### ### ####### ##### #### ### ### ### ####### @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@ #### ### ### ### ### ### #### ### ### ### ### @@@ @@@ @@@ ## ##### ####### ### ### #### ### ### ### ####### @@@ @@@ @@@ ## ##### ### ## ######## #### ### ##### ### @@@ @@@ @@@ ## #### ####### ### ## ######## ### ##### ####### @@@@@@@ @@@ =============================================================================== NBA Live 07 FAQ (PC) Written by ChaosDemon (chaosdemon007@yahoo.ca) Version 1.10 Last updated on February 9, 2007 Latest revisions of this document may always be located at: http://www.gamefaqs.com =============================================================================== =-----------------= =Table of Contents= =-----------------= I - Introduction.....................................[0001] II - Version History..................................[000V] III - Game Modes.......................................[0002] a]Play Now b]Season c]Dynasty Mode d]Playoffs e]NBA All-Star Weekend f]1-on-1 g]Practice h]Slam Dunk School IV - Game Basics.......................................[0003] a]Default Controls b]What's New c]Offense d]Defense V - Dynasty Mode......................................[0004] a]The Draft b]Staff Hirings c]Training Camp d]Regular Season e]NBA Playoffs f]Off-Season VI - All-Star Weekend..................................[0005] a]Rookie Challenge b]3 Point Shootout c]Slam Dunk Contest d]All-Star Game VII - Offensive Strategy...............................[0006] a]Get Inside the Paint EARLY b]Get a "kick-out" of each possession c]Free Throws Win Championships d]Pass With Care e]Shot Selection is Key f]Capitalize on the Offensive Rebounds g]Look to the Fast-Break h]Utilize your Freestyle Superstars i]Abuse the Pick VIII - Defensive Strategy..............................[0007] a]Stay In Front of the Offense b]Double Team Often c]Do NOT Abuse the Steal Button d]Contest Every Single Shot e]Don't Give up 2nd Shot Opportunities f]Don't be Afraid to Bring the Zone VIV - Team Rosters.....................................[0008] VV - My NBA Live......................................[0009] a]Task List b]EA Store c]NBA Codes VVI - Credits.........................................[0010] VVII - Legal Disclaimer................................[0011] -> To find what you're looking for quickly, press CTRL+F (Find) and type in the set of numbers on the right of your desired destination. To go directly to an offensive or defensive strategy, press CTRL+F and the Copy (CTRL+C) and Paste (CTRL+V) the name from the table of contents. If you're looking to skip directly to a team in the team roster section, just press CTRL+F and type in the city of the team. =============================================================================== Introduction [0001] =============================================================================== Hello again all, I'm ChaosDemon, and this is the first FAQ I've written in three years! Time surely passes at the blink of an eye. I want to apologize because I got into the FAQ writing business a long time ago, and the layout of this FAQ might not be as up to date as some others. EA Sports is back again with an all new edition of NBA Live. What's new this year is the Freestyle Control feature, and it requires a Logitech Wingman to operate. It's basically a way for a player to do a fancy pass, dunk or lay-up. Another new feature in 07 is the Freestyle Superstars. This time, your upper tier players are separated into "Freestyle Stars" and "Freestyle Superstars". Stars are obviously the guys that are pretty good, and the Superstars are the elite of the NBA. Now in the actual FAQ of NBA Live 07 by EA Sports, we're going to be looking at the gameplay basics, the Game Modes NBA Live 07 has to offer, and some comprehensive offensive and defensive strategy (which will undoubtedly is the meat of the FAQ). There will also be a team listing section and some handy information listed there, like key players, team strengths, and team weaknesses. Along with that you'll find coverage on All-Star Weekend and more! =============================================================================== Version History [000V] =============================================================================== 1.15 - 02/09/2007 - Completed roster section with all players listed. The starters are listed with their respected overalls. 1.10 - 02/08/2007 - Updated formatting. 1.00 - 01/31/2007 - First version of FAQ. Offensive and defensive strategy finished, Dynasty Mode and All-Star Weekend sections completed. All 30 teams in the NBA are featured in the rosters section with their respective Freestyle Superstars listed. Complete rosters will be added on a later update. =============================================================================== Game Modes [0002] =============================================================================== Play Now -------- This mode is pretty self explanatory, this is the easiest way to get right into the action and get a good feel of the game. It's also a good way to log some minutes before starting a Season Mode to avoid a 0-5 starting record. It's an exhibition game so it has no proceeding impact. The default teams for "Play Now" are the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat. The default teams are always the ones competing in the previous year's NBA Finals. Season ------ This is basically a watered down version of Dynasty. You can play through one full season at either 29, 58 or 82 games. Season mode takes you from the exhibition games all the way to the NBA Finals. There are many features you can play with, like mixing up the league with a Fantasy Draft, move teams around in divisions. Dynasty Mode ------------ undoubtedly the biggest part about NBA Live, the Dynasty Mode. This is basically the Season Mode but it lasts for many, many seasons, the exact number I'm not sure. It gives you the opportunity to mould your franchise into the early 90s Bulls or the late 90s Lakers. The Dynasty Mode will be covered in detail later in the FAQ. Playoffs -------- If you're looking to take a run at the NBA Championship but not interested in grinding through an 82 game season, then this is definitely the mode for you. You can again customize a lot of things, like which teams play. Playoff length, and even a Fantasy Draft. NBA All-Star Weekend -------------------- This is obviously to emulate the All-Star Weekend of the NBA. There are four things to play through: Rookie Challenge, 3 Point Shootout, Dunk Contest, and of course, the All-Star game. All-Star Weekend will be covered in detail later in the FAQ. 1 on 1 ------ You ever wonder who would win between Shaq and Kobe Bryant 1 on 1? Well this is your chance to find out. Pick any two players in the NBA and put them up 1 on 1. When the game starts, the Home Player gets to shoot for possession. Practice -------- This is not a game, not a game, we talkin' about practice. Not a game, not a game, we're talking about practice, man. What are we talking about, practice? You can pick any player in the NBA and practice alone in an empty gym for as long as you like. This is a great place to start if you're not too familiar with the controls. Slam Dunk School ---------------- Slam Dunk school is a series of three lessons for you to prefect dunking. It is absolutely crucial you spend some time in the Slam Dunk School before attempting the Slam Dunk Competition because it is by far one of the most difficult things to do well in NBA Live 07. =============================================================================== Game Basics [0003] =============================================================================== =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Default Controls: Keyboard =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ------- Offense ------- Pass: X Shoot: D Dunk: E Lay-Up: S Turbo: Left Shift Direct Pass: Left Ctrl Superstar Trigger: C Alley-oop: A Call Timeout: Q Pause: Esc Crossover/Spin Move: Space Off-Ball R ------- Defense ------- Switch Player: X Take Charge: D Rebound/Block: E Steal: S Turbo: Left Shift Direct Pass: Left Ctrl Superstar Trigger: C Alley-oop: A Call Timeout: Q Pause: Esc ----------- Quick Plays ----------- Post-Up: Keyboard 1 (above the Q) Isolation: Keyboard 2 Pick and Pop: Keyboard 3 Pick and Roll: Keyboard 4 =-=-=-=-=- What's New =-=-=-=-=- Freestyle Superstars 07 ----------------------- Freestyle Superstars are divided into two tiers. "Superstars", and "Stars". Freestyle Stars are players that are good at either Inside Scoring, Outside Scoring, 3 point shooting, Dunking (High-Flyer) or Playmaking. These players have an arsenal of moves that he can use by pressing the Left Trigger and the Right Analog stick. If you have the High-Flyer icon selected, you can do an impressive dunk, or if you have the Playmaker icon selected, you can do some no-look passes and stuff like that. The "Superstars" tier has all the moves that the "Stars" have, and then some. Check the Team Roster section for which players are your "Freestyle Superstars" of 07. Total Freestyle Control ----------------------- This is a rather innovative addition to this year's NBA Live. It basically gives your Superstars and Stars the ability to pull off some fancy moves with a combination of the Left Trigger and the Right Analog stick. There are not only crossovers, but a combination of Dunks and Fancy passes too. Whether you make a dunk or a behind the back pass depends on the Freestyle Superstar Icon your player is currently in. For example, if he's currently in "Playmaker" mode, then he's going to do a fancy pass if you use the Left Trigger and Right Analog stick. To do some awesome dunks, your superstar should be in "High-Flyer" mode. ***Performing Freestyle Control with Keyboard*** Freestyle Control on the Keyboard is slightly easier. You can perform the freestyle control by holding on to the "Superstar Trigger" (Default "C" Button on the Keyboard), and then by pressing one of the following buttons: Pass Button Dunk Button Shoot Button Lay-Up Button The variety of moves available depend on which Freestyle Superstar Type your player is currently in. For example, someone in "Playmaker" mode will be able to do a no look pass by holding the Superstar Trigger and then pressing the Pass Button. Power guys and High Flyers would be able to do some crazy dunks by performing this method. Play around with it in Practice Mode to find some neat combinations. The X-Factor ------------ The X-Factor is a random player on each team, who can unlock his "X" by being involved on the offensive side of the ball. When unlocked, X-factor players can change the momentum of the game by draining a ridiculous amount of shots. However, don't get the impression that just because your player has X-Factor unlocked he can drain it from anywhere. He still needs to be relatively open, just not as open as he normally has to be. =--=-=-=-=-=-=- ----Offense---- =-=-=-=-=-=--=- Basic Jumpshots --------------- Jumpshots are crucial to your NBA Live experience, so it's best that we go over this first. Jumpshots are all about room and timing. If you have both of those on a jumpshot attempt, chances are it's going to drain. To perform a jumpshot, press and hold the "Shoot" button to begin your jump, and when you're in mid-air and the ball is above your head, release the "Shoot" button. On the "catch and shoot", it is very important that you first get set, and are facing the basket. There are several ways to create room in Live, the most standard is the Pick and Roll. The pick and roll is where you have a larger player, usually a Center or Power Forward move to your area on the court, stand there, and attempt to "pick" your defender by having him run into your pick. Another way is to drive the basket with an inside scorer and then pass it out to one of the shooters on the perimeter when the defense is drawn in. There will be more on this later. If you're using a player with a decent crossover, then you can try and use it to set up an easy pull-up jumper as well. To do that, simply move to an area on the court, stand still, press the Crossover button, and then fire up an attempt. This method has a mediocre success rate and probably shouldn't be tried very often. Fadeaways --------- Fadeways are a pretty effective way to score with outside shooters if you pull it out occasionally. It's not a recommended shot by any means on a regular basis, though. To perform a fadeaway, pull-up for a jumper (as seen above), and move the shooter in a direction away from the defender at the same time. Fadeaways should be used preferably off crossovers, or when your player is facing a double-team with the shot clock counting down. There are plenty of other ways to score in Live, so you should evaluate your options. Free Throws ----------- Free Throws are an important part of Live, and you should always be looking to capitalize. To shoot a free throw, first let your player finish his dribbling animation. Then, don't press anything and let your player get set. After that, press and hold the shoot button, and release it when the ball is just above his head. Dunking and Lay-Ups ------------------- As a new feature in this year's edition of NBA Live, there are now three different buttons to score a basket. The first one is obviously "shoot", which can be used for mid ranged jumpers and 3-pointers. The second is a "lay-up", which is a way for smaller guys, usually guards to get the deuce in close- range. Someone like Allen Iverson really utilizes the lay-up because he is undersized, but still has explosiveness and speed. The third way to score is dunk, which is obviously where the player you're controlling goes close to the rim, jumps up, and throws the ball, thus "posterizing" the opponent. When using someone smaller (6'2" and under), it's usually not a good idea on the higher difficulties to drive to the rim and try a dunk on Yao Ming. Instead, go to "lay-up" for a much more high percentage shot. It's a bit of an easier shot, and you might also draw a foul in the process. If you're using a fast player, and is facing full court pressure (when the defender meets you at mid-court), you can score a lot of easy points by blowing right past him with the Turbo button and then dunking or laying it up in the paint. Quick Plays Explained --------------------- By default, you can press either 1, 2, 3, or 4 on the Keyboard. 