NBA2K1: FAQ/TIPS GUIDE
by Greg Colombo (GJ)
6/10/01
v2.0
copyright Greg Colombo, 2000-2001. All rights reserved.
You can't distribute this outside of personal use without asking me first.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: My all-purpose FAQ handling e-mail address is
cubbies984@yahoo.com. Before you send mail to that address to ask a question
about the game, please read section 9 so that I'm not answering the same
question over and over again.

=================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================
1. Introduction
2. Version History
3. Basic Gameplay
   3.1 Offensive Controls
   3.2 Defensive Controls
4. General Strategies
   4.1 Offensive Strategies
   4.2 Defensive Strategies
5. Teams
   Table 5.1 - Team Ratings w/o Trades (and some commentary to boot)
   5.2 Team-Specific Franchise Strategies
6. Modes
   6.1 Exhibition
   6.2 Season/Playoffs
   6.3 Franchise
   6.4 Tourney
   6.5 Street
   6.6 Network
7. Created Player Templates
8. Cheats
9. FAQs
10. Submissions
11. Credits & Copyright
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1. INTRODUCTION

This game was #13 on the GameFAQs request list and I got the game for
Christmas, so I thought, "How about a nice chunky FAQ that everyone can enjoy?"

Have fun, kids.

a little info about the author: he currently takes up shack in Central Illinois
and is currently in high school. he has both played basketball and coached
basketball and has a strong background in video games.
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2. VERSION HISTORY

version 2.0 - once again, another update after much tardiness.
Major section update: Philadelphia's franchise strategy has been fleshed out
and Portland's has been added. I also threw in some general tips for running a
franchise.
Major NOTICE: A very high number of people e-mail me week to week and ask me to
tell them how to alley-oop. This is in two places: the game manual and the
guide. Only one person asked me an intuitive question about it (why are my
players running away from the ball, which is now in the FAQs section). READ THE
FAQS (SECTION 9) BEFORE YOU SEND ME AN E-MAIL! It's annoying having to deal
with it all. Thank you. A request onto that: if you have friends that use this
FAQ, be sure they're reading the GameFAQs edition as it is always the most
up-to-date. The other sites are lagging at 1.25.
Miscellanea: I added a few tips here and there. See what you can find.

version 1.5 - the e-mail quit coming and I thought, "Maybe I should update the
FAQ?"
Duh.
Major section change: the college teams section has been removed because nobody
was sending much of anything and I didn't have time to keep up the updates.
Besides I was getting sick of being force-fed the names of Duke's starting five
anyway. I replaced it with the created players section, with various ideas and
notes on creating players.
Major section update: the teams section will slowly start to feature franchise
mode guides for individual teams. It will take a while to complete them all.
The 76ers are available in this update.
Major section addition: added the FAQs section. Please, BEFORE you e-mail me
with a question, READ THAT SECTION! It might very well contain the answer
before you waste time typing out an e-mail. (If my ploy works, I won't see very
much e-mail asking how to get created players into franchise mode.)
Other updates: I threw in the idea of running plays into the offensive
strategies. I might get listy soon and list out a team's "best" plays. More to
come on this if I actually decide to do it.

version 1.26 - there won't be any updates for a while. I apologize for not
sticking in those college teams, but I've been swamped lately with a handful of
exams and an uncle in the ICU with all kinds of disorders. I'm fighting the
tide as best I can and I'll get updates whenever I can.
In an unfortunate loss I accidentially deleted all of my e-mail :) a resend of
college team submissions would be helpful. currently only one person has sent
the stat numbers so I can put them right into the guide, and his team was NOT
Duke. if any Dukie would like me to put that team in, send me the numbers,
because this guy from UNC just raised my standards.
(OK, I lied. He wanted St. John's. But that might make you e-mail me!)

version 1.25 - added further information about my copyright given a
near-legal-battle I had. see the bottom of the document if you'd like to know
exactly how to get permission to use this file. I still need to work on the
Duke and Connecticut college teams; nobody has sent me any basic numbers on
Duke, so that'd be appreciated.

version 1.2 - added the college teams section.

version 1.15 - somebody from California wrote to inform me that my comments
weren't particularly funny. so I took them out, but it wasn't worth the upgrade
to 1.2, which should be out somewhat soon.

version 1.1 - alllmost an update major enough to go straight to version 2 but I
decided against it. threw in a table of contents and the Game Modes section.

version 1.0 - constructed the entire guide from scratch.
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3. BASIC GAMEPLAY

The goal of basketball is simple: score more points than your opponent does.
You do this, obviously, by scoring points - and containing your opponent's
scoring capability. Here, then, is an overview of the tools at your command to
do this.

