A new 2K, a new My Player career. Time to dust off those Jordans and get back on the hardwood for a new year of glorious basketball!

So this time around I decided to not use my name and use a preset one so I could actually hear his name called in the draft and during games. Once I found that Hendrix was a name in the list, the rest just seemed obvious and so, Jimmy Hendrix was born. Unfortunately the name list didn't have it as Jimi, so I had to go with a more traditional spelling. One downside so far is the nba2k.com site is not up and running yet, so I am unable to upload my replays and screenshots just yet. As soon as I get this figured out, I'll be doing that in future updates. Now without further ado, lets get on with the story!

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The Jimmy Hendrix Experience: Chapter I

After a successful career at Oklahoma University, Jimmy Hendrix decided it was time to take the next step in his career and declare for the NBA Draft. It was going to be a tough ride as he lacked the athleticism of some of his peers, but ultimately his ability to get the ball in the basket was almost unrivaled. A pure shooter, he had no limit on his range and by that skill he hoped he would be able to make a splash in the upcoming Rookie Showcase game.

As an exhibition of the nation's top talent, the Rookie Showcase did not disappoint. Prospects from all over the country vied for attention from NBA team scouts in hopes to impress someone enough to get them drafted to an NBA team. Hendrix was especially bright. His assists and rebounds were below the average for his height and position, but his pure scoring ability was hard to deny. Knocking down 52% of his shots from behind the arc, he was an absolute scoring machine helping his team to win the game. While he may not be the best all-around player, his talent for scoring should get some teams excited and so he watched his draft stock rise as he put on a show throughout the game.

After his impressive performance he was interviewed by the Milwaukee Bucks, the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns. Aside from his scoring talent, scouts were most impressed with his drive and desire to fill any role he was needed to in order to help his team win. Of the three interviewees, Utah seemed the most promising as they were looking to make him a franchise talent and build a team around him. Phoenix wasn't too impressed with the way he viewed himself as having the talent to eventually become one of the NBAs greats, and so noted on his scouting report that he had delusions of grandeur in regards to his abilities and potential. Surely that will only add fuel to his fire.

Finally, the moment of truth was upon him. The Draft pundits pegged him in as the number 14 pick going to the Houston Rockets, but they had misjudged the impressions he had left on a certain Western team. After patiently watching his peers get selected, Jimmy Hendrix was chosen 12th overall by the Utah Jazz. He was thrilled to have been a lottery pick, although he knew ultimately that this gave him even greater expectations he had to live up to and, in all honesty, surpass.

Utah's expectations of him were highlighted in a billboard of him they put up in Salt Lake City to celebrate their new acquisition. It simply stated "The future has arrived." As a new rookie on the team his main responsibility is to provide some energy and scoring off of the bench. A few games in and he's doing that admirably, scoring more points than minutes played throughout the early season. Next on the to-do list is to work his way up to the starting line up and replace Raja Bell as their go-to scorer. Given his drive and determination to constantly improve his game, it's only a matter of time before we see him blossom into a regular starter for his team.

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So that's it for the first chapter of Jimmy's new life in the NBA. I'll post some more in the future as his career develops, hopefully with some images and vids as well.

A new 2K, a new My Player career. Time to dust off those Jordans and get back on the hardwood for a new year of glorious basketball!

So this time around I decided to not use my name and use a preset one so I could actually hear his name called in the draft and during games. Once I found that Hendrix was a name in the list, the rest just seemed obvious and so, Jimmy Hendrix was born. Unfortunately the name list didn't have it as Jimi, so I had to go with a more traditional spelling. One downside so far is the nba2k.com site is not up and running yet, so I am unable to upload my replays and screenshots just yet. As soon as I get this figured out, I'll be doing that in future updates. Now without further ado, lets get on with the story!

------------------------------------------------------------------

The Jimmy Hendrix Experience: Chapter I

After a successful career at Oklahoma University, Jimmy Hendrix decided it was time to take the next step in his career and declare for the NBA Draft. It was going to be a tough ride as he lacked the athleticism of some of his peers, but ultimately his ability to get the ball in the basket was almost unrivaled. A pure shooter, he had no limit on his range and by that skill he hoped he would be able to make a splash in the upcoming Rookie Showcase game.

As an exhibition of the nation's top talent, the Rookie Showcase did not disappoint. Prospects from all over the country vied for attention from NBA team scouts in hopes to impress someone enough to get them drafted to an NBA team. Hendrix was especially bright. His assists and rebounds were below the average for his height and position, but his pure scoring ability was hard to deny. Knocking down 52% of his shots from behind the arc, he was an absolute scoring machine helping his team to win the game. While he may not be the best all-around player, his talent for scoring should get some teams excited and so he watched his draft stock rise as he put on a show throughout the game.

