The term “Big Man” has been altered and interpreted in many different ways. In many ways, Big Men are rather impactful and effective on the court, but that hasn’t always been the case in the NBA. Yet, in 2K, if you don’t have a “Big” it’s looked down upon and everyone always assumes the worst when they run small-ball. I look to clear up the confusion as the NBA and 2K are going into two totally different directions.
NBA:
Being 6’11″+ in the NBA is becoming increasingly difficult. The rest of the league is playing catch up with the Golden State Warriors, and I have to hand it to them; they’re transforming the league. Implications have been set years ago, and we’re closing in on the end of an era for Centers.
If your not a Kristaps Porzingis type of player, then teams will pass on you to get guys like Draymond Green, Paul Millsap, and even smaller builds like Carmelo Anthony. They’re looking for anything that will compete with where the trend of the league is headed. It’s no surprise that the NBA is a guard-heavy league, and it all started when they took “C” off the All-Star ballot and labeled them as forwards.
There’s a need for versatile forwards capable of playing multiple positions. We’ve seen teams transitioning to different defensive sets, spacing the floor, and ultimately adapting to the five-out offense. It’s ultimately a trend that the rest of the league is slowly leaning toward. Players who are experiencing a decline and starting to see the change affect their careers:
Javale Mcgee
Dwight Howard
Enes Kanter
Jonas Valanciunas
Tyson Chandler
Alex Len
These are just some of the many centers struggling to make it in the league today. It’s an end of an era, fam! One dimensional, traditional big men aren’t popular anymore.
2K:
Honestly, if you really look into it, the most important aspect of starting a Pro-Am team is to build around a big man. A hard-nosed, physical center who will do all the dirty work down in the paint and rebound the ball is a necessity. 2K has brought back the effectiveness of bigs, and they’re extremely valuable in the game right now.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a Glass Cleaner, Rebounding Athletic, Rebounding Stretch, or even a Post Scorer the value behind these builds goes a long way in 2K. Funny how when people complain about the five-out offense and inability to defend it, 2K makes changes to it. If only that happened in the NBA.
I believe that 2K is bringing back early 2000’s basketball where grit and toughness played a huge role in success. It might not be noticed by many, but I see the direction 2K is going. People actually have to play real basketball, read passing lanes, box out, etc.
With the demand being high for centers, they also do a good job of adapting to small-ball. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been matched up with a 7’3″ big while being undersized at 6’11″. It’s not about the build or height sometimes. All it comes down to is basketball IQ and having the right people on the court.
At the end of the day, it’s amusing to me that the NBA and 2K are going in opposite directions ultimately. This shows where the league is right now and where gamers are aiming towards is two different realms.
Do you notice this? Follow me Jman_Persources to join the debate.