Bucks Gaming has official debut in NBA 2K League’s Tip-off Tournament

Bucks Gaming went 1-2 in Group A of the NBA 2K League Tipoff, showing some potential for dominance but failing to perform consistently enough to advance

The NBA 2K League Tip-Off Tournament took place on Tuesday, with Group A kicking off the event, and the first official action involving the league’s 17 franchises.

Group A included Bucks Gaming, along with Pistons GT, Cavs Legion, and Kings Guard. The group was played in round-robin style, with the top two finishers advancing to the next stage of the tournament to be played on Saturday.

By the end of Tuesday’s action Cavs Legion and Pistons GT were the teams to advance, as they both finished 2-1. Here is the full list of Group A results:

Pistons GT 49, Bucks Gaming 44
Cavs Legion GC 76, Kings Guard Gaming 73
Bucks Gaming 57, Cavs Legion GC 53 – OT
Pistons GT 62, Kings Guard Gaming 61
Kings Guard Gaming 78, Bucks Gaming 76 – OT
Cavs Legion GC 86, Pistons GT 59

Game One

In the first ever game of the NBA 2K League, Bucks point guard Game6Drake dropped the first bucket, a long step-back two. At the half, the Bucks held a five-point lead, but it was downhill from there, as Pistons center JoesephTheTruth dropped a double-double and the Pistons closed a tight game out, 49-44.

Both teams had productive point guard/center tandems, but what made the difference was more support for the pistons. STL2LA was silent at the small forward position for the Bucks, and although Procis1on added 13 points at shooting guard, the Pistons’ more balanced scoring carried the day.

One great positive for the Bucks was excellent team defense. They weren’t burned by one individual matchup, and only allowing 49 points through 24 minutes, which is excellent defense for a video game. The Bucks simply needed to produce more offensively to match their opponent.

Game Two

In the second game, against Cavs Legion, the Bucks continued to show good defense while only slightly improving offensively. Trailing by five at the half, they mounted a furious comeback in the final quarter to trail only by two on the final possession, where Peroxide got a putback on an offensive rebound of STL’s corner three.

The game went to overtime, where the Bucks found success in the pick-and-roll and the Cavs went cold, resulting in a 57-53 Bucks win. oLarry, the team’s center, had a double-double and scored consistently on the inside throughout the afternoon. STL had the ball in his hands more in this game, and was more aggressive in seeking his shot, which resulted in more Bucks scoring.

Game Three

Game Three, against the cleverly named Kings Guard, was a completely different story. The pace was higher, and both teams were scoring in bunches. The halftime score was 38-37 Bucks, and everybody was eating. The Bucks showed throughout the game that they were best in transition, scoring with dunks and threes before the defense could get set up. oLarry was at his most dominant, getting multiple dunks in the second half and eclipsing the 30pt, 10reb mark.

The game was tied at 66 at the end of regulation, thanks to timelycook carrying the Kings Guard on his end. No one could stop him, and he was scoring from all over the court. In the extra frame, he hit two clutch free throws to take a one point lead with 17 seconds to go, but timelycook found his teammate Cowboy for a late three that settled the matter, 78-76. This loss stung for the Bucks, since a win would have given them a 2-1 record and the tiebreaker over the Cavs, so they missed on a chance to advance in the tournament.

General Analysis

The X-factor for the Bucks so far has been point guard play. The players around Drake have proven they can contribute when given the opportunity. oLarry produced as well as possible, Procis1on was ripping threes, STL was effective as a slasher, and Peroxide was playing excellent defense while providing a few buckets as well. Drake needs to improve his decision-making and vision to fulfil his point guard duties, and to score more efficiently as well.

He had a mixed bag of an evening, missing open layups and open jumpers, and the end result was that only two Bucks players (Peroxide and Procis1on) were threats from the perimeter, which killed Bucks spacing. He made some great passes ahead on the break, and despite being inconsistent did generate some assists in the half court. However, putting the ball in STL’s hands did produce results occasionally and took pressure off Drake, at the cost of a couple turnovers. One of the supporting wing players should change archetypes to be able to handle the ball more.

The offense in general depended too much on high ball screens, and lacked creativity in the halfcourt. The pick and roll in 2K is somewhat finicky, as the game mechanics do not allow consistent catches in traffic. Other methods of scoring, like slashing from the corners and off-ball screens for shooters, proved to be effective and needed to be explored more. The offense needs major adjustments in the halfcourt, but the Bucks showed promise on defense and in transition.

Presentation

A few notes on presentation: the choice to use real-life announcers, while leaving all other game audio, was jarring. The crowd noise on the broadcast was fake, as was the player chatter. If you’re going to use real-life announcers, it makes for a more authentic viewing experience to use the real studio audience as well. The only game noise that’s valuable to the viewers is the clock noises, and the referee whistles. If you want players to have the game crowd noise, to better simulate a road/home environment, the broadcast for twitch streamers could still be better suited for their experience.

More frustratingly, box scores were never displayed or released postgame. Stats are a huge part of basketball, and no sports experience will be complete without them. So all personal stats here are estimates based on announcers talking stats. Otherwise, presentation was significantly better than at the draft clash: the tip-off used traditional side-view broadcast camera angles, rather than focusing on one specific person, which is a better viewing experience for those who aren’t actually playing.

Aesthetics

The Bucks Gaming uniforms were great. Minimalist side trim works best in a digital screen setting, and the collar striping is evocative of the side panels on the real-world Bucks’ uniforms. By comparison, despite having an incredible logo, the Pistons Gaming jersey is marred by side panels that remind me of a Domino’s pizza box. That’s not salt from the loss, it’s just facts.

Although the 2k league isn’t anywhere close to establishing itself as a esports entity, it showed potential at the Tip-Off. The two overtime games were dramatic and were legitimately gripping. HoodisGlitchy, of the Cavs, had a 40 point game, and oLarry and timelycook (of the Kings Guard) had captivating individual performances despite a lack of team success.

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