NBA 2K23 was finally released last week and has had NBA fans abuzz as a very polished and well-made game. The changes they have employed to gameplay and the online experience have so far been well-received, but the core idea of the game remains the same. You can take control of a team or player and live your NBA dreams vicariously through the TV screen.
The game has been making everyone jump into things like the Jordan Challenge or building a team in the 1990s through the revamped MyNBA Eras mode. However, some things can never change in a basketball game as it is trying to replicate a sport that’s actually being played.
One of those things that are constant is video game players drawing up plays on NBA 2K to get their players a last-ditch bucket to win a game. Former NBA executive John Hollinger believes NBA coaches need to try these games out to better understand late-game situations.
People think I'm crazy when I say this, but I've long argued that coaches should play video games to get reps on late/close decisions. There's still stuff in NFL/NBA that is obvious to gamers but real life coaches struggle with. https://t.co/nV17svs79m
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) September 13, 2022
Can NBA 2K Make Someone A Better Coach In Real-Life?
Basketball purists will laugh at the notion of someone claiming to be a good NBA coach because of how they draw up plays for their NBA 2K team. However, Hollinger still may have a point.
Many sports employ simulator training for players and coaches to better understand certain situations that could come in a game. Considering how basketball is played, simulator training for the same hasn’t been required for the athletes. Coaches, on the other hand, could get a lot of use out of a simulator as it allows them to practice plays they may want to run in an actual game.
NBA 2K is the closest thing we have to a simulator. While the results can never be exact, the need to hit a buzzer-beater on a MyTeam game can make coaches come up with incredible shot opportunities. It’d be interesting to see if those moments can be used as actual plays in an NBA game.