3.1 - OFFENSIVE CONTROLS:
A button - Passes the ball. If you do it with no pressure on the analog pad,
the ball is passed to the closest player. If you specify a direction on the
analog pad, the ball is passed to the closest player in that direction. Of
course, if you are looking for a specific player it is easier to use the direct
passing system (see Y button).
When direct passing this passes to the point guard.
Without the ball this switches you to the player with it.

B button - Does a crossover dribbling move. This switches the hand that the
ball is in and is most useful for getting a pesky defender off your back.
Unfortunately, trying to take it right to the D with this move is costly as you
will see the ball stripped away and returned for a layup :) Instead, you must
drive at an angle, almost laterally, and pass your opponent's outstretched arm.
Try calling for a screen to help with this.

If you hold down the turbo button (R button) and do a dribble move, you will do
a spin move instead. The spin move is very effective at burning defenders and
getting an easy layup or dunk.

The skill of the player is taken into account with these moves; for example, a
center will appear to have a much clumsier crossover than a point guard.

When direct passing this passes to the shooting guard.
Without the ball this sets a screen.

X button - Shoots the ball. This is the most useful thing you can do on offense
:) Shooting has all kinds of mechanics which I will overview here.

Tapping the X button produces a pump fake. Faking out a defender allows you to
shoot over him (go up as he comes back down) or do a 'show and go' where you
fake out a defender and run past him to get a better look. This doesn't work as
well on computer players as it did in NBA2K; most of them won't be fazed by
your mad X-button-tapping skills.

Holding the X button has your player (I originally wrote 'character',
ha ha) go up for a shot. When you release the X button, the player releases the
ball. You want to release the ball at the crest of the player's jump to get the
best possible shot. Sometimes it is critical that you get the timing right;
sometimes it is not. Factors that affect the need for timing are the player's
shooting ability and the range from which he is shooting. You can figure out
how you're doing in Practice mode - when you shoot in Practice you'll see a
pop-up informing you of how well the shot was timed.

The analog pad tweaks your player's motion in the shot. If you are running
towards the basket and shoot, your player will do a running shot. This isn't
always a great idea because the game likes to call charging fouls if you bump
into somebody, so be careful with its use. If you pull back away from the
basket when you shoot, your player will do a fadeaway shot, which was formerly
MJ's trademark. Fadeaways require better timing than normal shots, but they
provide extra separation from the defender and seem to go in more often than
other shots. Holding a direction parallel to the basket causes your player to
lean left/right relative to the basket. These shots look kinda neat and also
offer separation from the defense but the fadeaway is all-around a better deal.

You can pass out of a shot by holding X to go up for a shot and tapping A while
in the jumping motion. Letting go of X to hit A causes a shot to go up, so
watch it :)

When direct passing this passes to the small forward.
Without the ball this jumps for a rebound.

Y button - Direct passing button. Hitting this button and then A, B, X, Y, or R
passes to a specific position. A is for point guards, B for shooting guards, X
for small forwards, Y for power forwards, and R to centers.

As was just mentioned, this button passes to power forwards when direct
passing.

R button - Turbo button. Hold it down and get some extra speed. Holding it down
and pressing B results in a spin move. You only get a certain amount of turbo -
it refills when you're not using it.

L button - Back to basket. If you hold it down, your player (I keep writing
'character, #$*@ it) will back up slowly to the basket. He'll post up on his
defender if his defender is nearby. The player will either back closer to the
basket or be held off - this is determined by the skills and heights/weights of
the players. Shooting while holding the L button results in a hookshot.
Releasing the L button while still holding the direction of the basket has your
player spin 180 degrees out of his position for a shot or layup or dunk.

