NBA 2K25 Top 10 Beginner Tips – Get Wins ASAP!
What’s good, Sports Gamers, with 2K out, there are new 2K gamers loading up for the first time as well. With that in mind, I’m going to go over some basic things you should know to help get you going on the court. I’m Chris from Sports Gamers Online, and alright, let’s get it!
QUICK SCOOP LAYUP
QUICK SCOOP LAYUP First off let’s talk about getting your driving game right in NBA 2K25 and the first thing you should know how to do are Quick Scoop Layups. They should be a key part of your arsenal when driving into the paint in NBA 2K25. They’re so effective because of how fast you can get them off by simply holding the right stick to the left or right, depending on which hand the ball is in.
AVOID AI DEFENDERS
This may sound simple, but you’d be surprised how often it happens. During a possession, there are five defenders on the floor, so make it a priority to try not to run directly into your teammate’s defender. Doing so makes it easy for the opposing team to put a hand in there and steal the ball, as you’re effectively running into a double team. Gamers don’t worry about this because the game rewards them with wide open shooters sometimes when the extra defender doesn’t get a steal by still drawing his attention. However, you don’t want this to be something that you do so consistently.
PREDICTABLE PASSES
PREDICTABLE PASSESWhen playing 2K, whether against human or computer defenders, you can quickly get exposed for not thinking before you pass. Every pass requires you to make sure the passing lane is clear before pressing the button. Scan the court before committing to that pass, especially against human opponents who can shrink passing windows in an instant, they see the same things you do with the same camera view. If you notice the indicator light under a player near your target, chances are, they’re not actually open, they’re just waiting for a mistake. As a result of this, being aware of this can help you exploit those types of players, as a mistimed steal attempt will take them completely out of the play.
SHOT METERS
SHOT METERSIn NBA 2K25, there are 3 shot meters you must play with Arrow which you want to release the button or stick the moment the little arrow meets inside the big one. And Dial and Ring your going to want to release it the moment those meters disappear
SHOT/LAYUP TIMING PROFILE
New this year is the introduction of Shot and Layup Timing profiles, aimed at addressing complaints about inconsistent shooting. This feature offers multiple shooting settings that allow you to control how much your timing of the shot meter affects the success of your shot. You can be early, slightly early, perfect, slightly late, or late on a shot and depending on the shot profile you select lets you increase your chances of making that shot in each bracket.
For example, Real Player Percentage is a setting that has been in 2K for years, where the game bases your success strictly on how open you are, your player’s ratings, badges, and your opponent’s badges. The Normal setting works like previous 2K games, allowing you to make slightly early or slightly late shots, so you don’t have to hit the shot meter perfectly to succeed. Where High Risk requires you to hit the green window of the shot meter for the shot to go in—if you miss the green, you won’t make the shot. High Risk can also break through situations where, due to lets say a heavy contest, the game would normally prevent you from making the shot. But with proper timing, you can still succeed, while with Low Risk, your timing plays less of a role, and you’d have no chance in such scenarios since timing is barely considered.
HOW TO CALL FOR A PICK AND ROLL
The pick and roll is your best friend in NBA 2K25. If not properly defended, it can create an open three, space to drive and score, an alley-oop, or a kick-out for a three-pointer. So, it’s essential to know how to run it effectively.
To call for a pick and roll, there are two methods. But first, let me guide you through the interface. When a screen comes over, you’ll have two options to change: which side to set up on, and whether the screener should roll to the hoop or fade after screening for you.
To select a side, press the left stick in to switch the side, and whichever side shows the vertical line will be the side the screener sets up on. The second choice is to tell the screener whether to roll or fade. Typically, you want them to roll if they can’t shoot, and fade if they’re a shooting threat, which stretches the defense to the perimeter to give you more room to drive and you can change this by pressing R1 or RB on your controller.
Now, in your controller settings, under “Call for Pick and Roll vs. Fade,” you can set this to auto or manual. This means if you’re calling for a screen with someone like Karl-Anthony Towns, it’ll be set to fade by default, whereas with Rudy Gobert, it’ll be set to roll. Even with this setting, you can still switch between the two during gameplay; it just determines the default assignment.
Now that you understand the interface, there are two ways to call for a pick and roll. You can hold L1 or LB on your controller, which will call over the closest player between your power forward and center. If the ball handler is your power forward, it will call the closest between your center and small forward.
Also, you can select who you want to set the screen by tapping L1 or LB and then holding the icon of the player you want to screen for you. For example, you can have your guard set a screen for your center if you want to
Lastly, you can get creative and make the screener roll or fade early by pressing L1 or LB again before they make contact with the defender. This technique is useful for forcing the screener to roll to the hoop early and catch the defense off guard.
HOW TO HANG ON THE RIM
HOW TO HANG ON THE RIM You might have discovered this by accident, but to hang on the rim after a dunk, hold RT or R2 on your controller. This year, you can hang after both two-handed and one-handed dunks.
SWITCH TO THE CLOSEST PLAYER TO THE BASKET
In those rare instances when you miss a shot and need to defend a fast break, pressing RB or R1 followed by LB or L1 will switch you to the defender closest to the basket, allowing you to defend any long passes down the court.
FINDING YOUR SHOT TIMING RELEASE TIME
Now there is an ideal release point for each player to green their shot aka guarantee they make it and Introduced last year, you now can choose when in their jumpshot you’re most comfortable releasing the shoot button to “green” your jump shot to make it. This feature, called your Shot Timing Visual Cue, ties the player’s jump shot to different spots in the jumper to find your ideal release point. You can set it to release early, so right when they jump, or to the opposite end wait till the last possible second with release visual cue.
STEPBACK JUMPER
STEPBACK JUMPEROne of the easiest ways to get open is by using the stepback jumper. Which you can do by holding the right stick down, or down and to the left or right, to create space from defenders. Pull this move out just as you start driving, when the defender commits, making it nearly impossible for them to defend properly.
CLOSING OUT
This year, you need to be precise when contesting shots, which means getting right up on the shooter before they even rise up. It’s crucial to close out as quickly as possible and not waste valuable seconds by holding your hands up prematurely, as this can slow you down when running out to three-point shooters. So, when a pass is made to a player in the corner, let go of the right stick and sprint by holding the right trigger to make sure you get there as soon as possible to then get a hand up to contest
INTENTIONAL FOUL
If you’re in a bad matchup and feel their about to score quick, hold square or x on your controller to intentional foul the ball handler.
BLOWOUT DRIBBLE
To throw the ball ahead of you and gain a speed boost, hold RT or R2 and flick the right stick up. Just make sure a defender isn’t nearby, or the ball could deflect off their body.
PUTBACK DUNK
When you miss a shot, don’t let the opportunity slip to immediately put it back up! Most offensive rebounds can be converted into putback attempts by pressing Square or X so already be ready
FINDING PLAYBOOK PLAYS
To access your team’s playbook, on current-gen, press LB or L1 and select the player you want to call a play for to see the plays they can run. On last-gen, press LB or L1, then RB or R1 for positional play calls, and select the player’s icon. You can also practice these plays in Scrimmage Mode or 2K Learn.
FAVORITE PLAYS
You can set up your favorite plays that you have found so you can quickly access them on the court by setting them up in Gameplan under Offensive Settings, then Play Selection. You have 8 slots to choose from. To call them in-game, press left on the D-pad and use the left or right triggers to cycle between pages.
AGGRESSIVE DEFENDERS
When shooting threes off the catch, be mindful of defenders eager to block your shot. If they’re close, waiting a half second can create space for an even better shot attempt.