1 for Post-Up, 2 for Isolation, 3 for Pick and Pop, 4 for Pick and Roll. The Post-Up is where the players clear up the area directly under the bucket, so your "big man" (usually Center or Power Forward), will have some room to go one-on-one with his check (unless the defense brings the double team, which is a huge possibility). The Post-Up is usually the easiest way to score, it will be discussed in depth at a bit later.But basically, you can back into the defender and either go for a dunk or a lay-up. You can alternatively kick it back out if your post-up draws a double team. The Isolation quickplay is designed to take advantage of mismatches, like if after a rebound, a Center ends up defending your Point Guard. If that's the case, then call for the Isolation and go to work with the Freestyle Crossovers and such. Dance your way towards the bucket and get the easy lay- up/dunk. It should be noted that in such a big mismatch situation, it is very probable that your opponent will call for the double team. If this is the case, then continue to drive towards the bucket (while protecting the ball, you can do that by driving without Turbo), then identify who the defender left, and pass it to him for the easy bucket. Lastly we have the Pick and Pop vs. the Pick and Roll. The only difference between these two plays is that in Pick and Pop, the play is designed for the ball handler to dish it back to the player who set the pick for a jumpshot. And on the Pick and Roll the ball handler is supposed to drive all the way to the hoop for a lay-up or dunk. These two are effective ways to get open, and is just another offensive play at your disposal. Mix them up a higher success rate. =--=-=-=-=-=-=- ----Defense---- =-=-=-=-=-=--=- Rebounding ---------- Rebounding on the defensive end of the court is crucial to the success of any basketball team. Any team that gives up an amplitude of offensive boards won't be winning many games. To perform a rebound, take control of someone with size, preferably a Center, and wait under the basket as the the ball is shot. When it appears that it won't be falling down, position yourself under the basket and press the "rebound" button. Keep in mind your timing is very important here, so make sure you don't erratically press the button hoping to grab the board. It should also be noted that on some occasions the CPU is just going to go crazy and come flying out of no where with five different players to grab the offensive rebound. On those situations, there's really nothing you can do about it so instead of getting agitated, think about how you're going to score on the other end. Stealing -------- Stealing is made much harder this year, but you can still "wing" a few steals here and there. You can do that by sort of "turbo-ing" towards the _ball_ and pressing the steal button when you're about to make contact. This is a decent way of forcing a teal, but most steals are going to be as a result of a double team. When a player is surrounded by a double team with no where to put the ball, he's going to lose possession of it and the play will be going the other way. Defending the Post ------------------ The majority of the points are going to be scored in the post in NBA Live 07, so it is very important you know how to defend it and clog the lanes. When you see a player committing to the drive, press "1" to call for the "Double Team" quick play. This will bring another defender to help you defend the drive, and if you call it at just the right time: when the offense is in so deep he pretty much _wants_ to put up a shot, it is often going to an erratic and unsuccessfula ttempt. In-depth defensive strategy will be discussed later in the FAQ. =============================================================================== Dynasty Mode [0004] =============================================================================== Ahh... yes, Dynasty Mode. This is where the meat of the game is, and probably where you'd be spending the majority of your time (that's if you can find a way to get off Slam Dunk Contest). Anyhow, this section of FAQ is basically a walkthrough of the Dynasty Mode, and some tips on how to maximize your success. So let's begin, shall we? The Draft --------- After selecting your team and setting your options for your Dynasty Mode, it will take you right to the 2006 NBA Entry Draft. After seeing an ESPN Mock Draft, the CPU proceeds with the picks. At this point, a good idea is to skip the CPU picks, because quite frankly, who cares, right? After skipping the CPU Picks, it'll take you to your Draft Central Screen. So anyway, once the CPU Picks have been skipped or seen, it's your turn. At the top of the screen you'll find three team weaknesses and three players you can draft to try and correct them. On the bottom, you'll see an ESPN Scouting Report for each player, which will outline a couple of strength and weakness points of a particular player. The weaknesses at the top are fairly accurate for the most part, so you should address them accordingly. It should be noted that you are not limited to just the three players that are in your Draft Central Screen. By pressing the right arrow on the bottom of the screen, it'll take you to the rest of the players available. Try looking around here to see if you can find any players that would help your situation that the CPU has overlooked. One of things is of course drafting for size. In NBA Live, most of the points are scored in the paint, so if you can get a dominate Center or Power Forward, then don't overlook the opportunity. The Draft is over after 3 picks or so. Staff Hirings ------------- After the draft, you are taken to your GM schedule. Start by pressing the envelope on the top right to check out some messages. It's important you check this frequently, because there are often important messages from the Owner and some coaches answering your contract offers. You should receive a message from your Team Owner on the first day. He talks about the budget he's allocated for the Staff, and your job of course is to stay within that budget. Click on the first day (October 7th) and pick "Hire Staff". When hiring your Staff, it is important to hire coaches that suit your team needs, rather than just an "A" grade Coach. "A" grade Coaches carry a very hefty price tag, and if their specialty is "none", it might not help you out very much. It is very important you recognize your team needs, so you know how to divide the money up. For example, if your team suffers from a severely lack of strength, but needs a bit of help in the paint, it is important to spend more money on an "Athletic" based Assistant than it is for a "Big-Man" Assistant. When making your offers, there is some wiggle room for salary, but not a whole lot. It should be noted that if you have the money, it might be a good idea to hire more than one Assistant to improve your team's chances in Training Camp. After you've made all your offers click on the next day and press "Hire Staff", then "Simulate up to and including this day." After simulating, you will receive a little ring, telling you have new message. You can now check if the coaches have accepted offer. If not, go back and make another offer. If they have, then simulate the rest of the remaining days and enter Training Camp. Training Camp ------------- Training Camp is the opportunity to make those coaches you hired earlier earn their pay checks. You have the option to simulate Training Camp, but it is not recommended. To begin, click on the closest day with the NBA logo, and select "Enter Training Camp." This screen allows you to divide up your Assistant's time. The three categories are Offensive, Defensive and of course Athleticism. This is basically another opportunity to address your team's needs. If your team needs some offensive help, then devote about 45% of your Assistant's time to offense, and so on. You should also utilize your Assistant's strengths, if he's not much of a defensive guy, there's really no point in spending a lot of time that area. After you're satisfied with your results, press the forward arrow to complete Training Camp and enter the Regular Season. Regular Season -------------- Switch the month to November and view your Team Schedule. Before playing or simulating any games there are some things that needs to be taken care of throughout Dynasty Mode: - Event Scheduling - This is done by your Assistant Head Coach. To get to the event Schedule Screen, click on the right arrow, then GM's Desk, then Team Staff, then Event Scheduling. This screen allows you to divide how your team is going to spend their time for a set number of weeks. It is recommended to do your scheduling on a 3-4 week basis, because you never know what might come up that will require you to address. For example, maybe your team is suddenly hit with a bad case of fatigue, then you'd need to up the Days off. Which brings me to my next point, and which each event is for: Team Event: This will increase communication, aka awareness, and give a boost to team passing and defensive awareness ratings. Time: 4 Weeks ->Recommended: 10% Press Event: Improve dunk and free throw ratings. ->Recommended: 10% Team Practice: Improves team overall, but also decreases Fatigue and Hardiness (means your players are more fatigued). ->Recommended: 30% Days off: Increases Fatigue and Hardiness ratings. ->Recommended: 50% This Schedule gets a good amount of practices in there, but also enough days- off to recuperate from them and team events. - Team Chemistry - Keep an eye on this because it tells you how each player are feeling. Remember, it is pretty hard to keep every single player on the team happy, so all we can ask for is to keep our key players happy. To raise or maintain a high level of happiness from a player, make sure he's getting a solid amount of playing time, first and foremost. A way to keep up the general team chemistry is to make sure the team is winning ball games. Also, players that are generally involved in the game by putting up good numbers are also more likely to be happy. Player to player chemistry is developed for the most part by winning ball games. Animosity between players are developed through unequal distribution of the ball, where one player takes more shots than the other player feels he should. Team Chemistry is most important in simulated games, but tend not to play as much of a factor in a gamed played. Also, putting players on the trading block will lower overall team chemistry, unless it's already really low, which means he is seeking a trade. But you'll know that by checking your Inbox. - ESPN Rumor Central - Rumor Central is located in the Assistant Head