Directional pad - Playcalling screen. A, B, X, and Y select plays from this
screen. Pressing R after the directional pad calls for an alley-oop; the player
with the ball throws it up and someone will try his darndest to get to it. If
no one's in the area, then the ball will dramatically sail out of bounds.
Pressing L calls for a screen. One of your players will come and set a pick for
the player with the ball; this is of some assistance when trying to drive on
your man. If you lose the man effectively, you can do all kinds of stuff -
drive for a layup, for example, or kick back out to the guy who set the pick.
This is called the pick and roll, and it is why the Utah Jazz were so
successful a few years back.


3.2 - DEFENSIVE CONTROLS:

A button - Switches players to the player nearest the ball. This does some
pretty funky stuff when your defense isn't in order and the ball is being
brought upcourt :)

B button - Tries to steal the ball. If you get a piece of the player's arm, a
reaching foul is called. There are a number of factors that affect your
player's success rate/foul rate: the dribbling skill of the player with the
ball, the stealing skill of the defender, whether the player with the ball is
dribbling (if they're not, it's easier to steal), and whether the player with
the ball just got it off a rebound (a number of steals happen under the basket
because of this.)

X button - Jump for a block or a rebound. If you hold turbo while jumping for a
block, you do a swat block, which has a higher success rate but is also more
likely to swat the offensive player instead. Swat blocking causes the ball to
go out of bounds, yes, but this is advantageous as the shot clock isn't reset,
so the offense has to set itself back up. (Sometimes the replay on a swat block
will have the ball sailing into the camera[man], shaking the view and turning
it at an angle - a very nice touch.)

Y button - Last man back. Selects the player closest to the opposing basket.
This is useful when the opponent is breaking down the court as you can
instantly take control of the defensive player who has to deal with him.

R button - Turbo again.

L button - Wing-spread defensive stance. If you hold this down and a player is
backing into the basket you will automatically try to defend him against
posting up. This also changes your player's stealing motion and makes him
harder to drive by.

Directional pad - Playcalling screen from which you can call a half-court
standard, a half-court trap, a full-court trap, or a full-court press. Pressing
R after the D-pad calls for an intentional foul to stop the clock.
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4. GENERAL STRATEGIES

4.1 - OFFENSIVE STRATEGIES:

1. Get the ball to the big men. If you feed the ball to a big man you have a
number of options - go up for the score, get fouled, or kick the ball back out
to a guard on the three-point line.
2. Alley-oops are your friends, but be careful when you use them. If the
receiving player bowls someone over, it's a charging foul.
3. Sometimes a post player will call for the ball by waving his hand in the
air. The announcers will sometimes point this out for you, but don't count on
it. If they are waving it's also a sign that they want an alley-oop pass.
4. If you're playing a season, your playbook stays with you the whole way
through. Therefore, the first thing you should do in your first game is get
into the Coaching menu and pick four effective plays. Playcalling leads to
points.
5. But the game is intelligent, like NFL2K and 2K1. If it picks up on patterns
in your offense and playcalling it will start to exploit the patterns.
6. A combination of #1 and #5 can lead to a great offense. Hammer inside until
the defense starts to collapse on the big men, then let your shooters handle
the scoring.
7. It's not a bad idea to use the two custom lineups in a season. I like two
lineups: the #6 lineup, which is a group of players designed to hammer inside
first and shoot second, and the anybody's-game lineup, which is a group of
players who are good free throw shooters and passers, as well as a center who's
decent on the inside. This combination allows me to score points if I'm ahead
by 2 or 3 and intentionally fouled, and it allows me to score without fouling
if I'm down by 1 or 2 and need a quick basket.

If you have any lineups that you like, send them to me at cubbies984@yahoo.com.
Note that I don't want lineups for a specific team; I want general concept
lineups (one player with these abilities, etc.)

