NBA 2K23: 6 Tips to Improve Your Shooting Skills

by Mike Alexander / Articles, NBA 2K23, Trending / 01 Jan 2022

2K’s NBA series of basketball simulators are some of the most successful games in the video game industry. Year after year, they continue to innovate and release new games that have both new features and returning ones from previous games that have been improved. In NBA 2K23, just like in the real sport of basketball, scoring is everyone’s main focus. In real life, you can practice, practice, practice to get better at sinking baskets, but that takes years of practice to get down properly. Thankfully, NBA 2K23 doesn’t require that much time from you. There are a few simple ways to get better at making those shots, and you’ll find a few of those ways in this guide of NBA 2K23: Top 6 Tips to Improve Your Scoring Skills. When you’re ready to become a top NBA 2K23 player, pass the rock, and let’s get started!

Slow Down

Having possession of the ball in NBA 2K23 can feel like a rush of adrenaline, and you’ll probably rush to the basket to make a shot attempt. However, unlike previous years, NBA 2K23 makes shooting from low-chance areas and situations less likely than ever to land. Add defenders to the mix, and you’re looking at near-impossible odds. When you find yourself in these situations, the solution is to slow the game down. Hold onto the ball, keep it out of the other team’s hands, and just survey the court and the possibilities in front of you. Most times, you’ll find a better path than the one you would have immediately taken.

Keep an Eye on Defenders

Even if you are completely open and have a great chance to make a 3-pointer, the game of basketball moves quickly. What might have seemed like a piece of cake a second ago might now be a defender right up in your face blocking your shot. It’ll be up to you to decide when to make that shot and when to pass or reposition yourself, and that kind of instinct will be developed the more you play the game. Just always keep an eye on what defenders are doing, especially if you’re going in for a shot.

Don’t Ignore the Midrange

It can be easy to want to focus on 3-pointers and slam dunks, the flashy point-scoring moves in the game of basketball, but those moves aren’t guaranteed to get you the win. Oftentimes, taking those shots from the midrange areas can be the key to stacking up points, especially if you are very familiar with how a player’s shot works. It’s all about timing, but being in a proper position where the other team isn’t necessarily expecting you to make a shot will also be beneficial to you. So get in that midrange, get comfortable, and bury the opposing team before they can get a chance to come back.

The Shot Meter

NBA 2K23 has a dynamic shot meter that determines the success or failure of your shot attempt. It is dynamic because it will change its location based on your own position on the court. If you are to the left of the basket, the meter will also show up on the left, and the same goes for the right side of the basket. Be aware of this change, because if the meter changing sides throws off your game, it can lead to you missing crucial shots.

Take a Step Back

One of the best ways to give yourself space for a shot attempt is by doing a step back before you initiate the shot. You can do this by flicking the right analog stick downward on your controller. Your player will create some space between himself and his defender for a few precious moments, just enough to get the ball in the air and hopefully into the basket. You can also take a larger step back by holding the turbo button and doing the same motion on the analog stick. This will of course create more space and give you more time, but it will also put you farther away from the basket, perhaps making the shot more difficult.

Use Quick Stop

When you have the ball, you’ll be zipping around the court and in between defenders to get closer to the basket. Attempting to take a shot before you come to a complete stop will put you off-balance and make the shot attempt less likely to land. To combat this, you can use the quick stop move. Here’s how you do it: while you are moving your player with the left analog stick, tap the left trigger and let go of the left analog stick. This will make your player stop on a dime and make your shot attempt more likely to be successful.

NBA 2K23: Top 5 Tips & Tricks to Get Wins ASAP!

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
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