Live Practice and Doin’ Work
Obviously your play on the court is the core of MyCAREER mode. Always has been, and always will be. And a big part of that is putting in work in your down time to make yourself a better player. With that in mind, we decided to expand our Live Practice system from last year to include what we call the Doin’ Work meter. Filling up the Doin’ Work meter will earn you progress towards additional upgrade slots, which will allow you to fully maximize your MyPLAYER’s abilities. If you want to be a 99 overall, and truly one of the best of the best, you’re gonna have to put in the time and earn your way there.
On that note, one of the things we wanted to make sure of was that the time you spend on the court working on your game always counts for something. So now whether you’re in the middle of a Team Practice, working on your shot in the Practice Gym with Justice, or even just shooting around solo in your MyCOURT, the Doin’ Work meter is always there tracking your progress and letting you know that your time and effort is not going to waste.
Besides Doin’ Work, the suite of drills available in Live Practice has greatly expanded. You’ll see many of the favorites from 2K16 returning, but we added quite a few more to go with them. One of the main themes with these was finding ways to create drills that are not just fun, but that also help teach you how to be more successful in games. That means you’ll see new drills centered on things like ball movement, setting screens, and the pick-and-roll, to name a few.
We’ve also expanded the alcove just off the practice court that last year housed the Gatorade Reaction drills. Now you can also do things like a ladder agility drill, bench press, squats, and free weights, along with some carryovers from last year in the box and vertical jumps. Again, everything matters here. You gotta put in the work if you want to become a star!
MyCOURT
MyCOURT is back, and bigger and better than ever. Like in 2K16, it once again acts as the hub of the mode. This is your home base, the place you come back to between games to upgrade your player, check stats and standings, hang out with your friends, display your awards and accolades, and so much more.
In NBA 2K17, you can now earn 3 different courts, unlocked as rewards as you progress through the mode. All 3 are fully customizable, with a wide range of court floors, wall murals, and other accessories available to allow you to create something that suits the personality of you and your MyPLAYER best.
Additionally, your MyCOURT is now fully connected to the rest of the mode. We have a wide variety of story scenes that take place there to help bring the story, your off-court events, and the ability to work on your game all together in one place.
And perhaps one of the coolest features in the entire mode this year is that you can now get MyCOURT visitors. Not just your online friends from the real world (although, yes, that’s still very much an option), but players you’ve built relationships with in your career. Early on, Denver and Justice will stop by to hang out and get some work in (Protip: Spending time Doin’ Work with other players is more valuable and will move that meter up more quickly), and eventually that will expand to your teammates and other connections you’ve made around the league.
In one of my very favorite experiences so far in 2K17, I had just come back from a Team Practice, and the Timberwolves were up on the schedule the next day. I had connected with Karl-Anthony Towns previously, and since he was in town for the game, he sent me a text letting me know he was free that afternoon and wanted to stop by. I agreed, and after shooting around for a bit, he challenged me to a game of 1-on-1.
Now, with me being a 6’3” PG, and Towns being a 7’ C, it was already shaping up to be an interesting match-up. But KAT is no typical big man. The guy can move his feet, and he’s a great defender. So I wasn’t going to jet past him for easy lay-ups the way I envisioned. He actually started off by backing me down in true post-scorer fashion, and I simply couldn’t stop him. I finally got him to miss after 3 straight baskets, and then got 3 of my own to tie it up. On the next possession, I used some dribble moves to leave him in the dust, but he recovered much more quickly than I expected, and caught up and blocked what was supposed to be my flashy dunk to rub it in his face. And then he got the ball back and scored the next 2 baskets to win the game. Ouch.
It was really a unique experience though, and the kind I’ve never had in our game before. Just seeing an NBA star like Karl-Anthony Towns showing up at your own private, customized court is cool in itself, but being able to shoot around with him and get some valuable work in, as well, is a whole extra level of fun.