Coach screen under Team Staff and GM's Desk. You can tell your Assistant Head Coach to research any rumor reported by ESPN. The reason you want to do that is to of course, check the validity of each rumor. For example, if the rumor says "Kevin Garnett on the trading block?" this is of huge interest to any team, so naturally you'd want to follow up on it. You can do that by pressing "Research" on the bottom of the screen. Depending on your Assistant Head Coach's Rumor Research grade, you will get varying results. Someone who is A+ at rumor control will not only confirm if the rumor or not, he'll also find out what the other team is seeking. However, I believe Rumor snoops are overrated, because they can't really do much to help out your team. - Assistants, Trainers and Scouts - These are the more important screens in the GM's Desk section of Dynasty Mode. Assistants are by far the most important of the three, because you can (depending on how many you have) assign an Assistant to work with any player on your team. The most progress is usually made on Rookies. You can spread the areas that the Assistants work on by either increasing or decreasing the percent of "Offense", "Defense", or "Athletic". Athletic is a focus on physical aspects of the game, things like Speed and Strength. You can have an Assistant work on players for a time period of 1-4 weeks. Also, it should be noted that some Assistants have Specialties, along with Areas they have a high expertise in. For example, some Trainers can be used to help speed up recovery times for injured players. The effectiveness of trainers of course depend on their grade. I won't go into much detail here, because it's fairly straight forward. You can access the Scouting screen through the GM's Desk. Once in, you have two options: either to scout your next opponent or scout the next draft class. Scouting your next opponent really doesn't have much of an effect if you're looking to simulate, but if you're playing the game then it's pretty much worth looking at. Scouting a player in the upcoming draft class can provide more accurate information and better projections. It's definitely worth doing, so remember to check back at Scouting regularly, especially if you're looking to run several seasons with your Dynasty. - Roster Management - The first thing to note is the "Player Rotation" screen. It should be noted that all changes made in this screen is for simulation games only, and they do not apply to games you play. For example, to actually put someone into the Starting Lineup, it has to be done from the "Play Game" screen: where you get mess around with the Jerseys, Game Settings, and all that. If you're simulating through, your star players with Stamina of 90 and better can pretty much play 80% of the game, that's roughly 38.4 minutes a game at 12 minute Quarters. The Inactive List is basically a way to keep players on your team, but they won't be "dressed" for the game, so to speak. One would do this obviously to make room for another player. Doing this to any player is sure to damage Team Chemistry, and depending on who it is, he might even demand a trade out of your team. Which brings us smoothly to our next point. That's the Trade Players screen. This is the place where you obviously trade players, either by making an offer to a team or by placing a player on the Trading Block. Which is a way of telling other teams that you're looking to deal a particular player so they will make offers to you. Putting a player on the Trading Block will lower their Team Chemistry with the team, unless it's already low and they have demanded a trade out of your franchise. The Free Agents screen is a place for you to sign some Free Agents. There probably isn't anyone on here who can change your team in a drastic kind of way, as the highest overall player is an aging Gary Payton at 73 OVR. The Free Agent pool should really just be considered when you suffer an injury to a position where you have no depth. - All-Star Weekend and Trade Deadline - I decided to slap these two together because they're around roughly the same time. For Year One in Dynasty, the All-Star Weekend kicks off on February 16, 2007 with the Rookie vs. Sophomore game. After that you have the 3 point Shootout and the Slam Dunk Competition. Capping off All-Star Weekend is of course the NBA All-Star Game. You can choose to take part in these activities, and check out the All-Star Weekend section of this FAQ for more in-depth coverage. Trade Deadline is on the 22nd of February in Year 1 of the Dynasty. The Trade Deadline is the last day where you can make trades, so after that your team is pretty much set for the homestretch to the post-season. This is a good time to head over to ESPN Rumor Central and have your Assistant Head Coach research on some possible trades. You never know if you can pull off a blockbuster deal that might not cost you very much (IE a star player wants out of a franchise). NBA Playoffs ------------ If your team was good enough to finish in the top 8 of your conference, then you will be legible for the NBA Playoffs. The path to the NBA Finals begin here. To begin the playoffs, click on the "NBA Playoffs" icon on the Calendar and Simulate up to and including that day. Then, press the right arrow and click "Begin Playoffs". In this screen you can see the playoff picture, and see the potential teams you can play on your way to the NBA Finals. Once you've taken a good gander at the bracket, press "Simulate" until it reaches your game. At this point, you'd of course want to "Play". The default format for the NBA Playoffs is a best-out-of-7 series. You can pretty much use any strategy in this FAQ to succeed in the playoffs, or check the individual team strategy in the "Team Roster" section of the FAQ. Good luck. Off-Season ---------- After the Playoffs are done, it's time to continue with the Off-Season. You can take a look at the Finals MVP and all that, and then continue on with your business. The Off-Season is basically time to tie up loose ends in your Dynasty. Things like re-signing players and coaches rank among the more important tasks. The very first thing to do in the Off-Season though is taking on the Rookies in an optional 1-on-1 game with an automatically selected player from your team. This isn't really required, and you should just do it if you're looking to kill some time. Otherwise, advance to resigning your players. When re-signing your players, you should first evaluate how long you're thinking about how much longer you're going to be playing. If the answer is for a much longer time, then be sure you manage your money correctly and don't sign many players to lucrative contracts. If the answer is, "I'm almost done," then it might be OK just to sign as many high-profile players you can. Also, it is especially important that you don't resign your whole team during the Re-signing period. Be sure to lock up your key players like the Iversons and Bryants first though. Let the middle-tier players go first. The reason for that is, you might be resigning someone on your team who might not be as good or even as cheap (money wise) as some free agent. If there are no better options, then you can still try and bid for the player you let go, so it's rather risk free. The NBA Draft is pretty much the same as the first time around, and signing free agents has already been addressed, so this takes us to the end of the Dynasty portion of the FAQ. I hope you enjoyed it. =============================================================================== All-Star Weekend [0005] =============================================================================== =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rookie Challenge =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Rookie Challenge is the part of the All-Star Weekend where the NBA Rookies try their luck against the NBA Sophomore team. Which in lame men's terms is the first year players against the 2nd year players. There's really nothing special about the Rookie Challenge, it's just a regular game. Here are the team starting line-ups anyway, though: NBA Rookies (78 OVR) -------------------- C - L. Aldridge - 71 OVR PF - A. Bargnani - 74 OVR SF - A. Morrison - 74 OVR SG - B. Roy - 72 OVR PG - R. Foye NBA Sophomores (86 OVR) ----------------------- C - A. Bogut - 76 OVR PF - C. Frye - 76 OVR SF - C. Villanueva - 78 OVR SG - R. Felton - 74 OVR PG - C. Paul - C. Paul =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 3 Point Shootout =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The 3 Point Shootout is one of the bigger attractions at All-Star Weekend. It's basically in a format where all the players get a chance to shoot 5 racks of 6 racks of 6 basketballs with one "money ball" The money ball is worth 2 points, the rest worth 1 point. Top two after the first round will advance to the championship round. You can use any shooter in the NBA. Controls -------- Turbo - Pick up ball from rack Shoot - Shoot the ball Default Shooters ---------------- D. Nowitzki - Dallas Mavericks - 84 3PT Rating R. Allen - Seattle Supersonics - 90 3PT Rating G. Arenas - Washington Wizards - 80 3PT Rating C. Billups - Detroit Pistons - 81 3PT Rating J. Terry - Dallas Mavericsk - 80 3PT Rating Q. Richardson - New York Knicks - 79 3PT Rating S. Nash - Phoenix Suns - 87 3PT Rating P. Stojakovic - New Orleans Hornets - 85 3PT Rating The key to having success in the 3 Point Shootout is to develop a quick rhythm. Your instinct might be to get set line up the bucket and then put it up, but this strategy isn't going to work here. You first have to figure out where your shooter's best release point is, and try to repeat it every time. I find I get the best results when I release the ball _right_ before my shooter reaches his highest point of his jump. To keep up a quick pace, you should be repeatedly pressing the Turbo Button right after you release each shot to pick up the ball and then let it go. Your first few times through the 3 Point Shootout might be frustrating, but just keep working at it. There really aren't many other tips for this except to develop a quick rhythm and keep it up. You'll find the default list of shooters usually put up some ridiculous numbers like 26 or 27, but it's definitely doable. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Slam Dunk Contest =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Slam Dunk Contest is perhaps the most enjoyable and addicting part of NBA Live 07, but the learning curve is heavy. There are over a thousand dunks you can create, so listing them in this FAQ would be impossible. Before heading over to the Slam Dunk Contest, it is absolutely crucial that you go to the "Slam Dunk School" under Game Modes. They can teach you how to do it effectively a lot better than I can, but I'll try and explain the process: There are about two or three steps in each dunk, depending if you choose to do a throw. Then, there's the gather and finally the dunk. The gather is basically the "setup" to each dunk or the "jog" the bucket. First and foremost move to the spot on the floor where you want to begin. Then, move towards the hoop and press a gather button. As soon as the gather animation finishes (it will be quick) press and hold the dunk button you're looking for, along with any modifiers. Don't hold the dunk button for too long, or you'll abort it, let go if it too quickly and you're going to abort it too. The game will now be in slow motion, and when it looks like you're player is ready to throw down the ball, let go of the dunk button. Here's a list of gathers and dunks on the default controls: Gathers S: 1 foot gather D: 2 foot gather X: 180 gather E: 180 gather Dunks: S: Tomahawk E: Windmill X: Clutch (under the leg) D: One Hand Here's an example to pull off a fairly basic but beautiful and high scoring dunk. 180 Clutch (under the leg) Dunk ------------------------------- (I used Lebron James, FYI) * Start beyond the 3 point line anywhere on the court * Move towards the bucket and press "E" to begin the gather * As soon as you see your dunker hold the ball with one hand above his head, press and hold "X" to jump and pass the ball under your leg while spinning 180 degrees * As soon as you see the ball is about to touch your other hand, let go of "X" To get a high score for this (or any) Dunk, you need to get lots of hang time, and fluency. Hangtime is directly related to the amount of space you have to work with. That was just one dunk you can pull off, spend some time in the Slam Dunk School to hone