NBA Video Gaming: 3 Teams to Build With

As the 2014-2015 is still fresh and early, the many watchers of sports are either playing NBA 2K or NBA Live. While many people are playing their respected  favorite teams , or the popular teams (Cavs, Bulls, Warriors,Rockets ), you can use teams such as these to play against friends or to build a dynasty with.

1. Minnesota Timberwolves-
While the Timberwolves are one of the worst teams in the league this year, there is much is optimism for a better team. With players like Zach LaVine, Ricky Rubio, and Andrew Wiggins, they are one of the youngest and most athletic teams in the NBA. Rubio is one of the better passing guards in the league averaging 10 assist per game. Andrew Wiggins is super athletic. In either video game, I would look to try to do the alley oop on every fastbreak. Also, the Timberwolves have an inside presence in Nikola Pekovic. He will definitely provide offense rebounds for any gamer.  In addition, shooting guard Kevin Martin has the ability to put up points. Martin is capable of having a 30-point game anytime. Off of the bench lies super athletic guard Zach LaVine and young forward Anthony Bennett.  If you are a skilled gamer looking to truly show off your skill, how can anyone defend themselves losing to the Timberwolves!?


2. Phoenix Suns-
 Two things that stand out the most from the Suns are: guards and play style. The Suns probably have the most amount of talent with the amount of guards on the team. Last season, Drew Bledsoe and Goran Dragic were the Suns backcourt. This offseason , the Suns drafted Syracuse guard Tyler Ennis and NC State guard T.J Warren. In addition , this offseason the Suns picked up Isaiah Thomas. So far, the Thomas signing has payed dividends. Thomas is averaging almost 16 points off of the bench. Forward Gerald Green has steadily improved each and every year. Not only can he perform high flying dunks, but he can also shoot off the dribble and knock down the occasional three pointer. With these many guards being used in a high-tempo offense, who wouldn't enjoy playing with the Suns.

3.Toronto Raptors-
Toronto is definitely one of the better teams in the East. Led by Kyle Lowry and DeMar Derozan, this team would be more of a balanced fun team to play with. Kyle Lowry is dynamic. He can score, assist, rebound , and play D. DeMar Derozan is high flying and a good driver. Terrance Ross is another high flying guard that can shoot the occasional three. As a gamer, if would be fun to have Lowry at the 1, Greivis Vasquez at the 2, Derozan at the 3, and Ross at the 4. That would be a dynamic versatile lineup that can both play defense and score across the board.

NBA 2nd Tier

Video Game : 2nd tier superstar fantasy draft
LaMarcus Aldridge

One of the most exciting things about NBA 2K outside of the many online features, is the fantasy draft. In a fantasy draft, the best players in the league (LeBron James, Kevin Durant, CP3) are going to be taken right away. After them, there tends to be a lot of the younger stars that teams can build a team around (Damien Lillard, Paul George, Blake Griffin, etc.) are taken. For teams that are forced to draft a player between 11-20 have a more challenging decision to make. What's left are usually veteran players (such as Tim Duncan) or players that have not reached there potential and COULD become great. If you ever happen to be stuck in this scenario, one for sure player to consider is LaMarcus Aldridge.  LaMarcus Aldridge is the best all around power forward in the game today. Sure , he won't dazzle you with any spectacular dunks or anything, but he will go toe to toe with the best.

This past season, LaMarcus Aldridge averaged 23.2 points and 11.1 rebounds. In the playoffs , LaMarcus went on a MONSTER run against the Rockets. Against Houston, Aldridge scored 46 points in Game 1, then scored 43 points in the next game. Needless to say, Aldridge averaged 26.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

In my opinion, a lot of the time LaMarcus Aldridge is a steal. Aldridge is one player that you wouldn't have to worry when it pertains to production. Aldridge has both a low post game, and a midrange shot that is simply deadly.  Aldridge can play in any style of offense because of his mobility. Last but not least , Aldridge plays something known as DEFENSE! In 2K , you usually have to either get a defensive minded big man, or a big man who could score, but lacks in other areas. Aldridge is as close as it gets to having both qualities in one player.

