game. The raptors doesn't thrives itself with it but they could evenly hit those baskets. o Pick and rolls. o Isolation. Vince Carter could really shine with it. Defending: o Watch for the rebounds. o Zone if bigger guys or the opponent started driving a lot. o Man up if they're thinking of perimeters. o Be sure to reject shots and attempt for steals. o Force your opponent to take offensive charges. o Pressure them right away from the back court. Key Players: SF - #15 Vince Carter - Vinsanity could deliver the ball strong to the basket. He could start out a running game for the Raptors evenly. Utah Jazz (Salt Lake City, UT) ------------------------------ Rating: 23rd Coach: Jerry Sloa Court: Delta Center Starting Lineup: PG - #12 John Stockton :85 6'1 175 18 SG - #21 Matt Harpring :82 6'7 231 4 SF - #47 Andrei Kirilenko :84 6'9 225 2 PF - #32 Karl Malone :92 6'9 256 17 C - #31 Jarron Collins :75 6'11 252 1 Bench Players: SF - #29 Calbert Cheaney :73 6'7 217 9 PG - #13 Mark Jackson :81 6'3 195 15 PF - #2 Curtis Borchardt :74 7'0 240 R SG - #22 Deshawn Stevenson :75 6'5 210 2 C - #00 Greg Ostertag :71 7'2 280 7 C - #13 John Amaechi :73 6'10 270 4 PG - #30 Carlos Arroyo :71 6'2 202 1 Injured Reserve: PG - #24 Raul Lopez :70 6'0 160 R SF - #34 Scott Padgett :81 6'9 240 3 SG - #9 John Starks :75 6'5 190 13 On the Offensive Side: o Stockton to Malone is as effective as that of the real thing. o Utah could create an outside game or make Malone fight inside. o Harpring and Kirilenko could send those perimeter jumpers in. o Use your bench a lot. They could bring doulbe number down. Defending: o Watch for the rebounds. o Zone if bigger guys or the opponent started driving a lot. o Man up if they're thinking of perimeters. o Be sure to reject shots and attempt for steals. o Force your opponent to take offensive charges. o Pressure them right away from the back court. Key Players: SF - #47 Andrei Kirilenko - He could start firing from any where. He could bring it strong to the basket as well. PF - #32 Karl Malone - He could shoot as good as he could dunk it. He could grab the boards or even dish out assists. Washington Wizards (Washington D.C.) ------------------------------------ Rating: 9th Coach: Doug Collins Court: MCI Center Starting Lineup: PG - #20 Larry Hughes :85 6'5 184 4 SG - #42 Jerry Stackhouse :93 6'6 218 7 SF - #23 Michael Jordan :89 6'6 216 14 PF - #5 Kwame Brown :78 6'11 248 1 C - #55 Jahidi White :75 6'9 290 4 Bench Players: SF - #3 Byron Russel :83 6'7 225 9 PG - #12 Chris Whitney :81 6'0 175 9 C - #00 Brendon Haywood :76 7'0 268 1 PF - #44 Christian Laettner :79 6'11 245 10 PG - #3 Juan Dixon :74 6'3 164 R PF - #34 Charles Oakley :76 6'9 245 17 PF - #1 Jared Jeffries :78 6'11 230 R Injured Reserve: C - #36 Etan Thomas :76 6'10 260 2 PG - #10 Tyronne Lue :81 6'0 178 4 SF - #35 Brian Cardinal :70 6'8 245 2 On the Offensive Side: o Get Stack and MJ firing. They could really rally the offensive side. o Sink those 3 pointers. The Wizards could bring up a back court of 3-pointers they could deal damage as much as they can. o Perimter game. You could mostly hit shots from the perimeter with a good screen with this team. o Play it down low. Brown, White, Laettner or Haywood could deal it down low. o Use your bench. You could find that some players is more effective that your current line up. Defending: o Watch for the rebounds. o Zone if bigger guys or the opponent started driving a lot. o Man up if they're thinking of perimeters. o Be sure to reject shots and attempt for steals. o Force your opponent to take offensive charges. o Pressure them right away from the back court. Key Players: SG - #42 Jerry Stackhouse - This two guys could run the fast breaks, score SF - #23 Michael Jordan from the perimeter or take it strong to the hoop. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- * 2003 Roster Update - *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- This Roster team update is accurate as of March 21, 2003. The ( * ) denotes that that certain player is in the injured list. Players with a little identification are missing players. Denoted by a ( ??? ) their jersey number position, height, weight, birth date, college and the years pro. Atlanta ------- Shareef Abdur-Rahim Chris Crawford * Emanual Davis * Dan Dickau Dion Glover Darvin Ham Alan Henderson Jermaine Jackson DerMarr Johnson * Nazr Mohammed Ira Newble Theo Ratliff Glenn Robinson Jason Terry Boston ------ Tony Battie Mark Blount J.R. Bremer Kedrick Brown Mark Bryant * Bimbo Coles Tony Delk Grant Long Walter McCarty Paul Pierce Bruno Sundov Antoine Walker Eric Williams Chicago ------- Dalibor Bagaric Lonny Baxter Corie Blount Rick Brunson Tyson Chandler Jamal Crawford Eddy Curry Marcus Fizer * Trenton Hassell Fred Hoiberg * Donyell Marshall Roger Mason Jr. Eddie Robinson * Jalen Rose Jay Williams Cleaveland ---------- Carlos Boozer Tierre Brown Ricky Davis DeSagana Diop Zydrunas Ilgauskas Jumaine Jones Chris Mihm Darius Miles Milt Palacio (???)17 Smush Parker G 6-4 180 6/01/81 Fordham '04 R Michael Stewart Dajuan Wagner Dallas ------ Tariq Abdul-Wahad Raja Bell Shawn Bradley Evan Eschmeyer * Michael Finley Adrian Griffin Avery Johnson * Popeye Jones Raef LaFrentz Eduardo Najera Steve Nash Dirk Nowitzki (???)17 Antoine Rigaudeau* G 6-7 210 12/17/71 France R Nick Van Exel Walt Williams Denver ------ Chris Andersen Ryan Bowen Marcus Camby (???)6 Junior Harrington G 6-4 190 10/02/80 Wingate '02 R Donnell Harvey Nene Hilario Juwan Howard Predrag Savovic Nikoloz Tskitishvili Rodney White Shammond Williams Vincent Yarbrough Detroit ------- Chucky Atkins Jon Barry Chauncey Billups Michael Curry Hubert Davis Richard Hamilton Danny Manning Mehmet Okur Tayshaun Prince Zeljko Rebraca * Don Reid* Clifford Robinson Pepe Sanchez * Ben Wallace Corliss Williamson Golden State ------------ Gilbert Arenas Earl Boykins Erick Dampier Mike Dunleavy Jr Danny Fortson Adonal Foyle Antawn Jamison Chris Mills Troy Murphy Jason Richardson Bob Sura Jiri Welsch Houston ------- Kelvin Cato Jason Collier * Steve Francis Eddie Griffin Juaquin Hawkins Tito Maddox * Cuttino Mobley Terence Morris Bostjan Nachbar Moochie Norris James Posey Glen Rice Maurice Taylor Yao Ming Indiana ------- Ron Artest Jonathan Bender Jamison Brewer * Primoz Brezec Austin Croshere Jeff Foster Al Harrington Fred Jones * Ron Mercer Brad Miller Reggie Miller Jermaine O'Neal Erick Strickland Jamaal Tinsley Los Angeles Clippers -------------------- Elton Brand* Keyon Dooling* Melvin Ely Tremaine Fowlkes Marko Jaric Corey Maggette Andre Miller Lamar Odom Michael Olowokandi * Cherokee Parks Eric Piatkowski Quentin Richardson Sean Rooks Zhizhi Wang Chris Wilcox Los Angeles Lakers ------------------ Kobe Bryant Derek Fisher Rick Fox Devean George Robert Horry Mark Madsen Stanislav Medvedenko Tracy Murray * Shaquille O'Neal Jannero Pargo Kareem Rush Brian Shaw Samaki Walker Memphis ------- Robert Archibald (???)24 Mike Batiste F 6-8 225 11/21/77 Arizona State '99 R Shane Battier Michael Dickerson * Pau Gasol Ryan Humphrey Brevin Knight Mike Miller Chris Owens * Wesley Person Stromile Swift Cezary Trybanski * Earl Watson Jason Williams Lorenzen Wright Miami ----- Malik Allen Travis Best Caron Butler Rasual Butler Anthony Carter LaPhonso Ellis Brian Grant Eddie House Mike James (???)54 Ken Johnson C-F 6-11 227 2/01/78 Ohio State '01 R Eddie Jones * (???)21 Sean Lampley F 6-7 227 9/03/79 California R Sean Marks * Alonzo Mourning* Vladimir Stepania Milwaukee --------- Jason Caffey Sam Cassell Dan Gadzuric Marcus Haislip Ervin Johnson Toni Kukoc Anthony Mason Desmond Mason Gary Payton Joel Przybilla * Michael Redd Jamal Sampson Tim Thomas Minessota --------- Terrell Brandon* Kevin Garnett Kendall Gill Troy Hudson Marc Jackson Felipe Lopez* Radoslav Nesterovic Anthony Peeler Igor Rakocevic* Joe Smith Rod Strickland Wally Szczerbiak Gary Trent Mike Wilks Loren Woods New Jersey ---------- Brandon Armstrong Jason Collins Jamie Feick* Lucious Harris Richard Jefferson Anthony Johnson Jason Kidd Kerry Kittles Donny Marshall Kenyon Martin Dikembe Mutombo* Rodney Rogers Brian Scalabrine Tamar Slay* Aaron Williams New Orleans ----------- Courtney Alexander Kenny Anderson Stacey Augmon P.J. Brown Baron Davis Bryce Drew* Kirk Haston* George Lynch Jamaal Magloire Jamal Mashburn Jerome Moiso Robert Pack Robert Traylor David Wesley New York -------- Shandon Anderson Michael Doleac Howard Eisley Othella Harrington Allan Houston Travis Knight Antonio McDyess* Lee Nailon Mark Pope* Lavor Postell* Latrell Sprewell Kurt Thomas Charlie Ward Clarence Weatherspoon Frank Williams Orlando ------- Darrell Armstrong (???)31 Pat Burke* C-F 6-11 250 12/14/73 Auburn '97 R - Undrafted Andrew DeClercq Pat Garrity 7 Gordan Giricek 9 Drew Gooden Grant Hill* Steven Hunter Shawn Kemp Tracy McGrady Olumide Oyedeji Jeryl Sasser Jacque Vaughn Chris Whitney Philladelphia ------------- Greg Buckner Sam Clancy* Derrick Coleman Samuel Dalembert* Tyrone Hill Allen Iverson Todd MacCulloch* Aaron McKie Efthimios Rentzias John Salmons Brian Skinner Eric Snow Kenny Thomas Keith Van Horn Monty Williams Phoenix ------- Randy Brown* Alton Ford Tom Gugliotta Anfernee Hardaway Casey Jacobsen Joe Johnson Dan Langhi Stephon Marbury Shawn Marion Bo Outlaw Amare Stoudemire Jake Tsakalidis Jake Voskuhl Scott Williams Portland -------- Derek Anderson Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje* Antonio Daniels Dale Davis Chris Dudley* Jeff McInnis Ruben Patterson Scottie Pippen Zach Randolph Arvydas Sabonis Charles Smith* Damon Stoudamire Rasheed Wallace Bonzi Wells Qyntel Woods Sacramento ---------- Mike Bibby Doug Christie Keon Clark Mateen Cleaves* Vlade Divac Lawrence Funderburke Bobby Jackson Jim Jackson Damon Jones* Scot Pollard Brent Price* Predrag Stojakovic Hidayet Turkoglu Gerald Wallace Chris Webber San Antonio ----------- Mengke Bateer Bruce Bowen Speedy Claxton Tim Duncan Danny Ferry Emanuel Ginobili Stephen Jackson Steve Kerr Tony Parker David Robinson* Malik Rose Steve Smith Kevin Willis Seattle ------- Ray Allen Brent Barry Calvin Booth Elden Campbell Predrag Drobnjak Reggie Evans Joseph Forte Jerome Jame Rashard Lewis Ronald Murray* Kevin Ollie Vitaly Potapenko Vladimir Radmanovic Ansu Sesay* Toronto ------- Rafer Alston Maceo Baston Michael Bradley Vince Carter Antonio Davis Lindsey Hunter Chris Jefferies Voshon Lenard Jelani McCoy Eric Montross* Lamond Murray* Mamadou N'diaye Morris Peterson Alvin Williams Jerome Williams Utah ---- John Amaechi Carlos Arroyo Curtis Borchardt Calbert Cheaney Jarron Collins* Matt Harpring Mark Jackson Andrei Kirilenko Raul Lopez* Karl Malone Tony Massenburg Greg Ostertag Scott Padgett DeShawn Stevenson John Stockton Washington ---------- Kwame Brown Juan Dixon Brendan Haywood Larry Hughes Jared Jeffries * Michael Jordan Christian Laettner Tyronn Lue Charles Oakley Bryon Russell Bobby Simmons Jerry Stackhouse Etan Thomas * Jahidi White *-*-*-*-*-*-*- * Game Modes - *-*-*-*-*-*-*- This part of the game would go deeper on the game modes option. I'll talk about most of what's what here and I'll just separate the Franchise guide into another topic. Anyway here we go! Exhibition Game --------------- Exhibition Game is exactly the Play Now option. The only difference is it has more options than the Play now mode. The options are like those when playing a game under the season/playoff/franchise mode. Season ------ In this mode you simply play right through the regular NBA season either with the team of your choice or a fantasty draft. It's much like the regular season have an All-Star Game, attempt for trades or sign-in free agents for help. After the season, the season's MVP, Rookie of the Year, Most Defensive Player, Sixth Man and the most improved player is given an award. A playoff will follow afterwards. The only difference is the Season mode doesn't have net points that has something to do with trading players. Franchise --------- The Franchise mode let's you play through the whole 25 NBA season with the team of your choice or a fantasy draft again. Much like the season mode but here you're the GM and either seal of trades as well, sign free agents or scout for upcoming free agents. After every season the season's MVP, Rookie of the Year, Most Defensive Player, Sixth Man and the most improved player is given an award as well. After playing with the Playoffs you'll be prompted to the offseasson part of the game where you can draft, resign, sign-free, trade, view retiring players or draft lotteries. After which the next season starts again. The Franchise mode makes player age, get better or stink. Players improves through numbers and old players retires in a time so you need a set of good rookies and veterans. Playoffs -------- This mode is the exact same playoffs you play Season or Franchise mode. The only difference is you'll choose which team you want to be in the playoffs. 