Best Offense Is Good Defense In NBA Live

Whether you are playing real life basketball or facing off with rivals online at NBA Live 10, the scorers get all the glory. Every post-game story lists the scoring leaders, while guys who drop 30 per game make all-star teams and win MVPs. It’s the same story when it comes to the NBA- LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant are big names because they put up big point totals, while each of those guys leads the way on most nights. Still, the less heralded defensive players are really the key to victory, whether playing on the real hardwood or in the online gaming environment. The world champion Los Angeles Lakers rely on defensive specialist Ron Artest to lock down the opposing team’s best player, while every top team employs a variety of strong defensive players. Look, if you can’t stop your rival, you can’t win. Here are some tips for doing just that in NBA Live 10, whether playing on the Xbox 360 or on the Playstation 3.

The lesson can be applied to NBA Live 10 for the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360, where you will run into plenty of rivals who can score with the best of them. If you’re playing online, the competition will be fierce and every possession will matter. If you can’t get stops, you’ll end up with the same fate as the Phoenix, while teams that play defense will end up with championships, much like the Lakers. Read on for some tips on playing defense in NBA Live 10, to be ready for any online tournaments and challenges.

One way to play defense is man-to-man. This is the most traditional way to play in the NBA, and it’s done much like the title implies. Every defender is responsible for guarding one opposing player, usually at the same position they play. For example, the point guard will usually match up with the opposing point guard, while centers will guard each other down low. Man-to-man has several advantages – for one, every offensive player is accounted for, with the match-ups chosen by the coach of the defensive side. It allows you to make good decisions about who guards who, while giving your defense the chance to strategically double-team great opposing scorers. Man-to-man also helps with defensive rebounding, because it is much easier to put a body on opposing players when everyone already has a match-up. As soon as the shot goes up, it’s necessary to box out everybody on the court, because giving up rebounds means giving up more shot opportunities. By playing solid man defense and boxing out, your team will be on its way to NBA Live 10 success.

Zone defense is another option, and one that has been used more traditionally in college basketball. In fact, zone was illegal in the NBA until recently, when the rules committee allowed it to used. In zone, each defensive player is given a section of the court to defend, be it under the basket or out on the wings. The biggest advantage of zone is that it helps teams deal with opposing superstars. When facing a guy like Kobe Bryant, it is almost impossible to guard him with one player. Instead, the defense is able to collapse the zone on a scorer like Bryant, using a team effort to try and slow him down.

The zone also helps against teams that struggle to shoot from long distance. By clogging the middle and forcing these teams to launch the ball from outside, you will significantly improve your chances of forcing a miss. In these situations, opposing players will have trouble driving to the basket because your big men will be waiting with arms up. The one thing Phoenix did very well in their series with the Lakers was playing zone, which forced players like Artest and Lamar Odom to shoot more three-pointers than coach Phil Jackson wanted. The negatives of a zone defense are that great teams eventually find a hole in your method, so it’s important to avoid using it too much.

Again, it doesn’t matter how many points you can score if you can’t stop the other team. Use these defensive tips to improve your NBA Live 10 skills on the PS3 and Xbox 360, giving you the upper hand when you face online rivals in tournaments and challenges. Think you have what it takes? Get online and show your rivals what you’ve got!

The author is a sports reporter. Playing in various sports Xbox Live competitions, he publishes tips about the best-working sports video game tips that he revealed on his own.