Melo: Knickerbocker

It seems as though the "Home is Where the Heart is" quote sums up this year's free agency for the marquee players this off season. Carmelo Anthony has agreed to a 5-year 130 million dollar deal with the Knicks. Melo has said that he is a "New York Knick at heart." This was not a bad business deal for Carmelo either. Melo would have to leave 30 million on the table to go and play for any other team.

Not long after LeBron made his decision, Carmelo made his. The other teams that were in contention for Melo was the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers. Both the Bulls and Lakers made very strong runs at Melo, but at the end of day, home is where he wanted to be. In addition , he believes in Phil. He believes that Phil can eventually make the Knicks a championship contender. For Melo's sake , he needs to have at least one more deep run in the playoffs (he had one with Denver). Melo has not had great success in the playoffs whatsoever. If Phil Jackson could put the right pieces to play around Melo, then the city of New York will be revived basketball wise. 

Lineol Messi/Kevin Durant

When thinking about how Lionel Messi and Kevin Durant compare, they have a number of things in common: both know how to score, both are young, and have been in the spotlight for quite some time now. Both of these superstars have made a name for themselves by doing something simple: scoring points.

GETTING BUCKETS
Both Messi and Durant are two of a kind in their own league.

 At 21 , Kevin Durant became the youngest scoring champion in NBA history. To this day (at age 25) Durant already has won 4 scoring titles (2010, 2011, 2012,2014), including this year's award in which he averaged a career high 32 points per game. The scary thing about all this is that since Durant is still young, he has not hit his prime years as of yet. With Kevin Durant's style of play , you have to think he if stays relatively healthy that he will last at least until he is 34(Ray Allen is a prime example.) Durant is 3 titles away from tying Wilt Chamberlin, and 6 away from tying title record holder Michael Jordan. As a scorer, Kevin Durant has the entire package. With a wingspan of 7'4 , he has no problem shooting over anyone. Kevin's ability to dribble the ball so well at his height allows him to move around people that are slower or larger than him. If anyone is smaller than him, forget it. He will simply shoot over them each and every time they defend him.

Lionel Messi is one of the smoothest forwards that I have ever seen. This man is lethal when the ball is at his feet. At age 26, he has already broke Barcelona's record on his 371st goal. Messi has the Guiness record for the most goals in one year: 91. Yeah, 91! Messi also has the record for most consecutive games to score at 1 goal: 21 games. Messi tied the record for most goals in a World Cup 4.  Messi is also the first footballer ever to score consecutively against all teams in a professional league. All of the accolades aren't even club records: they're world records. If you don't know Messi  by now, you will never know him. Here's a short video displaying some of his games and goals:

EARLY STARDOM
When Lionel was at the tender age of 10, he was diagnosed as having a growth hormone deficiency. As aid, Lionel would have to pay approximately $900 each month in medical bills alone! Never the less, it never stopped him from playing the game he loved. After being sited by a Barcelona coach, Messi was offered a chance to play on the little league version of the team as long as he moves to Spain. Working his way up through the Barcelona system, Messi's first game with the professional team came at age 17. Messi entered the La Liga as the youngest player ever to play in the league.  At this stage in his career, we see why.

Kevin has always been a highly touted basketball player. In his childhood days, Kevin played  AAU (Athletic Amateur League) ball with Ty Lawson and Michael Beasley. Prior to his senior season, Kevin committed to the University of Texas. Once there , Kevin tore it up. Averaging 25 points per game and 11 rebounds, it's no wonder why he won player of the year. While many were saying that Greg Oden was the better number 1 pick, I always thought that Kevin was more proven and showed more promise within his one year at Texas. Noone knows how good Oden would have been if it weren't for his injuries , but Kevin was well worth the 2nd pick.

As we see here, Kevin Durant and Lionel Messi have alot in common.. These two players are like none other. They will both go down as one of , if not the greatest scorers in sports history.

Should psychie be added in sports video games?

Watching this year's playoffs, I came to a realization that as good as video games are, they do not show player's emotion. There are players in the past that did perform (Ron Artest, Dennis Rodman) alot off of emotion. Tempers can flare, people can be happy, and simply feel down and not play well. While emotion is something that can't be simulated to perfection in any way, video games may want to add some type of performance rate on just a few players.

The perfect and relevant example in this year's playoffs is Indiana Pacers Center Roy Hibbert. When focused, Roy Hibbert is a double-double machine. When not mentally in the game, Hibbert can finish a game with 2 points and 1 rebound.



