A new power triangle means new power rankings for NBA 2K11, as the Miami Heat are sure to slide up the boards with its oncoming free agent class starring Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and "King" LeBron James. But will users respond to the inevitable climb, too? I'm guessing they will, though, I could be wrong.
With a theory in mind, I asked NBA 2K representative Chris Snyder for information on NBA 2K10's most-used teams in multiplayer. He responded with some data that isn't helping me feel better about my suspicions.
The top five teams used in NBA 2K10's multiplayer are, in order, according to Snyder: the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets, the Orlando Magic, and the Boston Celtics.
== TEASER ==The theory? It's simple: with its new trifecta of talent, the Miami Heat will become the dominant team picked in this year's version of the game. Unfortunately, with the game not yet out in press or consumers' hands, this is impossible to prove. I thought existing rankings would shed some light on the issue, but what Snyder shared with me doesn't actually make me feel confident in my theory.
Here are the two things I observed from the data, the latter of which has me scratching my head.
First: the Shaq-Lebron tandem in Cleveland was enough to push the Cavs over the edge, beating out even recent title holders like the Lakers. If Lebron had that much of an impact for Cleveland, a team with a bad supporting cast, surely he would push Miami, a team that made the top ten last year, over the edge in 2K11.
Second: But wait! Interestingly, the Boston Celtics, a team with their own trifecta composed of NBA greats Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett placed fifth. It's a spot lower than even the Denver Nuggets, who don't have near the star power. Could this mean that there's a chance Miami won't place first and beat the obvious? Maybe.
Snyder reckons, like I do, that the Heat will move to number one on the list when 2K11 hits later this year, but he did add that free agency isn't over. Other teams, like the New York Knicks, might have some surprises up their sleeves. Regardless, the Celtics tell me that this isn't such a cut-and-dried thing, and the Heat, even with new star power, might not have that much of an impact.