1 on 1 ------ A one vs one game in the court of your choice. You could pick any player in the league and match it up on any player as well. Practice -------- You can sharpen your skills here. You're alone in a gym and simply shoot around and practice. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* * Create Player * *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Okay I've been recieving e-mails about certain part of the create player ratings that needed some explanations. I'll disregard the usuall stuffs that are pretty common and is pretty straight-forward. Well, the rating needed some explanations so here we go! Here's a somewhat basic explanation with the ratings given. 50 - 60 - The rating's pretty dull 60 - 70 - Below Average 70 - 80 - Average 80 - 90 - Good 90 - 99 - Excellent All ratings differs depending on the combination of ratings. Let say you've given a player a 99 in rebounding but just a 50 in jumping. This means that he won't stand a chance against a player with a 50 rebounding and a 99 jumping same goes to shooting. A 99 FG could shot almost anywhere in the court but with a low Off. Awareness makes him shoot pretty bad when guarded. But a player with let say a 70 in FG and a 99 in Off. Awareness could pretty much hit shot even when guarded. Basically, creating a player needs some key points to be distributed to create a perfect one(I'm not talking about some player who has maxed stats.) I'll refer to that little chart up there later on so it won't be hard for me to keep on assuming things. Template - You could choose a pre-set rating of a player either a defensive or an offensive one. Field Goal - It's basically how well a player could hit a jumper from anywhere in the court. 3 Pointers - A 85 rating here gives the player a 3pting Icon. This determines how well a player could hit baskets from behind the arc. Free Throw - This determines how slow the guage would be. The higher it is the better you could time your shot on the free throw land. Dunking - A 85 rating here gives the player a Dunking Icon. This determines how hard and the intensity of your dunks. Note that some dunks are customly for players so you won't see a created player dunk like Kobe or T-Mac. Inside Scoring - The higher the rating is the better he could make lay-ups and the easier he could score from defenders beneath the rim. Notice that MJ could always do those lay-ups despite the fact that he has not much of a Dunking rating or a high jumping rating. A player with a high rating here is great on dealing easy baskets beneath the rim as well as easy lay-up shots. Off. Rebounds - It determines how well a player could crash the offensive boards Jumping - This gives the character the ability to either fly like MJ or jump like a sumo-wrestler. Jumping affects almost a lot of aspects in the rating. Strength - The strenght determines how well you could post up and it also affects some aspects of the game play. Quickness - The quickness has some math behind it when pressing the turbo button so I'll probably not go deeper with it. Quickness also affects some roles like Blocking/Stealing or releasing the ball. Speed - Basically the speed a player could run. Passing - How well a player could pass it in the traffic. The higher it is the less chance of getting an errant pass or a stolen ball. Dribbling - It affects how fast a player could crossover and pivot. Also it affects how a player could dribble the ball making a lesser chance for the opposition to steal it. Off. Awareness - A very mysterious part yet after experimenting I've revealed what it does. It basically a player's athleticism. A higher Off Awareness could shoot the ball better than anyone else and It's the player's intensity in the game as well as his offensive intelligence. A result of this gives the player to automatically follow up a shot. Def. Rebounds - Detemines how good a player could crash the defensive boards. Stealing - A 85 rating here gives the player a Tight-Defender Icon. It renders how well a player could steal the ball. Blocking - A 85 rating here gives the player a Blocker Icon. It shows how well a player could swat the ball. Def. Awareness - A player's defensive intensity/intelligence. A higher awareness means a greater defense. Def. Awareness touches the rebounding portion as well. A higher rating here automatically makes the