While writing this, I thought about one simply question: "How would this be implemented into a game?" This would have to be answered by using programming. Let's say after playing in three quarters, Roy Hibbert only has 1 rebound. With programming, an if/else statement can be made that requires Hibbert to have a certain amount of points and 1 rebound by the 4th quarter. If he doesn't meet that requirement by then, his shooting and rebounding skills should dramatically decrease. While the fourth quarter is the most important quarter in a game, if Hibbert is not producing by then, don't look for him to do much more.

This addition for a game wouldn't have to be in every aspect of a video game. For example, if you are playing with your friends or playing in franchise/dynasty mode, this doesn't have to take place since the gamer is manually controlling the player. However, if you are playing in career/myPlayer mode then I believe that this will increase the game.

Wanna discuss this article? Tweet me @SportsWatcherss and let me know what you think.

My Underrated Starting 5 :2014 Playoff Edition

During this 2014 playoffs, there are the stars that many people pay attention too: Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George, and Blake Griffin. Putting together a favorite top 5 with players like these is easy. What alot of people won't mention are the underrated players. With that in mind, I have come up with my undderrated starting 5.

1) Point Guard: Jeff Teague (Atlanta Hawks)

While there may have been many options for this choice, Teague has been underrated for years. In this year's playoffs, he finally gets his chance to shine. Jeff Teague has a career average of 10 points, 4.6 assists, and 2 rebounds per game. Each and every year, Teague continues to improve. This season, Teague averaged 16 points, 6 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. In this year's playoffs, he is averaging 18 points per game. Standing at 6ft 2 inches tall, Teague is a very fast guard known for his good ball handling and driving. He can also be streaky, so teams must be careful of that. From a video game standpoint, he is one of my personal favorites to select in fantasy drafts. Most good point guards get selected within the first two or three rounds, but Teague manages to usually not be selected until the fourth or fifth round. Selecting him gives me the chance to get other great players without having to settle for a mediocre guard.

2) Shooting Guard: Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)

This guy was drafted highly, but he and John Wall are really making their mark in this years's playoffs. Only 20 years old, Bradley Beal will only continue to rise to stardom. Beal's career average is 15 points per game. Just last year Beal's average was 13 points. This year, that average has gone up to 17. His playoff average for this year is 20.5 points per game. Beal is the complete guard that a team would want. He is athletic , and can shoot the three as good as anyone. The best part is that since he is so young, he will only get better. From a video game standpoint, look at him as a poor man's James Harden. He is a 2nd or 3rd tier shooting guard right now, but look for his ratings to increase in both NBA 2K 15 and NBA Live 15.

3) Small Forward: Nicholas Batum (Portland TrailBlazers)

The unsung hero for this, Nicholas Batum has come up HUGE for Portland this year. Standing at 6ft 8 inches, the 25 year old is making a name for himself in this year's playoffs. Career average is 11points, 2.7 assist, and 4.9 rebounds per game.This year , that average has increased to 13 points, 5 assist, and 7 rebounds. His playoff average is 15.6 points, 5 assist, and 6 rebounds. He has been a staple and a major 3rd option for the TrailBlazers. If they get past Houston, look for Batum to be an important factor that will help decide how far the Blazers will go. Batum is someone that you would not think to pick up in NBA 2K or Live unless you either really watch basketball , or are a TrailBlazers fan. He is a very solid pick who would bring consistency at that position.

4) Power Forward: Paul Milsap (Atlanta Hawks)

In spite of injury to frontcourt partner Al Horford, Paul Milsap has remained consistent as he wills the Hawks. Averaging 13 points per game in his career, Milsap has taken his game to another level. This year , Milsap is averaging 17 points per game to go with 8 and a half rebounds. Milsap has been the leader for this year's Atlanta playoff team. Since the playoffs have started, Milsap has averaged 21 points per game! Milsap is rated pretty high as one of the better power forwards in the league, yet he seems to always be forgotten.

5) Center: David Lee (Golden State Warriors)

One of the more forgotten players, Lee is one of the best players on this team and is showing why with the absence of Andrew Bogut. With a career average of 15 points and 9.8 rebounds, David Lee is an unsung hero with the Warriors. David Lee is solid both inside and out. He can post up, shoot the mid-range, and rebound with the best in the game. While his scoring average has dropped to 14 points, he is still producing in spite of facing Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan for an entire series. David Lee is a very solid piece to have especially around other all-star players.

