NBA 2K18 Passing Tips and Tutorial Featuring Alley Oops, Flashy Passes and More!

To do the basic pass in the game, simply aim the left stick towards the player you want to give the ball to and tap (XBOX) A or (PS4) X.

For bounce passes, aim the left stick towards the target and tap Circle (PS4) or B (XBOX). Bounce passes make intercepts difficult because of the low trajectory. Especially, when multiple defenders are in the area. The ideal is to have the ball hit the ground right when it reaches the defender then bounce to the intended target. In real life you would see smaller players utilizing the bounce pass to avoid much taller defenders.

To pull off an overhead pass, aim the left stick towards the target and tap Y/Triangle. Passing overhead is another way to avoid immediate traffic from defenders. It’s also the best way to pass down-low to the post player making it harder for the defender guarding you to intercept it.

You pull this off by aiming the left stick and then holding A/X. Its valuable because it skips you having to pass it twice to get to the open guy in the corner. It also helps if you forgot his button and have to bring up the icon and stuff. This buys you an extra half a second or so, which could be the difference between an open 3 and a contested shot.

For a fake pass, hit both the Y/Triangle and B/O. Its best use, at least to me, is in pro-am to get off ball defenders to go for a steal. You can then beat them off the ball once their out of position. It looks cool when you drive, fake pass and try to lay it up.

For a jump pass, hold X and A or Square and X at the same time. Don’t confuse this with shooting then passing in midair. That’s bad, don’t do that.

To attempt an icon pass, press RB or R1 to bring up their icons and select who you want to pass it to. You can even lead whoever you pass it to in any direction with the left stick before you hit their icon.

Obviously, the better the passer the better flashy passes he’ll do. And the better chance he’ll complete them. To pull these off, as always, aim the left stick towards the player you want to pass it to, then double tap B on your XBOX controller or Circle on your PS4 controller.

To throw an Oop, you aim the left stick towards who you want to throw the pass to. Next, double tap Y or Triangle. You want to throw it right before the player is under the hoop.

Now, to throw an Oop to yourself, make sure your driving towards the hoop. Then, double tap Y or Triangle.. Just like the regular alley-oop, make sure you have a clear lane to do it. Look for this on fast breaks or if you’re up by like 50.

To lead a player to the basket you aim the left stick towards the player you want to make cut and hold Y or Triangle to make him cut to the basket. Let go of the button to pass it. You want to utilize this if your opponent is playing super tight on the perimeter. Don’t worry, if they don’t break free of the defender; you can hit RB or R2 on your controller to cancel the pass.

To do so, aim the left stick then hold the B or Circle to control the player. Now, you can run around with him to get open. There’s a timer as to when you have to pass before they auto pass it. Like leading to the basket, you can cancel with RB or R2 if you don’t get open in time.

To attempt a touch pass, you aim the left stick at the player you want to pass the ball to and press A or X to pass the ball. Before the initial guy receives the ball, hit A or X again to instantly pass the ball. This is used to beat rotations by the defense. You mainly see this on passes around the perimeter

Instead of hitting the icon of the player, you move the right stick towards their direction. Its slightly faster since you don’t have to look at the actual button. However, you risk targeting the wrong guy if they’re within the same vicinity.

To pull off a give and go, hold A or X to pass the ball (that’s the most important part HOLD A or X) and once the player receives the pass, you will notice you still have control of the initial ball handler. From here you can wiggle around, drive to the basket, anything to beat the defender. When you think your open and ready to receive the pass back, let go of the A or X button. And unlike the others, if you don’t pass it in time you gain control of the guy you passed the ball too.

To do so, hit Y or Triangle. You use this when you need to save time on the clock. It doesn’t start until you touch the ball, but don’t wait to long to pick it up or else you will look silly as your opponent is running the other way.

We hope this helped you understand the different types of passes at your disposal in NBA 2K18. If you liked the video or article, be sure to  check back here at Sports Gamers Online.

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