8. Don't overdo the three-point shot! Pure shooters that aren't created players
are hard to come by; don't jack up threes all the time, especially early on in
a game. Later after you've established that you need to be guarded under the
basket, you can kick the ball out to a capable shooter and get some serious
points.
9. Drawing fouls is a great way to take command of the game. The easiest way to
do this is to hammer inside (again!) and draw fouls on all your shots. On the
other hand, if you're playing, say, the 76ers, you'll want to get their best
player (Allen Iverson, in the hypothetical example) out of the game. To do
that, you'll need to be creative. He plays shooting guard, so get a driving
guard in there and start trying to drive on him. Also, you can kick to a
shooter-type shooting guard and start immediately. If the defender is playing
back away from the man, then he's likely to come leaping in and foul on the
shot.
10. Of course, there is an alternative to all this "hammer inside" crap: a
balanced attack, not unlike that of the University of Illinois in NCAA
basketball. (They're my hometown team so I may as well brag about them ;) The
Illini's starting five is very balanced; four of those five players can all
score effectively. Then there's one who can't shoot but can make layups and
play hard defense, and he's a senior, so we keep him around anyway ;) I'm
hinting, however, at a balanced attack, where the defense can't afford to leave
anyone unguarded, or that player will start scoring. An attack like this is
deadly, especially with effective playcalling and ball movement.
11. RUN PLAYS! Especially on the higher levels, running plays gives you the
kind of offensive structure you'll need to consistently put points on the
board. Each team has its own individual playbook.
To CALL a play: Press a direction on the digital pad. A menu will appear with a
list of 4 plays. Press the button corresponding to the play you want. A play
listed in white is currently being executed; you can break out of a play if you
picked the wrong one but it takes time off the shot clock.
To SELECT plays for the menu: From the pause menu, Coach.Playbook will let you
pick the four selectable plays. Each play will be mapped out for you so that
you can pick according to your needs. A position after a play's name represents
who that play is designed for. Be sure that you watch the entire play when you
are selecting; if something goes awry with the first part of the play, you'll
still be set in a position to score, but what good does that do if you don't
know what your players are doing?
Note that by default the computer will select a play for you as you run up the
court. You can change this in the Coach menu to auto (default), auto w/display,
manual, or manual w/display.

4.2 - DEFENSIVE STRATEGIES:

1. The full-court press can take a few precious seconds off the shot clock, and
every so often you get a ten-second call. Use it often.
2. Even if you can't block a shot, get in the player's face! A hand in the face
is quite valuable, especially against your shooting types (I play SG, so I know
this too :) If a player can't see what he's doing it's rather hard to make
baskets.
3. Never commit stupid fouls. The easiest way to avoid this is to steal only in
favorable conditions - read about stealing in section 3 to learn just what
"favorable conditions" are.
4. Switch players often to make sure that you're guarding the one with the
ball. This keeps you from being tacked with illegal defense calls and is just
generally a good policy.
5. Here's a nasty little trick you can try: the computer AI does not like being
pressed one-on-one. If you don't call a full-court press, then all the players
except the ballcarrier will drop back into the other half of the court after
the inbounding. Pressurize the ball-handler and he will try to throw a long
pass to one of his comrades on the other end of the floor. You now have two
opportunities to steal. The first one is on the throwing end: jump in front of
this pass, and you will either knock it out of bounds or knock it up/down where
it is easily recovered. (This does not count as a steal; it's considered a
turnover only.) You can also find the player who was targeted for the pass and
jump up in front of him. He can't pass a jumping player and the pass will sail
out of bounds, also for a turnover - a creative one at that.
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5. TEAMS

Here's an overview of all the teams and their team scores. I'll add stuff like
plays and situational players in future updates.

Table 5.1: Team Ratings w/o Trades
/------------------------------\
|TEAM        |OFF.|DEF.|OVERALL|
--------------------------------
|76ers       | 74 | 83 |  80   |
|Blazers     | 90 | 95 |  93   |
|Bucks       | 83 | 72 |  80   |
|Bulls       | 68 | 70 |  69   |
|Cavaliers   | 65 | 60 |  62   |
|Celtics     | 86 | 66 |  72   |
|Clippers    | 61 | 63 |  62   |
|Grizzlies   | 76 | 71 |  73   |
|Hawks       | 68 | 70 |  69   |
|Heat        | 89 | 90 |  90   |
|Hornets     | 82 | 80 |  81   |
|Jazz        | 82 | 82 |  82   |
|Kings       | 88 | 66 |  75   |
|Knicks      | 78 | 81 |  80   |
|Lakers      | 95 | 89 |  91   |
|Magic       | 93 | 76 |  83   |
|Mavericks   | 84 | 68 |  74   |
|Nets        | 78 | 75 |  76   |
|Nuggets     | 83 | 73 |  77   |
|Pacers      | 91 | 75 |  81   |
|Pistons     | 80 | 67 |  72   |
|Raptors     | 79 | 71 |  74   |
|Rockets     | 83 | 67 |  73   |
|Sonics      | 82 | 80 |  81   |
|Spurs       | 90 | 87 |  88   |
|Suns        | 85 | 84 |  84   |
|Timberwolves| 80 | 76 |  78   |
|Warriors    | 77 | 66 |  70   |
|Wizards     | 60 | 60 |  60   |
\------------------------------/