palyer steal the ball or swat it away as well as crashing the boards. Endurance - Basically the stamina of the palyer. Hardiness - The higher the rating the less chance of the player getting injured and the lower it is the greater chance of him to keep on getting injured. Primacy - A vital role in the rating both offesively and defensively much like off. and deff. awareness though this has something to do with clutch shots. Primacy basically determines how good the player is the higher it is the better level of playing he'll show. Okay now for about the combinations: I'll just categorize them into simple categories. The rating here are tested and are set to the minimum so it's up to you to either tweak it or buff it up. BTW, It has nothing to do with the templates it's rather more of an experiment. Also, It's up to you to add the rating I'll just dish in what they need. A Rebounder Off/Deff Rebound - Good - Excellent Jumping - Average Deff. Awareness - Average A good Defender Deff Awareness - Good to Excellent Stealing - Good(85) to Excellent(92 at least) Quickness - Good Speed - Average Jumping - Good Blocking - Below Average A good Point Guard FG - Average 3pt - Average Quickness - Good Speed - Good Dribbling - Excellent Passing - Excellent Off Awareness - Good A scorer FG - Good to Excellent 3pt - Good to Excellent Quickness - Good to Excellent Speed - Good to Excellent Off. Awareness - Excellent Primacy - Excellent There, basically that should be it. It's somehow will teach you a thing or two when creating a pretty decent player. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- * Scoring Tips - *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- This part will help you score baskets and beat almost any one. These are simple yet very effective tips but I tell you experience and proper knowledge of the game is the key here tips are just to remind you of what's right. o !Easy Baskets! o Tip 1 - Who's who? Know who the player you're using. You don't want to make Ben Wallace attempt to take 3 pointers. The Icons are helpful to know what kind of player they are and what can they do. If you know that this guy is great at slamming it down the stretch then that's that. Tip 2 - Make space with the cross over dribble. A dribbling stationary player could create space with simply hitting the crossover button this'll either make the defense shake a little OR running it to the basket with a crossover and some jab steps would do. Just watch out for fouls. Tip 3 - Pivot! Do you know that when a player who had the ball but hadn't put it down could perform pivot moves? Yes they can. Simply press the Spin Move button + any directional button will make him pivot. Know the right buttons here, ones you've learned them all. Taking a Pivot move pushes the defender back or will give the ball handler space. Tip 4 - Dash Using the Pivot then calling an Isolation play is a great combination. Pivot then run all the way to the basket with a crossover dirbble plus the turbo button will give you decent looks at the basket. Tip 5 - Jab Step/Hesitation move. As you run towards the basket press and hold the Cross over key and the character will perform a jab step. You can pull up for a jumper and earn a high percentage shot with this. The Jab step creates an opening for the dribbler and possibly pushes the defender a few steps away. Tip 6 - Fake Faking the opponent off the dribble and before shooting is a great idea. Before shooting perform pump fakes and at times the defender would bite the fake if he does then convert a quick jumper. Tip 7 - Shoot on top of the Jump When shooting you not just let it go right away. You have to press then release the ball on top of the jump. This way the shot is converted to a higher percentage shot and would be tougher to block. Tip 8 - Post up This is great with bigger and stronger big men. You can back down on your defender and take a fake. Mostly players would bit the fake when the posting player attempted it really really near the basket. If he do bit the fake slam it home or convert a jumper. Tip 9 - Looking for the double team Down low players automatically double up posting players. If he does pass it to the wide open man. Tip 10 - The Hook Simply have a player post up then hook it right up. A hook shot is a very high percentage