your skills and let the posterizing begin. =-=-=-=-=-=-= All-Star Game =-=-=-=-=-=-= The All-Star game is of course where the fans select the top players (in their view) to play in one big spectacle. Here are the starting lineups. Eastern Conference ------------------ C - S. O'Neal - 89 OVR PF - V. Carter - 87 OVR SF - L. James - 97 OVR SG - D. Wade - 93 OVR PG - A. Iverson - 90 OVR Western Conference ------------------ C - Y. Ming - 88 OVR PF - T. Duncan - 91 OVR SF - T. McGrady 93 OVR SG - K. Braynt - 97 OVR PG - S. Nash =============================================================================== Offensive Strategy [0006] =============================================================================== Go Inside the Paint EARLY ------------------------- On the opening possessions you're going to find that both teams are going to miss a lot of jumpshots. This is just a factoid of basketball, because the players do not have a good feel of the game yet. So take note of this and work the ball inside early in the game get some momentum on your side. Put the ball in the hands of your Center or Power Forward and let them back into the defender (with the Freestyle Control, Power Move) for some easy buckets. Early in the game you're going to find that the opponent won't bring the double team very often, so there are a lot of points to be scored there. Get "a kick out" of each possession ---------------------------------- One of the most effective ways to score in NBA Live 07 is to establish a drive to the bucket, draw a double-team and kick it out to a 3-point ace waiting on the perimeter. This strategy is usually done by using an explosive player like Kobe Bryant, and calling for Quick Play #1 - Isolation, then drive towards the hoop and draw the double team. At this point instead of going for the bucket yourself, which would be an extremely tough shot, look for the man who the doubling defender just left and kick it out to him and fire away. Even if the player on the receiving end of the pass doesn't have a 3 point icon, chances are he'd still drain the shot, granted it's not Shaquille O'Neal you're kicking it out too. You can also draw double teams with Pick and Rolls as well. Free Throws win championships ----------------------------- Being a good free-throwing team doesn't always guarantee a victory, but it's not a stretch by any means to say the better free throwing team wins about 90% of the games. The best way to draw a foul is to drive aggressively towards the hoop with "Turbo" and attempt a lay-up. The importance of free-throws really doesn't lie on drawing an excessive amount, but more on making the most out of the opportunities presented. Free throws can be consistently made simply with good shooting mechanics. Gone are the annoying, and on higher difficulties, often impossible "touch two dots in the centre" days. The key to making free throws in 07 is developing a rhythm for each player and releasing the ball right as it reaches his head. Pass With Care -------------- Passing is always a good thing to do in theory, but in NBA Live 07 it can be quite a hardship trying to distribute the ball around, especially into the post. The key is to not be predictable when passing, and don't always do the pass from PG to C as soon as you're running your half-court offense. Instead, try and do something to throw the defender off, like pull up for a jumper and then press "pass" as you're in the air. This is a good way to keep the defense honest. Alternatively, you can try and lock on your target and try a direct pass. This is just a way to make sure the ball is going exactly where you want it to, because sometimes it might be difficult to aim the arrows precisely. Shot Selection is Key --------------------- If you're someone who loves to bring the ball down, do a bit of a crossover, and then pull up for a jumper, this game isn't going to be a lot of fun. Shot selection is one of the most important keys to a victory, and it's no different in NBA Live 07. So why not try something like PG takes the ball down, dishes it over to the SG, then to the SF in the right pocket, and then into the C for a post-up deuce. If you find that you can't get open by passing the ball around and driving, then it's time to call a quick play. Capitalize on the Offensive Rebounds ------------------------------------ When you are able to get a second shot opportunity following an offensive board, it is very important you capitalize. The obvious reaction after getting a board is to try and throw it down for the easy deuce. This however will not work a lot of the time, because of the number of defenders surrounding the rebounder. Because of this, it would be an extremely good decision to pass the ball to one of the shooters waiting on the perimeter for the trifecta. If that's not an option, just kick it out to one of the guards and reset your offense and call some quickplays (Pick and Roll, Isolation, etc). Utilize the Freestyle Control ----------------------------- One of my favourite features of all Live games is the freestyle control. As mentioned earlier, it is useful on Isolation plays because it allows you to dance around the opponent and create some room for a pull-up jumper as well. The best part about the Freestyle control this year is you don't even need the Logitech Dual Analog controller to use it. All you need to do is hold down Crossover and press any of the movement buttons to perform an And1 like move or spin. On a Logitech Dual Analog controller, all you have to do is mess around with the Right Analog stick. Look to the Fast-Break ---------------------- After you've made a good defensive stand and have the rebound after a miss, look for the outlet pass to start a fast break opportunity. The fast break is one of the easier ways to score on NBA Live, because it's usually an odd-man rush (2-on-1, 3-on-1, etc). When on the fast-break, it is crucial to pass the ball back and forth, and force the defense to commit to a player. As soon as that happens pass it to the other player and get the easy deuce via dunk or lay-up. You can also try to a pick and roll from about the key (area where the free throws are shot), and get a bucket that way. That way, even if the pick isn't successful the player who set the pick will be wide open for a pass back and easy "J". Utilize your Freestyle Superstars --------------------------------- Inside Scorer (Ball w/ Bucket) Power (Fist) Outside Scorer (Fireball) High Flyer (Wing) 3 Point Specialist (3) Playmaker (rotating arrows) Certain players are good at certain things, and they have icons to indicate that. The above is a list of offensive specialist types with their corresponding icons in brackets. It is very important to utilize your freestyle stars and superstars. For example, it's ideal for 3 point specialists and outside-scorers to call for picks often to get just a moment of separation to swish the jumper. Conversely, if your 3 point specialist is PF or C like Antoine Walker or Dirk Nowitzki, then it might be a good idea to utilize the pick and pop. Call for the pick from Walker or Nowitzki and draw the defense onto the ball carrier then kick it back to one of those guys for an easy drain. It should also be noted that you certain players have more than one ability their good at, like Allen Iverson, who's a Playmaker, Outside Scorer and an Outside Defender (more on that later). If you have a Dual Analog Controller, you can alter between each icon depending on the situation by holding the Left Trigger and pressing down on the Right Analog stick. For example, if you're Allen Iverson and you're setting up a Pick and Pop, and you're looking to draw the defense to you and then kick it out for the "Pop", you'd want to have the Playmaker icon selected. So press and hold the Left Trigger and press the Right Analog stick until you see the rotating arrows selected. This is really more of an annoying feature if anything. Abuse the Pick -------------- The Pick and Roll is one of the most effective ways of scoring in NBA Live 07. I'm not sure what the reason is, but after you call for a Pick and Roll and use it to drive to the bucket, the lay-ups and dunks just have a higher success rate, even if your ball handler doesn't get a lot of separation from the defense. Also, the pick and roll often draws a double team or even a bad switch (C on G). If your pick draws a double team, the obvious thing to do is to pass it back to the player who set the pick and fire away. If it's a bad switch, call for the Isolation quick play and goto work with your Freestyle Control. =============================================================================== Defensive Strategy [0007] =============================================================================== Stay In Front of the Offense ---------------------------- Scoring is made rather difficult in NBA Live 07, so use it to your advantage on the defensive end of the court. With any defender, stay concentrated on the offense looks like he's doing. Not only does your player in NBA Live have to be quick to keep up with quick players, you have to be too. As soon as you see the offense go to the right, you have to be going in that direction with your controller just as quick. If the offense drives, be sure to use the Turbo button to keep up. If you don't, the opponent is just going to blow right past you. If they pull-up for the jumpshot you absolutely _have_ to get your hand up just as quickly, if you're slower by even half a second it'll turn out to be an easy deuce. Double Team Often ----------------- The Double Team should be utilized on every second possession, if not every possession. Be sure you have the proper personnel to do it, though. For example an ideal player to bring the double team with is someone quick like Allen Iverson. Even if the player you're double teaming finds a way to get it back to his Point Guard, Iverson has the speed to get back in time and still contest the shot. Double Teams are a great way to force erratic passes, if you manage to cut off the right lane, and often turnovers. Just be sure to do it with someone quick so you don't get caught out of position. Do NOT Abuse the Steal Button ----------------------------- Defensive Fouls are no longer a rarity in NBA Live this year, and the Steal button's success rate has fallen considerably as well. It might work once every 10 attempts, if that. Abusing the steal button in years past has allowed you to force easy turnovers without having to worry about defensive fouls, but all that has changed this year. Instead of mashing the Steal Button, focus on contesting shots, bringing double-teams, and of course staying with the offense. Contest Every Single Shot ------------------------- This might seem like quick an obvious thing to do, and it is, except on some occasions where it appears the shooter is wide open. Once you see that, it is very easy to give up and just let them take the shot. However, getting a hand up, even if you're almost an arm's length away will still make the shot considerably more difficult, and you're going to find that the other team might miss quite a few "wide open shots". Don't Give Up 2nd Shot Opportunities ------------------------------------ 2nd Shot opportunities can really hurt a team, and is quite often frustrating when they are given up. The worst part is they can easily be avoided by simply good positioning and good timing. On every rebound, the defense has the advantage, don't forget that. Quite often when rebounds are missed by the defense is because of excessive jumping, and mistimed jumping. All it takes to bring down a board is to press your "pass" button to take control of the nearest defender to the ball and time your jump so you'll meet the ball before anyone else can in mid-air. Don't Be Afraid to Bring the Zone --------------------------------- When you find that one player on offense is simply dominating one of yours, or that you're giving up too second shot opportunities, then it's time to call the for the zone defense. The zone defense is the style of D where each player occupies a certain area on the court, and is responsible for anyone who comes into their area. As mentioned before, if any particular player on the opposing team is creating a lot of trouble for you because of speed, strength, or whatever, then a switch up to the zone might be a good idea. Using the zone defense also clogs up the lane, so this will take away points in the paint considerably. One disadvantage of the Zone defense is it really gives more room for perimeter