5.2 - TEAM-SPECIFIC FRANCHISE STRATEGIES:
Suppose you want to take your favorite team to the championship. How are you
going to go about doing it? Some teams need rebuilding right away; other teams
will be ready to go with just a couple more pieces. This part of the guide will
feature step-by-step team breakdowns to make a three-peatable dynasty.

Take note! I usually didn't play through most of these strategies; they're just
off the top of my head. Any and all feedback (minus flames, people) to
cubbies984@yahoo.com would be GREATLY appreciated. If I haven't gotten to your
team yet, just hang tight. I have time to do this now :)

First, here are a few general franchise strategies:

1) The absolute best way to build a dynasty is to take advantage of the fact
that drafted players can be signed for a low cost for six or seven years. By
trading away franchise players, you lose reams of talent in the short-term, but
gain it back in the long term through high draft choices. Try to trade with the
Bulls, Cavaliers, Hawks, and Wizards for first- and second-round draft picks.
The Bulls also have Marcus Fizer/Elton Brand/Jamal Crawford who will develop
into very effective players as they mature.
2) Play a game every once in a while to ensure that your young players are
developing properly. It's safe to sim most of the season, however.
3) If you are going to play large numbers of games, make use of the Scouting
function to keep track of the specific abilities of your players. Scouting
college players for role players is also an excellent idea.

If you are going to fantasy draft, your strategy should be entirely different.
Take a superstar with your first pick (assuming you can get ahold of one), then
an above average player, then young players who will develop, like Marcus Fizer
and Kenyon Martin. In my draft as the Bulls, for example, I picked up Shaq in
round one, then Ray Allen, then Martin, Fizer, and Cleaves to fill out the
lineup. Then I signed them all to long-term deals and began to play basketball.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
|Philadelphia 76ers                                                   |
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The Sixers start out with a definite franchise player, but weaker support.
Iverson is quite good, and you have Toni Kukoc, but he will age and decline as
the season continues. It might be a good idea to trade him for a young player
right at the start of the season.

Your best young talent is Craig "Speedy" Claxton, a first-year point guard out
of Hofstra. Claxton will develop into an above-average point if he gets enough
minutes in his first season. The Claxton/Iverson tandem will give you a very
good backcourt, allowing you to trade off Eric Snow.

If you look at the Needs menu you'll find you're short a PF. Don't sweat it;
just sub in a center if you need to.

Trading away Iverson will net you a young star and a great draft pick. Don't
totally exclude this as an option in the early going, as it will help you build
a dynasty - but then you can always develop a player and trade for a pick.

FRANCHISE PLAYER: Allen Iverson
BEST YOUNG TALENT: Speedy Claxton


\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
|Portland Trailblazers                                                |
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Portland is good enough to win a championship - maybe two - right off the bat
with the players it has. Your main difficulty from the beginning will be with
player age. Scottie Pippen and Steve Smith are both aging, and Shawn Kemp and
Dale Davis don't have a lot of years left. Kemp will decline quickly; get him
off your hands at the start of the campaign.

The team's main weakness is at center, which is stocked by Ardyvas Sabonis (73)
and Will Perdue (64 and 12 years, likely to retire). A center, therefore, will
be your first priority in the draft - or a trade if you can get one. The team
is thin at 12 players; a free agent signing might pay dividends if you can find
a young center who currently isn't signed. The development of young players can
also come off the free agent list, and that's important to remember.

