Phoenix Suns: NBA 2K16 Roundup

NBA 2K16 has been out for two weeks now, which has given everyone ample time to become accustomed to the new controls.

ALSO ON VALLEY OF THE SUNS: 5 Steps To Redemption For Markieff Morris

There are some small differences, like how holding B (circle on PlayStation) now calls for a dribble handoff rather than a screen, or how you can switch the side a screener comes up on by hitting one of the trigger buttons.

However, there are also some pretty significant changes, like how the Y button (triangle) no longer makes your player post up, but instead has him throw a lob pass — which, completely related, has been the source of approximately 95 percent of my turnovers in the game.

I gotta get use to the new 2k controls. I be trying to post up and pass the damn ball.
— Lü Bu (@TonyGWithTheSno) October 4, 2015

The Phoenix Suns are one of the more interesting teams in the game, considering they have a pretty solid roster from a depth standpoint, but no real superstar.

Because of that, they aren’t as easy to use as a team like the Sacramento Kings, where you can just load up with shooters around Cousins, but there still is a lot be said about the quality of the team.

Below are some of the things I’ve noticed about the Suns playing the game. Feel free to comment with your own observations, or shoot me a tweet over at @SChasenKU.

Tyson Chandler (79 overall)

Tyson Chandler is literally the best thing to happen to the Phoenix Suns in 2K in a long time. It doesn’t matter who you stick out on the floor, if Tyson Chandler is out there, you’re going to get a ridiculous amount of offensive and defensive rebounds that you probably shouldn’t.

It is so nice to have a true center with a decent overall rating on the team — with all due respect for Marcin Gortat — so for purists who only play with the Suns, this team is going to be one of the best in recent history, even if the overalls aren’t quite as high as they could be.

Chandler also isn’t completely incompetent on short jumpers, and I haven’t tested this enough to know if it’s accurate, but I assume his screen-setting ability is really, really good.

Eric Bledsoe (82 overall) vs. Brandon Knight (80 overall)

Markieff Morris (78 overall)

Coming into the game, I thought Markieff Morris’ skillset would be the hard to replicate, but the crew at 2K actually did a really good job. In the game, Keef can hit the fadeaway out of the post, and is able to hit pretty well from the midrange as a whole. That was obviously a big part of his game during the regular season last year, and it definitely needed to carry over to the game.

However, my criticism here would be that once you turn the difficulty up, post moves with Morris become pretty much worthless short of wide open shots, although that extends to most players. Morris’ three-point shooting ability may also be a tad bit low, and I expect it will improve as the season goes on — especially with straightaway threes.

One thing I would like to see 2K do in the future would create a “trailer badge” for players who are solid about coming down the floor as the trailer and knocking down the straightway three. Morris can absolutely hit that shot, and there needs to be some special way to reward that in 2K.

Devin Booker (72 overall)

Devin Booker is a lot of fun in the game, and if you think about it, he’s the logical choice to step in and replace Gerald Green, who is the ultimate 2K player.

Now, there is some danger in playing with Booker, in that it can be tempting to just pull up from anywhere, but his shooting really is good enough to validate him being on the court whenever possible. For that it’s okay to attempt seven or eight threes in a game with him, as long as they’re open.

Something I’ve found is that you can plug Booker in pretty much anywhere and you’ll find he opens up the floor nicely. I’ve found a lot of offensive success with either a Bledsoe-Knight-Booker-Tucker-Chandler lineup or a Knight-Booker-Tucker-Morris-Chandler lineup.

I usually go to one of those late in games, especially the latter, because then you can use Bledsoe with the second unit, which really does help you on offense; there’s never really a lull.

I also highly recommend playing Booker alongside Len and Chandler together, because when a shot goes up and misses, if you can get the offensive rebound, it seems like Booker is almost always open behind that three-point line and he doesn’t really miss when he’s open.

T.J. Warren (72 overall)

T.J. Warren is easily the most frustrating player in the game for the Phoenix Suns. Out on the perimeter, he’s virtually worthless, and unless you really know how to use him, you’d really be better off playing any number of players on the team.

Additionally, a lot of players have kind of this bail-out-ability, where if you accidentally hold down X (or square on a PlayStation) or work yourself into a corner they can hit a shot or do something to bail you out. Warren doesn’t have that ability, at all, and for that, he’s really not a great option on the court, even though he really does have talent in real life.

The 7SOL Suns

The Seven Seconds Or Less Phoenix Suns are actually amazing in this game. You have the flexibility with the team to put together either a lineup of slashers or shooters, which is really outstanding.

Depending on the personnel you want to play, you can basically dictate the style of the game, and considering that defense is more about timing than the actual ratings of the players, there really aren’t any weaknesses.

Really, the only kryptonite of the team is when you get those games where nothing seems to be working, you can get behind in a hurry. Unlike games in the past, you really can’t shoot your way back down from 20 points in a quarter or two, but if you can just remember to mix in midrange shots and try to get into the lane for some easier shots, it really shouldn’t be an issue in the long run.

Jeff Hornacek

He still looks nothing like himself in the game. I don’t get why this is so difficult for them to figure out. There is really nothing else that need’s to be said here.

Next: 5 Takeaways From The Suns' Preseason Opener

More from Valley of the Suns

Home/Suns News

Phoenix Suns NBA 2K16 Roundup

By Scott Chasen | Oct 9, 2015