shooting, so it might not be the best idea if the other team has some great outside shooters. You should avoid using the zone D when you're behind. Because of the smaller amount of pressure on the offense, they can often use up a lot of the clock on each possession. =============================================================================== Team Rosters [0008] =============================================================================== LEGEND: -Offense- I: Inside Scorer (Ball w/ Bucket) O: Outside Scorer (Fireball) F: High Flyer (Wing) 3: 3 Point Specialist (3) Y: Playmaker (Rotating Arrows) P: Power (Fist) -Defense (Lower-Case)- o: Outside Stopper (Lock) i: Inside Stopper (Hand) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlanta Hawks [78 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Zaza Pachulia - 69 OVR PF - Shelden Williams - 67 OVR SF - Josh Smith - 78 OVR SG - Joe Johnson - 83 OVR PG - Tyronn Lue - 70 OVR - B e n c h - SG - Josh Childress SF - Marvin Williams C - Lorenzen Wright SG - Salim Stoudamire PG - Speedy Claxton PF - Esteban Batista PG - Royal Ivey - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - J. Johnson - 85 OVR (O)(Y)(3) J. Smith - 78 OVR (F)(i) - A n a l y s i s - The Hawks really aren't headed anywhere anytime soon, one would think. Their best player is Joe Johnson, but aside from him there really aren't many bright spots on this team, with the exception of Josh Smith. A good move would probably be to sit down Josh Childress for Josh Smith in the starting lineup. Even though Childress is a slightly better shooter, Smith is much more dangerous in close on the offensive end of the floor and a good shot blocker on his end. If you're looking to start a Dynasty with the Hawks, you're going to have to make some big moves. The Hawks need help at nearly every position, but the first issue that needs to be addressed is probably the Center. The Center/Power Forward position in NBA Live is extremely crucial because of how easily the big men can dominate the game in the paint. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Boston Celtics [80 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Kendrick Perkisn - 66 OVR PF - Al Jefferson - 76 OVR SF - Paul Pierce - 89 OVR SG - Wally Szczerbiak - 73 OVR PG - Delonte West - 73 OVR - B e n c h - SF - Ryan Gomes PG - Sebastian Telfair SG - Tony Allen C - Theo Ratliff PF - Brian Scalabrine PG - Rajon Rondo SG - Gerald Green PF - Brian Grant - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - P. Pierce - 89 OVR (I)(F)(3) W. Szczerbiak - 73 OVR (3) - A n a l y s i s - The Celtics are another team on the decline. They still have Paul Pierce who has been the face of the franchise for as long as I can remember, but because of a mediocre supporting cast, especially at the Center position, Boston won't be competition for many championships in the near future. The best chance to win with this team is to set a lot of picks for Pierce to drive to the bucket and put up some mid-ranged jumpers. When Pierce draws the double team, look to kick it out to Szcerbiak for some 3 pointers. On the defensive side of the ball, your goal should be to force some turnovers with Pierce and your fairly quick guards. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Charlotte Bobcats [76 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Primoz Brezec - 69 OVR PF - Emeka Okafor - 78 OVR SF - Adam Morrison -75 OVR SG - Gerald Wallace - 78 OVR PG - Ramon Felton - 75 OVR - B e n c h - PG - Brevin Knight SG - Bernard Robinson PF - Sean May SG - Matt Carroll PF - Othella Harrington PF - Melvin Ely C - Jake Voskul - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - E. Okafor - 78 OVR (P)(i) G. Wallace - 78 OVR (H)(i)(o) B. Knight - 68 OVR (Y)(o) - A n a l y s i s - The Charlotte Bobcats are a decent team with a young backcourt. We all know about Emeka Okafor, the 2nd Overall Pick out of Connecticut in the 2006 NBA Draft. He's a solid player on both ends of the floor, but has no range whatsoever. It wouldn't be a long shot to say all his points are going to come in the post. The biggest offensive threats on this team are at the Forward positions, with Wallace and Okafor, both of whom who are only effective in the paint. Morrison, the 3rd Overall pick in the 06 Draft poses as a minor outside threat, but he can still drain a few. The Bobcats are a young team that is only going to get better. If you're looking to start a Dynasty with the Bobcats, the first thing to do would probably be to get a proven offensive Point Guard to work with Morrison on the outside. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chicago Bulls [92 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Ben Wallace - 84 OVR PF - P.J. Brown - 74 OVR SF - Andres Nocioni - 76 OVR SG - Ben Gordon - 79 OVR PG - Kirk Hinrich - 81 OVR - B e n c h - SF - Luol Deng PF - Tyrus Thomas PG - Chris Duhon SG - Thabo Sefolosha PF - Michael Sweetney SF - Adrian Griffin PG - Howard Eisley SF - Viktor Khryapa PF - Malik Allen - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - B. Wallace - 84 OVR (P)(i) B. Gordon - 78 OVR (O)(3) K. Hinrich - 81 OVR (O)(Y)(3) - A n a l y s i s - The Bulls are a team that made it to the Post-Season for the first time in nearly a decade last year. They have a young and talented team with a backcourt that might evolve into one of the best in the NBA one day. Gordon and Hinrich are already excellent offensively, and they are only going to get better. The Bulls also managed to add Ben Wallace in the off-season, who signed the lucrative contract to go to Chicago. If you're looking to rebuild the Bulls of the early 90s, this team might be able to do it in the 3 years or so. Off the court, look to add a proven scorer at one of the Forward positions, because the Bulls aren't really strong offensively up front. If you're playing with the Bulls on the court, look to set a lot of Picks for your two guards, and look to Ben Wallace to try and pull-down some Offensive Boards, then reset it back to the Guards. Even though we don't talk about Wallace on the offensive end that much, he's still a decent dunker and powerful, so don't hesitate to try some points in the paint with him. On the defensive end, do your best to stay with the offense and force some tough shots because they aren't going to get many second shot opportunities with Wallace patrolling the rim. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cleveland Cavaliers [89 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Zydrunas Ilgauskas - 76 OVR PF - Drew Gooden - 73 OVR SF - Lebron James - 97 OVR SG - Larry Hughes - 84 OVR PG - Eric Snow - 70 OVR - B e n c h - PF - Donyell Marshall PG - Daniel Gibson PF - Anderson Varejao SG - Shannon Brown C - Scot Pollard SG - Ira Newble SG - Aleksandar Pavlovic PG - Damon Jones SF - Like Jackson - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - Z. Ilgauskas - 76 OVR (I)(i) L. James - 97 OVR (F)(I)(O)(Y)(P)(o) L. Hughes - 84 OVR (o) - A n a l y s i s - The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and one of the most exciting too. Lebron James is one of the best players in NBA Live 07, and just 21 years of age, too. In Dynasty Mode, it is ideal that you lock up James for as long as you play, because he is the guy to build this franchise around. I'm not sold on Eric Snow being the man to quarterback this offensive. He is aging, and no longer the defensive or offensive player he once was. It wouldn't be a bad idea to trade someone like Larry Hughes for a proven scorer. Because of Marshall's 3 point range, it is probably a good idea to start him in front of Dwight Gooden. In game, just play Lebron James in every situation possible (just look at his Freestyle Superstar Icons). He is capable of scoring from any spot on the court, but he is most dangerous when his explosiveness and speed are utilized, so attack the rim with everything you've got. Set Pick and Rolls, and when the double teams come, look to kick it out to Donyell Marshall for some 3 balls. Larry Hughes is also a solid player on both ends of the court. On the defensive end of the court, look to try and force some steals with James. See if you can anticipate some passes and Turbo towards them with Lebron. He's also a solid defender on the outside along with Larry Hughes, so use them and stay with the offense to force some tough shots. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dallas Mavericks [94 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Erick Dampier - 70 OVR PF - Dirk Nowitzki - 91 OVR SF - Josh Howard - 85 OVR SG - Jason Terry - 81 OVR PG - Devin Harris - 78 OVR - B e n c h - SG - Jerry Stackhouse C - DeSagana Diop PG - Anthony Johnson PF - Austin Croshere SG - Greg Buckner SF - Devean George SG - Maurice Ager C - DJ Mbenga SF - Ndudi Ebi - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - D. Nowitzki - 91 OVR (I)(O)(3) J. Howard - 85 OVR (O)(o) J. Terry - 81 OVR (O)(3)(o) - A n a l y s i s - The Dallas Mavericks are coming off an NBA Championship season, so the only way to have a better season is to of course take down the NBA title. The Mavericks got to the big dance with a high-octane offense, because their defense is for the most part non-existent. They obviously have Dirk Nowitzki, undoubtedly the most versatile big-man in the NBA today. He's literally able to score from any spot on the court, whether it'd be from beyond the arc or with a power move inside the paint. The key to scoring with the Mavericks is setting a lot of picks and rolls/pops with Nowitzki, Howard or Terry. Setting the pick with Nowitzki gives you a lot of options. For example if you're Jason Terry calling for the pick by Nowitzki, you can either use the pick and put up a mid-ranged jumper, or you can pass it back to Dirk for an easy deuce. On the defensive end of the court, don't hesitate to bring the double team a lot with Howard or Terry to help out the mediocre defensive in the paint. They are quick enough to get back to the outside if the offense chooses to kick it out, so you shouldn't worry about that too much. You should be more concerned with the fact that any decent Center or PF can expose Nowitzki and Diop's mediocre D. From a GM standpoint, it'd probably be worth it to pick up a decent shot- blocking Center. You can get a serviceable one by dealing Jerry Stackhouse and a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick. In fact, one of the main reasons the Mavs lost in the finals was because they didn't have an answer for Shaquille O'Neal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Denver Nuggets [85 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Marcus Camby - 78 OVR PF - Kenyon Martin - 84 OVR SF - Carmelo Anthony - 86 OVR SG - J.R. Smith - 73 OVR PG - Andre Miller - 74 OVR - B e n c h - PG - Earl Boykins SF - Eduardo Najera PF - Joe Smith SF - Linas Klieza SG - Julius Hodge PF - Reggie Evans - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - M. Camby - 78 OVR (i) K. Martin - 84 OVR (P) C. Anthony - 86 OVR (I)(O) J. Smith - 73 OVR (F) A. Miller 74 OVR (Y) - A n a l y s i s - The Nuggets are one of the more overrated teams in the NBA, in my opinion. Carmelo Anthony is a solid player, especially in NBA Live 07. In real life he suffers from a poor shot selection, but luckily in Live, you have total control about the types of shots he takes. Melo is an inside threat and outside threat, so you should of course be setting a lot of picks for him. Inside the paint should be where you goto Kenyon Martin, the ex-Net. Have him post-up a lot and Freestyle Control your way to the hoop and throw it down. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any jump shot to speak of, and he's a poor Free Thrower. That puts the Nuggets at huge disadvantage because the team can foul him and about 30% of the time take away 2 points away from the team. Another problem with the Nuggets is they don't have any outside threats on this team, besides Carmelo Anthony. Which is something you should definitely look at it. As for some offensive strategy, the key is to move the ball around, drive and then kick it out. Unfortunately this team doesn't have any outside threats, so the majority of the kickouts will have to Anthony, which takes away a driving threat. Smith is still a decent dunker, so you can drive the ball with him if need be. On the defensive end of the ball, it's kind of unfortunate when the Nuggets' best defender is an aging Marcus Camby. Defense is a huge thorn on the Nuggets side, and that's a huge reason for their inconsistency. Marcus Camby is still a decent shot blocker though, but he is a bit undersized. If you're looking to play with the Nuggets on GM Mode, a good idea is to perhaps trade away Martin for a decent Outside shooter and defender. The franchise player is of course Carmelo Anthony, who can keep getting better, so focus on building a team of defense and shooters around him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Detroit Pistons [84 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Dale Davis - 68 OVR PF - Rasheed Wallace - 84 OVR SF - Tayshaun Prince - 80 OVR SG - Richard Hamilton - 82 OVR PG - Chauncey Billups - 84 OVR - B e n c h - - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - R. Wallace - 84 OVR (I)(P)(i) T. Prince - 80 OVR (i) R. Hamilton - 82 OVR (O) C. Billups - 84 OVR (O)(Y)(3)(o) - A n a l y s i s - Despite losing Ben Wallace, the Pistons are still one of the best teams in the NBA. They do it by having a group of 4 unselfish players in Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Chaucey Billups. The key to success with this team is to utilize all the offensive threats available to you. The beauty of the Piston offense is literally any single one of those 4 players can put the shot up. Because of this, you need to utilize ball movement and lots of picks. Call for the pick and roll and drive with Rip, only to kick it out to a waiting Billups on the perimeter for the tray. The only noticeable flaw to the Pistons this year is they really haven't found a suitable replacement for Ben Wallace. Their team is a bit undersized this year because of it. And we all know in Live, without good defense in the paint, the other team will just eat you alive. So because of the Pistons' lack of a strong defensive center, you _have_ to bring the double team as soon as it looks like the offense is about to get an easy deuce inside. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Golden Sate Warriors [82 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Adonal Foyle - 63 OVR PF - Troy Murphy - 75 OVR SF - Mike Dunleavy - 74 OVR SG - Jason Richardson - 85 OVR PG - Baron Davis - 87 OVR - B e n c h - SG - Mickael Pietrus SG - Monta Ellis C - Ike Diogu PG - Keith McLeod PF - Andris Perkins C - Patrick O'Bryant SG - Devin Brown PF - Zarko Cabarkapa PF - Chris Taft - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - A. Foyle - 63 OVR (i) J. Richardson - 85 OVR (F)(O) B. Davis - 87 OVR (F)(O)(Y)(o) - A n a l y s i s - With the addition of Baron Davis in the second half of the 05 season along with some nice off-season acquisitions, seem to put the Warriors in a potential playoff run for 06. That didn't happen though. Nevertheless, the Warriors are still a solid team to ball with in NBA Live 07. With the aforementioned Baron Davis quarterbacking this squad, it really opens up a lot of options on the offensive side. He is obviously one of the most versatile players in the game, posing as a significant threat inside and out. Use his playmaking abilities to set up Mike Dunleavy and Jason Richardson. Speaking of Richardson, he is of course a huge inside threat with his dunking ability. Use Richardson to draw the double teams and kick it out to Dunleavy and Davis on the outside for some easy deuces. The one area where the Warriors need help in is defense. Aside from Baron Davis, there really aren't any good defenders on this team. Richardson is serviceable, but Shooting Guard is one of the most talented positions in the NBA, and I just don't see him being able to shutdown guys like Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady. With that being said, don't be afraid to bring the double team Baron Davis to any position that needs it. He's quick enough to get back to his defender if the offense picks up the double. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Houston Rockets [87 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Yao Ming - 84 OVR PF - Juwan Howard - 73 OVR SF - Shane Battier - 77 OVR SG - Tracy McGrady - 98 OVR PG - Rafer Alston - 74 OVR - B e n c h - PG - Luther Head SG - Kirk Snyder C - Dikembe Mutombo SF - Ryan Bowen PF - Maciej Lampe PG - Bob Sura SG - David Wesley - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - Y. Ming - 84 OVR (I)(i) T. McGrady - 98 OVR (F)(I)(O)(Y)(3)(o) S. Battier - 77 OVR (o) R. Alston - 74 OVR (Y) D. Mutumbo - 68 OVR (i) - A n a l y s i s - With the team that the Rockets have put together, they are primed for a run deep into the NBA Playoffs in NBA Live 07. Coverboy Tracy McGrady is by far the best overall player in Live 07. He just has the ability to score from any spot on the court and also free up a lot room for his team-mates because of all the double teams he draws. Yao Ming is a solid player on both ends of the court and his a great free throw shooter for a big man. The addition of Rafer Alston brings a proven ball distributor to the Rockets. He had questionable shot selection when he was playing with the Raptors, but he shouldn't have that problem here playing with McGrady and Yao. On offense, call for a lot of picks and isolation plays for McGrady to create scoring opportunities via kickout. Yao Ming is a solid option inside, so set up a lot of post-up plays for him. On the defensive end of the court, all you really have to do is stick with the defense, because for the most part you have a good defensive team here. Just force some tough shots by staying in front of the offense, and bringing the occasional double team to keep the opponent honest. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indiana Pacers [81 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Jermaine O'Neal - 86 OVR PF - Al Harington - 80 OVR SF - Danny Granger - 77 OVR SG - Stephen Jackson - 74 OVR PG - Jamal Tinsley - 75 OVR - B e n c h - SG - Marquis Daniels PG - Saruna Jasikevicius C - Jeff Foster PG - Darrell Armstrong SF - Shawne Williams C - David Harrison C - John Edwards - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - J. O'Neal - 86 OVR (I)(P)(i) D. Armstrong - 69 OVR (o) - A n a l y s i s - Ironically enough, after the retirement of Reggie Miller, this team seems to be steadily on the decline. Don't take it wrong though, they are probably still a playoff team, it's just they aren't going to be contending for any championships in the near future. On the offensive end of things, focus on working the ball inside with Jermaine O'Neal and Al Harington. Stephen Jackson is still a potent offensive threat from the outside, so kick it out to him often. He's also got the talent to create some shots on his own, so don't hesitate to do so. On the defensive side of the ball, bring the double team from Darrel Armstrong often. He's a solid defender in his own right, but he can help out a mediocre defender like Stephen Jackson. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Los Angeles Clippers [91 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Chris Kaman - 74 OVR PF - Elton Brand - 90 OVR SF - Quinton Ross - 67 OVR SG - Cutitino Mobley - 78 OVR PG - Sam Cassell - 73 OVR - B e n c h - SF - Corey Maggette PG - Shaun Livingston SF - James Singleton C - Zeljko Rebraca SF - Yaroslav Korolev C - Aaron Williams - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - C. Kaman - 74 OVR (i) E. Brand - 90 OVR (I)(P)(i) C. Maggette - 82 OVR (F)(O) C. Mobley - 78 OVR (3) S. Livingston - 76 OVR (Y) - A n a l y s i s - The Clippers are really one of the more exciting teams in the NBA. They use to be one of the laughing stocks of the NBA, but with the emergence of Elton Brand as one of the game's top forwards and the continued exciting play by Corey Maggette, they are finally out of the basement. Someone would say they are even in contention for a Western Conference title, but I think they're still a little far from that. Nevertheless, on the offensive end of the court, work the ball inside with Elton Brand. He's a powerful man, so it'll be pretty hard to stop him. He's got a decent stroke from the outside, but don't expect many pull up jumpers to be landing for him. The addition of Cutino Mobley really gives the Clippers a proven and dangerous threat from the outside. So once the defense brings the double team on Elton Brand, kick it out to Mobley for some 3 pointers. On the defensive end of the court, you have two good inside defenders in Brand and Kaman, so the issue is probably on the outside with Mobley. He's an aging Shooting Guard, one of the most talented positions in the NBA. If you can, bring the double team from Livingston if Mobley starts getting in trouble. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Los Angeles Lakers [93 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Chris Mihm - 66 OVR PF - Vladamir Radmanovic - 71 OVR SF - Lamar Odom - 84 OVR SG - Kobe Bryant - 97 OVR PG - Smush Parker - 73 OVR - B e n c h - PF - Kwame Brown PG - Jordan Farmar SG - Maurice Evans PF - Brian Cook SF - Luke Walton C - Andrew Bynum PG - Sasha Vijacic SG - Aaron McKie - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - L. Odom - 84 OVR (I) V. Radmanovic - 71 OVR (3) K. Bryant - 97 OVR (F)(I)(O)(Y)(3)(o) - A n a l y s i s - After the departure of Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers were undoubtedly Kobe Bryant's team. Kobe Bryant has put up some magnificent numbers since Shaq left, but there has been a decrease in wins with "Kobe's team." Nevertheless, Kobe is right up there in terms of scoring, and he is without a doubt the best clutch player in the NBA has seen since Jordan. When the game is on the line, you want the ball in Bryant's hands. Throughout the game, move the ball around with Bryant and create some scoring opportunities. Kick it out to Radamovic, a potent threat from the outside. Lamar Odom is very hard to stop inside the paint, his best shot is probably the 5 foot jumper. The reason the Lakers haven't been that successful because of their lack of team defense. Kobe is still a good defender, but the rest of the team is a mediocre at best. They really don't have much team speed either. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Memphis Grizzlies [80 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Jake Tskalidis - 61 OVR PF - Pau Gasol - 86 OVR SF - Rudy Gay - 71 OVR SG - Eddie Jones - 75 OVR PG - Damon Stoudamire - 78 OVR - B e n c h - SG - Mike Miller PF - Stromile Swift PF - Chucky Atkins SG - Dahntay Jones PF - Hakim Warrick SF - Brian Cardinal PG - Kyle Lowry - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - P. Gasol - 86 OVR (I)(i) M. Miller - 73 OVR (3) - A n a l y s i s - The Grizzles surprised the basketball world a few years ago by exploding into the playoffs. However, since then they have been swept out of the quarterfinals for two years in a roll. Back when the Grizzlies were still in Vancouver, they were plagued by horrible drafting, but the best pick in franchise history probably has to be Pau Gasol. He's a good defender, scorer and an unselfish player. He's extremely hard to stop inside the paint with his short-jumper. Aside from gasol though, the Grizzlies are really an aging team, with the likes of Eddie Jones and journeyman Damon Stoudamire in the starting lineup. The Grizzlies aren't very good defensively, and they don't have many scoring options, either. The Spurs really exposed them a couple years ago, and until you can find some secondary help for Pau Gasol, this team probably isn't going anywhere near the Semi-finals, or even back in the playoffs it seems. On the offensive end of the court, Eddie Jones is still a great shooter from the outside though, along with Mike Miller. When the defense starts doubling up on Gasol in the inside, look to kick it out to E-J and Miller for a good chance for some buckets. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miami Heat [94 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Shaquille O'Neal - 89 OVR PF - Udonis Haslem - 72 OVR SF - Antoine Walker - 79 OVR SG - Dwayne Wade - 94 OVR PF - Jason Williams - 76 OVR - B e n c h - SF - James Posey PG - Gary Payton C - Alonzo Mourning SG - Derek Anderson PF - Wayne Simien C - Michael Doleac SF - Jason Kapono SF - Dorell Wright C - Earl Barron SG - Mike Gansley - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - S. O'Neal - 89 OVR (P)(i) D. Wade - 94 OVR (F)(I)(O)(Y)(o) J. Williams - 76 OVR (Y) A. Mourning - 76 OVR (i) - A n a l y s i s - We have arrived at the defending NBA Champions. The Heat were able to help Mourning realize his dream in 06, and capture his first NBA Championship. That was in large part to the most dominant big-man in the game today though, Shaquille O'Neal. His size and power just makes him such a hard assignment for anyone. You should of course utilize his dominance in-game, and set-up multiple post-up plays per game for Shaq. Dwayne Wade has developed into one of the best players in the game, and according to Shaq, the best player he's ever played with (ouch). Wade has an excellent dunking ability, so drive the ball with him often to set up some perimeter shots. He's also got great defense, so you don't have to worry about him keeping up with the "O". Jason Williams is great playmaker at PG, so have him quarterback the offense. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Milwaukee Bucks [75 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Andrew Bogut - 73 OVR PF - Charlie Villanueva - 78 OVR SF - Bobby Simmons - 78 OVR SG - Michael Redd - 85 OVR PG - Maurice Williams - 72 OVR - B e n c h - SF - Ruben Patterson SG - Charlie Bell PG - Steve Blake C - Brian Skinner C - Dan Gadzuric SF - Ersan Ilyasova C - Ha Seung-Jin - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - A. Bogut - 73 OVR (i) M. Redd - 85 OVR (O)(3) - A n a l y s i s - The Bucks are really a below .500 team, and I don't seem them going anywhere soon. They were able to acquire Charlie Vilanaueva though, a solid player at the Power Forward position. There are just too many holes in this team to be considered a threat in the Eastern Conference (and that's saying a lot). They have Micheal Redd, who's going to be able to put up his usual number of points. But defensively, this team is very shabby, probably one of the very worst in the NBA. They aren't going anywhere until they get a good Center, and better defense. If you find yourselves playing with the Bucks, work the ball around with Redd and see if you can put up some points with some Picks and Isolations. He's pretty much their only chance of scoring. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minnesota Timberwolves [87 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Mark Blount - 68 OVR PF - Kevin Garnett - 93 OVR SF - Ricky Davis - 78 OVR SG - Randy Foye - 75 OVR PG - Mike James - 76 OVR - B e n c h - SG - Trenton Hassell PG - Marko Jaric PF - Eddie Griffin SF - Justin Reed SG - Rashad McCants PF - Mark Madsen PG - Tony Hudsen - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - K. Garnett - 93 OVR (I)(P)(i) R. Davis - 78 OVR (F) M. James - 76 OVR (O) - A n a l y s i s - The T-Wolves has always been a good team in the Regular Season, but that hasn't translated to any success in post-season. Unfortunately, the addition of Mike James probably isn't going to change that for them. However, in Live this team has a pretty good chance of going deep into the playoffs if Garnett can produce like he always does. The T-Wolves have Ricky Davis, the ex-Celtic, and he's a threat inside with his dunking ability. He really doesn't have much of a jumpshot to speak of though. Mike James had a solid year with the Ratpors last year, and I don't see any reason why it won't continue here. On offense, the best way to score is work the ball inside with KG and draw some doublet eams. Once you do, kick it out to James to hit some Jumpers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Jersey Nets [86 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Nenad Kristic - 70 OVR PF - Cliff Robinson - 70 OVR SF - Richard Jefferson - 83 OVR SG - Vince Carter - 89 OVR PG - Jason Kidd - 85 OVR - B e n c h - PG - Marcus Williams SF - Bostjan Nachbar SG - Antoine Wright SG - Eddie House C - Mikki Moore PF - Josh Boone PG - Jeff McInnis - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - R. Jefferson - 83 OVR (F)(O)(o) V. Carter - 89 OVR (F)(I)(O) J. Kidd - 85 OVR (O)(Y)(O) - A n a l y s i s - On paper, this team has the potential to go deep into the NBA Playoffs. They have three proven scorers in Jefferson, Carter and Kidd. A small problem might be the fact that they don't have a Power guy for post-ups, though. And their team defense is mediocre, at best. On offense, utilize all the threats that you have with Jefferson, Carter and Kidd. Move the ball around a lot and spread the ball around so the defense never knows who's going to be taking the shot. Utilize Isolations to take advantage of the mismatches you're bound to find. Pick and Rolls are a great way to get these good shooters open, and for Carter to drive the ball inside. If the other team starts doubling Carter, just kick it out for some easy Js from Jefferson and Kidd. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Orleans Hornets [82 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g R o s t e r - C - Tyson Chandler - 76 OVR PF - David West - 74 OVR SF - Peja Stojakovic - 83 OVR SG - Desmond Mason - 77 OVR PG - Chris Paul - 85 OVR - B e n c h - SF - Rasual Butler PF - Marc Jackson C - Hilton Armstrong PG - Bobby Jackson PF - Brandon Bass PF - Cedric Simmons PG - Jannero Pargo SF - Marcus Fizer - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - T. Chandler - 76 OVR (O) P. Stojakovic - 83 OVR (3) D. Mason - 77 OVR (F) C. Paul - 85 OVR (O)(Y)(o) - A n a l y s i s - The Hornets recently acquired Peja Stojakovic from Sacramento. He's a great shooter from the perimeter, but he hasn't always had playoff success, and not much of a clutch guy. I'm not sure you can call him the franchise player, at all. However, in a few years maybe a guy like Chris Paul can really take control of this franchise and take it to the next level. On paper, this team isn't bad, but unfortunately they need lots of help around the forward and center positions, because the Hornets do not have any inside threats. When that happens to a team that's filled with good shooters, the shooters can't really be utilized as effectively. However, you can still try the pick and roll to see if you can get enough room for guys like Chandler and Stojakovic to drain some shots. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New York Knicks [90 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g L i n e u p - C - Eddy Curry - 74 OVR PF - Channing Frye - 76 OVR SF - Jamal Crawford - 75 OVR SG - Steve Francais - 81 OVR PG - Stephon Marbury - 83 OVR - B e n c h - SF - Jalen Rose SG - Jared Jeffries SF - Quentin Richardson PF - David Lee PF - Malik Rose PG - Nate Robinson SF - Renaldo Balkman C - Jerome James PF - Maurice Taylor - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - E. Curry - 74 OVR (i) S. Marbury - 83 OVR (O)(Y)(o) S. Francis - 81 OVR (F)(O) - A n a l y s i s - The Knicks have been the laughing stocks of the NBA for the last few years now. They just seem to bring together a lot of selfish players on a team, and end up losing year after year. On paper, they don't really have a bad team, with of course two of the most overrated players in the NBA "Starbury" and Stevie "Franchise" leading the way at the guard position. If you're taking control of the Knicks for a franchise, you should be able to make a run for the playoffs if you play enough games. The problem is though, with the amount of selfish players on this team you can't really simulate many games. The Knicks just seem like a place for players to go as they head on the decline and slowly disappear from the mainstream. If you can, try dealing either Marbury or Francis for an inside threat, because the Knicks are filled with "Shooter" type guys like Quentin Richardson and Jalen Rose. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Orlando Magic [77 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g L i n e u p - C - Darko Milicic - 63 OVR PF - Dwight Howard - 84 OVR SF - Grant Hill - 77 OVR SG - J.J. Redick - 68 OVR PG - Jameer Nelson - 79 OVR - B e n c h - SF - Hedo Turkoglu PG - Keyon Dooling SF - Trevor Ariza PF - Pat Garrity SG - Keith Bogans PG - Carlos Arroyo PF - Bo Outlaw PG - Travis Diener - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - D. Howard - (P)(i) G. Hill - (o) - A n a l y s i s - The Magic are really one of the basement teams in the Eastern Conference. They don't have many scoring threats at all, and their starting lineup is filled with guys that would be on the bench on most other teams. Grant Hill can still drain a few shots, so don't overlook him. Dwight Howard is billed as the future of this franchise, but he really isn't big as a scoring threat as Tracy McGrady was. He hasn't really developed a jumpshot yet, so in Dynasty Mode that's the thing you have to work with him. He's a powerful young man, so that leaves a lot of doors open for dunking in the future. The Magic have a lot of holes on their team, and you need to address them, especially offensively. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Philadelphia 76ers [82 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g L i n e u p - C - Samuel Dalembert - 72 OVR PF - Chris Webber - 81 OVR SF - Andre Iguodala - 80 OVR SG - Kyle Korver - 68 OVR PG - Allen Iverson - 90 OVR - B e n c h - PG - Kevin Ollie C - Steven Hunter PF - Randolph Shavlik SF - Rodney Carney SG - Willie Green PG - Louis Williams PF - Michael Bradley - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - S. Dalembert - 72 OVR (i) C. Webber - 81 OVR (I) A. Iguodala - 80 OVR (F)(i)(o) K. Korver - 68 OVR (3) A. Iverson - 90 OVR (O)(Y)(o) - A n a l y s i s - Allen Iverson is undoubtedly the man who makes this team run. He literally took the Sixers on his back in 2001 and took them to the NBA Finals, and he is still capable of doing that in Live, but he shouldn't have to because of the strong supporting cast. On paper, this team can go deep into the Playoffs, no question. Dalembert is young and in Dynasty the Assistants can really improve him offensively. Chris Webber is a solid second option on this team, and is pretty dangerous with the inside jumper. Iguodala is a good defender and a threat to posterize anyone in the NBA. Kyle Korver rounds off this strong eastern conference team with excellent 3 point shooting. The key to scoring with the Sixers is driving with Iverson and kicking it out to Webber and Korver for some easy buckets. Iverson also has the ability to take it all the way himself on any possession. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phoenix Suns [95 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g L i n e u p - C - Amare Stoudemire - 89 OVR PF - Boris Diaw - 72 OVR SF - Shawn Marion - 89 OVR SG - Raja Bell - 76 OVR PG - Steve Nash - 91 OVR - B e n c h - PG - Leandro Barbosa C - Kurt Thomas SF - James Jones PG - Marcus Banks PF - Pat Burke SF - Eric Piatkowski C - Sean Marks SG - Dijon Thompson - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - A. Stoudemire - 89 OVR(F)(I)(P)(i) S. Marion - 89 OVR(F)(I)(i)(o) R. Bell - 76 OVR(o) S. Nash - 91 OVR (O)(Y)(3) - A n a l y s i s - The Suns are one of the most exciting teams in the NBA because of their high- octane offense. The reigning two-time MVP Steve Nash makes everybody around him better. He has such a great shot that you have to utilize the picks. Use it to get a little room and then launch it from any spot on the floor. Nash can also use his great passing abilities to dominate teams with the Pick and Pop. Shawn Marion is a threat from the inside and out. Stoudemire can be a nightmare inside because he's so strong and athletic, so be sure to set up a lot of post-ups for him. If it's anything the Suns needs help on, it's defense. The best player on this team Steve Nash is a mediocre defender himself, and the best is by far Raja Bell. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portland Trailblazers [83 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g L i n e u p - C - Jamaal Magloire - 75 OVR PF - Zach Randolph - 79 OVR SF - Darius Miles - 79 OVR SG - Brandon Roy - 76 OVR PG - Jarrett Jack - 66 OVR - B e n c h - PF - LaMarcus Aldridge SG - Juan Dixon SG - Martell Webster C - Joel Przybilla PG - Dan Dickau SF - Travis Outlaw PF - Raef LaFretnz - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - J. Przybilla - 65 OVR (i) Z. Randolph - 79 OVR(I) D. Miles - 79 OVR (F) J. Magloire 75 OVR (o) - A n a l y s i s - The Trailblazers are a decent team that are missing that extra push to get into the post-season. Zach Randolph is their best player, and he's a potent threat inside. The problem with the Trailblazers though is they don't have any outside scoring. The addition of Magloire really doesn't help that situation, but it does improve the team. Miles is a great dunker, but he doesn't have a jumpshot to speak of. In order to become as good as he think he is, he'll need to develop one, and he's steadily approaching his 30s. Your best chance to score with the Trailblazers is to work the ball in the post and create some wide open shots for your guys. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sacrmento Kings [88 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g L i n e u p - C - Brad Miller - 77 OVR PF - Shareef Abdur-Rahim - 78 OVR SF - Ron Artest - 87 OVR SG - Francisco Garcia - 61 OVR PG - Mike Bibby - 83 OVR - B e n c h - PF Kenny Thomas SG John Salmons C Loren Woods SG Quincy Douby SF Corliss Williamson SF Sergei Monia C Vitaly Potapenko - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - R. Artest - 87 OVR (I)(o) M. Bibby - 83 OVR (O)(Y)(3) - A n a l y s i s - The Kings has been beaten by the Lakers a lot in the past, but they have bigger worries now. They have a good enough team to win in Live, but a problem might be at the Center position. I don't believe Brad Miller has what it takes to be a legitimate offensive threat day in and day out. Shareef Abdur-Rahim is a decent player, and should be serviceable. The Kings brought in Ron Artest to help out with their lacklustre defense, and he is a great defender. Aside from Artest though, they really aren't that much better defensively. On offense, have Bibby quarterback. Use him to spread the ball around with great passing and he can shoot the 3 ball effectively as well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- San Antonio Spurs [92 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g L i n e u p - C - Francisco Elson - 65 OVR PF - Tim Duncan - 89 OVR SF - Bruce Bowen - 72 OVR SG - Manu Ginobili - 86 OVR PG - Tony Parker - 84 OVR - B e n c h - SG - Michael Finley SG - Brent Barry PF - Robert Horry SF - Eric Williams PG - Beno Udrih PF - Fabricio Oberto PG - Jacque Vaughn - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - T. Duncan - 89 OVR (I)(P)(i) B. Bowen - 72 OVR (o) M. Ginobili - 86 OVR (I)(O)(Y) T. Parker - 84 OVR (O)(Y) - A n a l y s i s - The Spurs contend for the championship year in and year out. Their franchise player, Tim Duncan is one of the best players in the game. He is just such a force on both ends of the court. The Spurs has been as good for as long they have because of good team defense. A guy like Bruce Bowen might be regarded as cheap artist around the league, but he's still one hell of a defender. Put him on the opponent's best guard. Ginobili is the biggest offensive threat, in my opinion, because of his ability to drive and also put up a shot from any spot on the court. Parker is one of the most accurate shooters in the league, so utilize his mid-ranged jumper. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seattle Supersonics [79 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g L i n e u p - C - Robert Swift - 69 OVR PF - Chris Wilcoz - 77 OVR SF - Rashard Lewis - 84 OVR SG - Ray Allen - 86 OVR PG - Luke Ridnour - 75 OVR - B e n c h - PF Earl Watson PF Nick Collison C Saer Sene SF Damien Wilkins PF Danny Fortson C Johan Petroo PG Mike Wilks - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - R. Lewis - 84 OVR (I)(O)(3) R. Allen - 86 OVR (O)(3) L. Ridnour - 75 OVR (Y) - A n a l y s i s - The Sonics are one of the best offensive teams in the NBA, but their defense is also one of the worst. In the NBA, it's just hard to win a championship without a good defense. The Sonics need a lot of help upfront. They have Rashard Lewis, and he's a threat from any spot on the court, but he's not powerful enough to match up with centers. Ray Allen is one of the best pure shooters I have ever seen, so utilize a lot of pick and rolls. The Sonics aren't going to do very good until they get some depth and defense. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Toronto Raptors [78 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g L i n e up - C - Rasho Nesterovic - 64 OVR PF - Chris Bosh - 87 OVR SF - Andrea Bargnani - 73 OVR SG - Morris Peterson - 77 OVR PG - T.J. Ford - 79 OVR - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - C. Bosh - 87 OVR (I)(i) F. Jones - 70 OVR (F) T. Ford - 79 OVR (Y) - A n a l y s i s - The Raptors seemed primed to be in the NBA's basement for many years, but Mike CoAngelo has done good for this team. The Raptors are looking to build around Chris Bosh. Bosh is a great player, but he's not physically strong enough to go up against some of the league's premier Power Forwards. The Raptors are going to need a strong supporting cast if they are looking to re-enter the post-season for the first time since 2001. You might want to start by acquiring a young guard who can provide an outside scouring threat. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Utah Jazz [75 OVR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - S t a r t i n g L i n e u p - C - Carlos Boozer - 77 OVR PF - Mehmet Okur - 72 OVR SF - Andrei Kirilenko - 89 OVR SG - Gordan Giricek - 69 OVR PG - Deron Williams - 71 OVR - B e n c h - SF Matt Harpring PG Derek Fisher SG Ronnie BRewer C Jarron Collins C Rafael Araujo SG C.J. Miles PG Milt Palacio - F r e e s t y l e S u p e r s t a r s - M. Okur - 72 OVR (I) A. Kirilenko - 89 OVR (I)(i)(o) - A n a l y s i s - The Jazz are an average looking team with a great player, one of my personal favourites. Andrei "AK-47" Kirilenko is one of the most versatile players on the NBA. Think of him as a less offensively potent Dirk Nowitzki, but much stronger defensively. He can also spread the ball around, but unfortunately there aren't many offensive threats on the Jazz. Your best chance to score is probably to mess around in the post with Kirilenko and try and create some open shots. The problem with the Jazz is they don't have many outside threats at all. In my opinion, signing Carlos Boozer to the lucrative contract was a huge mistake. Try and deal him if you can, for someone who can shoot decently from the outside. Matt Harpring can shoot too, so he's an option to be on the receiving end of a kickout. =============================================================================== My NBA Live [0009] =============================================================================== =-=-=-=-= Task List =-=-=-=-= Most team points can be earned easily on 12 quarters or 5 minute quarters if you're good. You can use points to buy stuff from the EA Store. Here's the task list. I realize that it is in the game, but it is not viewable in an actual game, so having this list here is handy. Player Tasks ------------ Score 10 pts in a qtr 5 pts Score 25 pts in a half 10 pts Score 20 points 5 pts Score 30 points 15 pts Score 40 points 30 pts Score 50 points 40 pts Grab 6 rebounds in a qtr 5 pts Grab 2 off.rebounds in a qtr 5 pts Grab 4 def.rebounds in a qtr 5 pts Grab 8 rebounds in a half 10 pts Grab 4 off.rebounds in a half 10 pts Grab 8 def. rebounds in a half 10 pts Grab 15 rebounds in a game 25 pts Grab 8 off.rebounds in a game 25 pts Grab 12 def. rebounds in a game 25 pts Record 4 assists in a qtr 5 pts Record 7 assists in a half 10 pts Record 10 assists in a game 25 pts Record 3 blocks in a qtr 5 pts Record 5 blocks in a half 10 pts Record 7 blocks in a game 25 pts Record 2 steals in a qtr 5 pts Record 4 steals in a half 10 pts Record 7 steals in a game 25 pts Score 3 three pointers in a qtr 5 pts Score 4 three pointers in a half 10 pts Score 6 three pointers in a game 25 pts Achieve a Double Double 20 pts Achieve a Triple Double 75 pts Achieve a Qaudruple Double 250 pts Every player scores in the game 250 pts Team Tasks ---------- Score 40 points in a qtr 5 pts Score 70 points in a half 10 pts Score 100 pts in a game 30 pts Grab 15 rebounds in a qtr 5 pts Grab 5 off rebounds in a qtr 5 pts Grab 9 def rebounds in a qtr 5 pts Grab 30 rebounds in a half 10 pts Grab 10 off.rebounds in a half 10 pts Grab 15 def.rebounds in a half 10 pts Grab 50 rebounds in a game 25 pts Grab 17 rebounds in a game 25 pts Grab 25 def rebounds in a game 25 pts Record 10 assists in a qtr 5 pts Record 25 assists in a game 25 pts Record 5 blocks in a qtr 5 pts Record 8 blocks in a half 10 pts Record 13 blocks in a game 25 pts Record 6 steals in a qtr 5 pts Record 10 steals in a half 10 pts Record 15 steals in a game 15 pts Score 5 three pointers in a qtr 5 pts Score 8 three pointers in a half 10 pts Score 12 three pointers in a game 25 pts Win by 10 points 10 pts Win by 20 points 30 pts Win by 30 points 40 pts Win by 40 points 75 pts Win by 50 points 100 pts Shot 100% in a quarter (Min. 5 shots) 50 pts Season Tasks ------------ Players Score 1700 points in a season 200 pts Player has 820 rebounds in a season 200 pts Player has 650 assists in a season 200 pts Player has 150 blocks in a season 200 pts Player has 100 steals in a season 200 pts Player avg a Double/Double in a season 100 pts Player leads the league in scoring 300 pts Player leads the league in assists 300 pts Player leads the league in rebounding 300 pts Player leads the league in blocks 300 pts Player leads the league in steals 300 pts Player wins Player of the Month 200 pts Player wins Rookie of the Year 300 pts Player wins Most Improved Player 300 pts Player wins Sixthman of the Year 300 pts Player wins Defensive Player of the year 300 pts Player makes the All-Defensive Team 100 pts Player makes the All-NBA First Team 100 pts Player makes the All-NBA Second Team 100 pts Player makes the All-Star Team 100 pts Player wins season MVP 300 pts Player wins Finals MVP 300 pts Player finishes season with 30 PPG 500 pts Player finishes season with 40 PGG 750 pts Team makes the playoffs 250 pts Finish First in your Division 100 pts Finish First in your Conference 300 pts Advance past 1st round of playoffs 500 pts Advance past 2nd round of playoffs 500 pts Advance past 3rd round of playoffs 500 pts Win NBA Championship 500 pts Team Scores 8200 points in a season 200 pts Team gets 3100 rebounds in a season 200 pts Team gets 1800 assists in a season 200 pts Team gets 400 blocks in a season 200 pts Team gets 650 steals in a season 200 pts Win Coach of the Year 1000 pts Player wins Rookie Challenge MVP 250 pts Player wins All-Star Game MVP 250 pts Player wins Slam Dunk Contest 500 pts Player wins 3 point shootout 500 pts =-=-=-=- EA Store =-=-=-=- This is the place where you can use the points you earn by playing in Exhibition games, and also Season and Dynasty modes. The many ways to earn points are listed at the bottom of this section, under "Task List." In EA Store, you can buy shoes from Jordan and Reebok, Menu Skins, Tattoos and more. Shoes and Tattoos are used on your created players. Here are all the items you can buy and their cost: Jordans ------- Jordan Melo M3 - 300 pts Jordan V White & Red Morpheus - 350 pts Jordan V Black & Grey - 350 pts Jordan V White & Grey - 350 pts Jordan V Black, Grey & White - 350 pts Jordan V White, Red & Black - 350 pts Reeboks ------- Pump Omnlite - 50 pts Answer X - 250 pts S. Carter IV BB Mid - 200 pts S. Carter IV BB Mid Black - 200 pts Answer X White & Blue - 250 pts Answer X DMX - 50 pts Answer X Black & Red - 250 pts RBK Lift - 200 pts S. Carter - 50 pts Main Menu Skins --------------- Highflyer Legends - 200 pts Tracy McGrady - 100 pts Tim Duncan - 100 pts Playmaker Legends - 200 pts Gilbert Arenas - 100 pts Kevin Garnett - 100 pts Scorer Legends - 200 pts Chaucey Billups - 100 pts Music Tracks ------------ 10 Days Till... - 400 pts Tattoos ------- Dragon 2 - 50 pts Fireball - 50 pts Spider - 50 pts Basket 2 - 50 pts Pattern 2 - 50 pts =-=-=-=-= NBA Codes =-=-=-=-= This is a screen for you to enter codes. For a database of useful codes, check out the Codes and Secrets section of GameFAQs. =============================================================================== Credits [0010] =============================================================================== GameFAQs: For being a great free site and having one of the best Message Boards on the internet. =============================================================================== Legal Disclaimer [0011] =============================================================================== This document may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display without explicit consent from the author is strictly prohibited, and violation of copyright. =============================================================================== Copyright 2007 Just another FAQ brought to you by... ______________ _____ __ ____/__ /_______ ________________ __ \___________ ________________ _ / __ __ \ __ `/ __ \_ ___/_ / / / _ \_ __ `__ \ __ \_ __ \ / /___ _ / / / /_/ // /_/ /(__ )_ /_/ // __/ / / / / / /_/ / / / / \____/ /_/ /_/\__,_/ \____//____/ /_____/ \___//_/ /_/ /_/\____//_/ /_/ -EOF-