Your franchise player is the 91-rated Rasheed Wallace. He's simply a good
player from the beginning: big, strong, reasonably fast. This is why he's trade
bait after the first year. If he plays well, his value might rise to 97 or 98 -
Shaqdom, if you will. O'Neal shouldn't be out of reach if Wallace develops.
Trade for him, take Erick Barkley, and start building your team, choosing to
draft a small forward instead of a center.

Damon Stoudamire might turn out to be problematic at your first signing period,
because he'll demand a good amount of cash. If you have retirement problems and
have less than 12 players on your roster, you'll need to sign a couple of
players cheap to trade away players.

FRANCHISE PLAYER: Rasheed Wallace
BEST YOUNG TALENT: Bonzi Wells. Erick Barkley is rough around the edges and
will not improve into a franchise point - but he should be able to capably pass
the ball to Shaq if you can acquire him. Wells, meanwhile, is a prolific
medium-range shooter from the beginning and only carries one disadvantage - his
need to be resigned after the first year.

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6. GAME MODES

6.1 - EXHIBITION:
Just a standard game of basketball between two teams of your choosing. On the
team select screen, the team on the left is the away team, and the team on the
right is the home team. "With Trade" changes the ratings and rosters to reflect
any trades or customizations you might have made. The Options menu takes you to
the regular options screen.
The Quick Start option plays an exhibition game with two randomly selected
teams.

6.2 - SEASON:
Play a season with your favorite team, game by game. You don't have any GM
functions in this mode; instead you must use the Customize menu to edit
rosters/players/teams/etc. You can pick a season length and quarter length and
do a fantasy draft.
Also available from the season menu is a playoffs function. You can pick the
number of games in each round and the game will simulate a season to determine
the playoff teams. Then you can pick as many teams as you want and go at it on
the road to the championship.

6.3 - FRANCHISE:
Oh joy! The GM mode! You can now consciously sign, cut, draft, and trade
players, all in a salary capped environment! Instead of salaries, you get
points with which to work your deals. Each team has 950 points to spend on its
players. If you run out, you can't sign anyone else.
Drafting players isn't particularly difficult. Spend your first pick trying to
fill a hole in your team - if you are particularly weak at center, for example,
draft a center. If you are weak all around, then you need to do a rebuilding
strategy like this one:

1) You want to get rid of any players who aren't very good/are too old to last
much longer and trade them for late draft picks or cut them. Because the game
has player development in this mode you can turn up gems in the late rounds by
developing them into star players.
2) Of course, if you have a young player who is already very good, like Elton
Brand or Steve Francis, you want to keep that player and build around him.
3) Then go through a season and expect to lose most of your games. This will
get you a great first-round draft pick.
4) You should also have a few other mediocre picks going into the draft from
your trades with other teams.
5) Now go into the draft, keeping in mind any players you picked out in step 2.
If you are drafting as the Bulls, for example, you'll want to get a new player
at center right away, and maybe a point guard who can capably shoot from the
outside. Look at your players in Scouting mode to figure out how to rebuild the
team.
6) The Bulls, while they've been my example, are a special case because they're
bad but they do it with a lot of young players who are potentially good. In
this case you might want to take the reins of these players and develop them by
making them do well in games.

You can actually play your games too, and in fact this is recommended every
once in a while, to boost your record and keep your players developing.

There's a LOT of stuff to write on this one, so I'll come back to it in the
next update. It'll be stuffed into the Team-Specific Franchise Strategies,
which incidentially have general strategies rolled in. How convenient!

6.4 - TOURNEY:

Set up your own little tournament. The Help menu will explain how to do it. You
can have four, eight, or sixteen teams.

6.5 - STREET:

"No rules" basketball. You can play 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, or 5v5 on any of four courts
on this mode. The only rule is out-of-bounds - there are no fouls to be had.
The best strategy in this mode is to pound inside like the devil. Drive with
spin moves for guards, post up for big men. The more dunks and layups you get,
the better. Of course the comp will be doing this too, so you'll have to steal
the ball from him or get the occasional three-pointer to take a lead for any
significant amount of time.