shot and is very tough to block. You could pour in a couple of easy baskets with this. Tip 11 - Pick and Roll Pick and roll is a great play that delivers an easy basket. Set a pick and roll and either take a shot of the screen or pass it to the rolling player to convert it to an easy basket. o !Trick Shots! o Tip 1 - Jordan's fade away This is a very effective move but will need practice to master. Have a decent shooter back down on his defender. After 2 or three steps back turn left or right and take a straight jumper or press back and shoot. The release of the ball is simply a second right after the jump. Tip 2 - Jab Step Fade away Prime guards with a fast speed could do this. When dashing hold the turbo and perform a jab step at the same time releasing the turbo and letting go off a fade away jumper. This is a high percentage shot again but is hard to master. Tip 3 - Laying the hook shot This is a very hard art to master but quite easy to learn all you gotta do is to have a quick player run inside and instead of letting the usual shot go quickly perform a hook shot. Small but quick players could shine in this way even against taller opponents. o !Extra Scores! o Tip 1 - Easy 3 point plays When driving in the lane quickly do a fake if the guarding player bites the fake quickly dunk the ball before he could fall back down at times it will cause a foul right away. Tip 2 - Easy 3 point plays (Part II) Have a quick player (Players like Bryant, Pierce, Iverson etc...) to drive in the lane and simply do a spin move before shooting the ball. If you time it right the player running after you will automatically be charged with a foul just be sure that he's using turbo and he's running after you. Tip 3 - Come back to papa! When shooting a free throw miss the last one. The easiest way to rebound the ball back is to quickly switch(note that using the direct switch would rather be tricky) the switch will automatically switch you to either of the two teammates near the basket. Just screen out and press the turbo and time your jump if you're able to master this art then 60% of the time you'll managed to get the ball back. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- * Defensive Tips - *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- o !Crash Boards! o Tip 1 - Switch to the nearest man To grab the rebound switch to the nearest man underneath the rim and hold the turbo button before hitting the rebound button. This makes the player jump higher and get those boards. Tip 2 - Boxing out You simply press the box out button and position yourself on front of the player who'll be fighting for the ball. Screen them out and take the high jump for the ball. Tip 3 - Run after the ball Switch to a good leaper mostly some shooting guards could leap high. Press the Turbo button and make him run towards the basket and jump for the rebound. This is a very effective strategy more so with a smaller player who could grab boards. o !Forcing Turnovers! o Tip 1 - Face up If a player you're guarding is near the line. Face up on him and let him move. Around the defender 2 of 5 times he'll be stepping on the line. Tip 2 - Take charge When you see the ring rotating quickly(the one that's being controlled the one they're stepping on) that means they're using the turbo. Simply step up and press the take charge once. Time it right. It could easily create a turnove plus the foul. Tip 3 - No post allowed If a player decided to post up and back down on you. After a push or two hit the take charge button. Chances are an offensive foul will be called if not then you've just awarded him an easy shot. Tip 4 - Force shots When defending always make use of the face up icon and simply move in front of yur man. A player doing this close enough lowers the chance of the ball getting. This could cause for a quick rebound and fast break. Tip 5 - Dirupting Passes When a player tries running the fast break and he tried a court cross pass simply have the nearest player jump or press the steal button. At times it'll go out of bound. o !Rejecting and the Steal! o Tip 1 - The Rejection Always control the defender and try not to bit fakes. If he do take the shot jump and reject it. Tip 2 - Not in my house Let the defender play one on one and if it looks like he'll take it to the hoop switch