I am up for debate about these 5. If you would like to discuss with me, follow me on twitter @SportsWatcherss.

NBA Playoffs

The best time of the year in sports has arrived:  the NBA Playoffs.This year, we will all be witnesses to  have some of the greatest first round match-ups in the NBA, especially in the West. The most exciting series will predicted will be the Clippers vs. the Warriors, the Portland TrailBlazers vs. the Houston Rockets, and the Brooklyn Nets vs. the Toronto Raptors. Look for these exciting series, as these will probably be the most exciting ones. The West clearly has more very good teams this year. The Dallas Mavericks( the 8th and final seed in the West) had 49 wins in the regular season. The 3rd seed in the East (Toronto Raptors) had 48 wins. Those stats say enough.

From the gamer standpoint, most will be playing NBA 2K to celebrate the playoffs. Others may play NBA Live, or another good basketball game. Look for special playoff apps that celebrate particular teams, players, and cities. As a basketball fan , there is nothing like the NBA Playoffs.

NBA Live 14 New Update

This coming Monday, NBA Live will release an update available to all people that own Live 14.After the game was released , alot of gamers were complaining that was no kind of Practice mode or Shoot-Around. That is one of the things that gamers almost assume would be in a sports game. EA Sports listened to  the large amount of complaints, and the new update will contain that. This will allow gamers to have a feel for every player that they want to use. They can use this to get the timing of any player's shot. This can come in handy when you're playing against friends with your favorite team.

In addition to adding the Practice Mode, the new update will contain some of the visual improvement on player's face. The past few weeks, EA Sports has been meeting with different NBA teams in which they are doing something called player scans. Player scans are basically pictures and face scans that really focus on someone's facial features (marks, size, etc.). Once they scan every player, they  hand these scans to the Computer Animator in order for them to duplicate that face as best as they can. This method has so far proved to be successful. EA Sports ' NBA Live staff truly believes that this will give the players within their games very realistic faces. They plan to use in this year's game, and in the future to really enhance the game.

Last but definitely not least, the gameplay has been modified. With gameplay, EA Sports has improved "responsiveness and control for first steps". This means that will quicker players in the league will have quicker steps when they have the ball. In real life , a quick first step allows you to be a step ahead of your defender as you drive. This part of the new update is supposed to give the gamer that realistic motion. :Look for these imporved aspects to be a major upgrade for NBA Live.

Return of Live

   It's been a few years, but it's FINALLY coming back. NBA Live will return after three long years since it's 'NBA Elite 11' collapse. For as long as I can remember , when it comes to professional basketball video games, the "NBA 2K series" and the "NBA Live" have competed back and forth for the title of the #1 selling basketball game. The NBA Live series lasted until 2010. For 2011, EA Sports changed the name of the series to "NBA Elite". The game NBA Elite 11 was set to release in October of 2011, but due to many glitches and such, EA decided not release the game. In the demo, one prevalent glitch displayed former Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum being stuck at half court.

   Since then, the basketball gaming world has been dominated by the NBA 2K series. NBA 2K 12 sold for over  five million copies, while NBA 2K 13 has the franchise record for most sales during a debut week in the history of the franchise. While these two games have been great, part of their success is because of the lack of competition. 

     Determined to return, EA Sports hired a whole new team to bring back the once very popular NBA Live game. With new features such as bouncetek, the user will have the ability to control how the players dribble like never before. The EA Sports team is aware  that they have a lot of ground to cover, but  seem to believe that they can reestablish their spot as a top notch game within the gaming industry. Since March, EA Sports has been advertising their advancement with a new video machine called the Ignite E3 engine. This engine is something that will be used to take games to another level, especially for the XBOX one and the Play Station 4 counsels. During an EA Sports NBA Live 14 Q & A via Twitter, I was able to ask how this engine will help the game. EA responded to my question stating: "Animation quality, physics, and fluidity to name of few."  As an excited NBA Live fan, I can only hope that this engine would serve as a positive step in the right direction. NBA Live 14 drops in the fall.

 NBA Live 14 Trailer