6.6 - NETWORK:

I don't have enough experience with this mode to tell you much... but you
should be able to set it up for yourself just fine.
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7. CREATED PLAYERS
The college teams section is no more. I'm sick of seeing Duke's names. :)

Instead I've put in this section. It will feature various ideas, concepts,
tips, and the like for creating players and using them on a team.

-A note on height: while it's certainly possible to make a 7'2" point guard,
it's impractical. No matter what your player's speed rating is, his speed is
also directly affected by his weight, which is in turn directly affected by his
height. Keep your players' heights within the practical ranges for their
position (or maybe a couple inches taller.)

-Created players in franchise mode: IT'S NOT POSSIBLE. End story.

-More to follow as things are submitted.

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8. CHEATS

-Enter "vc" at the cheat prompt to get some special Sega Sports teams.
-Franchise mode: If you feel a rookie is demanding too much you can get him to
change his offer. Lower your bargain to the point where he feels it's ludicrous
and says "We don't think this is a serious offer." Then offer to him again and
see what the new deal is. Repeat as desired.
-Street mode: Telling your players to intentionally foul (digital pad, right
trigger) will have them do so, but because there are no fouls, they'll get away
with it. It's essentially a cheap-shot steal.
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9. FAQs

Q: Can I put created players into Franchise mode?
A: No. While possible via a glitch in NFL2K1, it can't be done in NBA2K1.

Q: How do I do an alley-oop?
A: Press any direction on the directional pad, then press the right trigger
button.

Q: Why do my players run away from the ball on an alley-oop?
Q: Why do my players stand out of bounds and not come back in?
Q: Why don't my players act without the ball?
A: Oh boy, a question about game mechanics. :)
My best guess is this: the AI controls all the players that humans don't
control. It does this by processing the game situation, then issuing an order
of some kind - move, post up, call for ball, set pick, and so on. When the AI
issues an order, the player will see to it that the order is carried out before
any other AI function can occur. Under this theory, when a player is told to
move, he'll be incapacitated until his move order finishes.

To answer the alley-oop question: if a player is moving without the ball, then
he is not a prime candidate for an alley-oop, because often he will not receive
the pass on the move (receiving an alley-oop is, you guessed it, an AI
function, and one that does not seem to run interference with movement). Thus
your prime alley-oop candidates are the ones who aren't moving.

To answer the players-out-of-bounds question: The player got forced out of
bounds trying to cut through the defense to complete his 'move' directive and
is trapped to the point where he won't come back in. (The AI gets screwed up,
it seems, when a player stands out of bounds, and it does nothing with that
player.) The only way out is for possession to change in any way. (I think.)

To answer the act-without-the-ball question: The AI needs a stimulus from the
ballhandler. AI action (I'm speculating all of this, mind you) is based on
situation. When the situation isn't changing, the AI finds a position that it
deems optimal, and then it sits there waiting for a new situation. Just pass
the ball or try to drive and you will find good things happen.
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10. SUBMISSIONS

Submissions of anything can go to cubbies984@yahoo.com.

I like polite submissions more than anything. The guy who precipitated v1.15
made some rather crude assumptions about my race but tried to take the edge off
it by using a synonym. People, don't use "n-----" or any reincarnation with the
same intent. Thanks.
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11. CREDITS & COPYRIGHT

Me - for the writing

this document is copyright Greg Colombo, 2000. you may not distribute it
without my permission which can be obtained at cubbies984@yahoo.com.
all rights reserved.

FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT COPYRIGHT: After giving and receiving a legal threat
I decided to add this section. Realize, if you will, that this FAQ is written
by a one-man operation who has no legal department working under him.

There is obviously infringement if you take the guide without my permission. I
will be suspicious if I get a poorly-explained and poorly-worded e-mail in my
inbox, which happened in this first case.

The threat isn't empty, but it's not likely to be used. Remember, though, that
I might just decide to pull the sword off the wall and take a few slashes if
you do some thievery, so be careful :)

When asking permission to use my FAQ please add the following:
1. The name of your website
2. The domain or base directory of your website (if you're really that small)
3. The general audience you get, such as number of visitors
4. Whether or not ads will be placed on or near my FAQ, and if so, their
content.
5. Good grammar and spelling are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for following my guidelines. Apologies in advance if I'm edgy
in my reply; I've been under a good bit of stress lately.

-GJC
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