to a high leaper and have him turbo his way and attempt for the double team or possibly block shots. Tip 3 - Steals To perform steals simply face up the dirbbling player and press the steal button. He could slap it off or if you were too agressive you'll be asserted for a foul. Sometimes simply moving around the defender on the side of the ball while facing up causes a steal. o !Nearly Cheating! o Tip 1 - Move out of the way At times when a player in full turbo dashes towards the ball handler. At times the ball handles wouldbe pushed down and will leave the ball bouncing for you to run after. This works well with players who have a high speed. Simply press the turbo and normally bumping from the sides or from the back results to a more successful push. Tip 2 - Hey! I didn't pushed him! When a player with the ball is near the line. Step back and press the turbo button and dash towards him. Then press the block button and your guy will jump and smahs the air hard. The turbo and the jump would push the ball handler back and will cause the ball to be out of bounds. Sometimes you'll be called for a defensive foul. Tip 3 - Nearly Goaltending Sometimes you could swat the ball while it's trying to roll it's way in. Tip 4 - Eat my Knee! When a player tries to hold the ball and tried pivoting. Switch to a quick high leaping player and have him rush up to the pivoting player and have him swat the ball if your luck enough the ball will magically appear on his hands and quickly perform a fast break for a quick score. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- * 1 on 1 Ball checks - *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Here's a section just to tell you about different ball checks in the 1 on 1 game. Pass - A simple pass. The Ball will simply be handed over to the player. Turbo + Pass - The ball will be rolled over to the other player. It'll be picked up from the floor. Face Up + Pass - Chest pass *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* * Tips & Tricks * *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Here's a few. Courtesy of gamewinners.com. There isn't a cheat in the game actually simply a place to create a perfect player or go and make Busta Rhymes appear. Play as B-Rich: Enter the create-a-player screen and enter DOLLABILLS as a last name. A message will confirm correct code entry. B-Rich will appear in the free agent pool. Select the "Sign/Release Player" option to get him on your team. Play as Busta Rhymes: Enter the create-a-player screen and enter FLIPMODE as a last name. A message will confirm correct code entry. Busta Rhymes will appear in the free agent pool. Select the "Sign/Release Player" option to get him on your team. Play as DJ Clue: Enter the create-a-player screen and enter MIXTAPES as a last name. A message will confirm correct code entry. DJ Clue will appear in the free agent pool. Select the "Sign/Release Player" option to get him on your team. Play as Ghetto Fabulous: Enter the create-a-player screen and enter GHETTOFAB as a last name. A message will confirm correct code entry. Ghetto Fabulous will appear in the free agent pool. Select the "Sign/Release Player" option to get him on your team. Play as Hot Karl: Enter the create-a-player screen and enter CALIFORNIA as a last name. A message will confirm correct code entry. Hot Karl will appear in the free agent pool. Select the "Sign/Release Player" option to get him on your team. Play as Just Blaze: Enter the create-a-player screen and enter GOODBEATS as a last name. A message will confirm correct code entry. Just Blaze will appear in the free agent pool. Select the "Sign/Release Player" option to get him on your team. *-*-*-*-*-* * Credits * *-*-*-*-*-* I would like to thank the following: EA SPORTS - For creating such a wonderful game. They've done a heck of a job this time. GameFaqs - The best FAQ site in the world nuff' said. thebomb1345 - I based my guide on his Nintendo Gamecube guide. Gamewinners - For having heaps of codes/secrets in their database. NBA.com - For the supply of various NBA knowledge as well as the rosters. YOU - This won't be called a guide with out anyone being guided. Thank you. If I ever missed someone e-mail me. I'm just tired and desperate to finish the guide early enough to get it on the site. THANK YOU!!!!