After his impressive performance he was interviewed by the Milwaukee Bucks, the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns. Aside from his scoring talent, scouts were most impressed with his drive and desire to fill any role he was needed to in order to help his team win. Of the three interviewees, Utah seemed the most promising as they were looking to make him a franchise talent and build a team around him. Phoenix wasn't too impressed with the way he viewed himself as having the talent to eventually become one of the NBAs greats, and so noted on his scouting report that he had delusions of grandeur in regards to his abilities and potential. Surely that will only add fuel to his fire.

Finally, the moment of truth was upon him. The Draft pundits pegged him in as the number 14 pick going to the Houston Rockets, but they had misjudged the impressions he had left on a certain Western team. After patiently watching his peers get selected, Jimmy Hendrix was chosen 12th overall by the Utah Jazz. He was thrilled to have been a lottery pick, although he knew ultimately that this gave him even greater expectations he had to live up to and, in all honesty, surpass.

Utah's expectations of him were highlighted in a billboard of him they put up in Salt Lake City to celebrate their new acquisition. It simply stated "The future has arrived." As a new rookie on the team his main responsibility is to provide some energy and scoring off of the bench. A few games in and he's doing that admirably, scoring more points than minutes played throughout the early season. Next on the to-do list is to work his way up to the starting line up and replace Raja Bell as their go-to scorer. Given his drive and determination to constantly improve his game, it's only a matter of time before we see him blossom into a regular starter for his team.

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So that's it for the first chapter of Jimmy's new life in the NBA. I'll post some more in the future as his career develops, hopefully with some images and vids as well.

Yeah, you gotta give your player a name that they'll actually say. Being referred to as "Number Twelve" just doesn't really cut it. My first attempt at My Player mode, I had named my baller Forrest Gump, and tried to make him like the movie character. They only had the name "Forrest" though, so it just didn't work that well. Then I ended up making Mortal Kombat's Johnny Cage as my baller, which is fitting since the MK characters used to be in NBA Jam. He's been my go-to character ever since. I got the look and tats down to nicely represent him. Unfortunately, he can't shadow kick or wear sunglasses.

Thanks for sharing, dude. That's very cool. I'm dying to play this game. All I'm waiting on is Toys R Us' annual Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale which should take place sometime within the next month. I'll get it then. In 2K11, I was drafted to the Bucks, and ended up working my way up to Rookie of the Year AND MVP. In fact, I was too good. I was averaging like 25 ppg, 12 apg, 8 rpg, 8 spg. We went to the playoffs as the #1 team in the league (by the way, I never cheated and turned off the console when losing or anything) and had a pretty great record, which would have been better if I didn't end up sidelined from injuries for over a month. In the first round of the playoffs, we played against the Bobcats and swept them by about 40 points per game, with Johnny Cage scoring over 45 points in like every one of those games. At that point, I bumped up the difficulty to hard for the next round against the Magic. It was a bold move and then disaster struck. Me and my 2nd best player Andrew Bogut both got injured across the first 2 games, and we ended up losing the series 4-2.

And then I came back for season 2, but decided 82 games is just insane to go through all over again. Luckily 2K12 lets you skip to key games. I'll definitely play through a whole season myself, but in the following seasons will likely skip ahead a lot. Also, I hear 2K12 makes your player progression go at a much slower pace, which is very welcome considering that before the end of my rookie year I was shaping up to be the greatest player of all time.

Good luck with the Jazz, man. They are certainly a team that needs rebuilding. I can't believe Raja Bell is their go-to scorer. In this year's game, I hope I can actually be traded to other teams without requesting it. I mean really, that's kind of how it goes in the game. Unless you're one of the top 10 best players in the league, your position isn't exactly secure.

So, how is the My Player mode here? 
 
In 2k10 (and 2k11), the start up was kind of slow. In fact, I found the mode to be all but agonizing throughout the preseason/summer workout months. Also, the coaching strategies seemed to be incomprehensible. Like, I typically create a six-even point guard. Don't have me try and play lock down defense on Kobe Bryant or Dwyane Wade for a whole quarter. 

@HistoryInRust: My Player has been streamlined quite a bit. You play one exhibition match, get interviews with three teams, drafted, and then you're into the regular season. Also, you start off at a higher skill level. I forget where you started in NBA 2k11 but I think it was around the 50s in overall rating, whereas my shooting guard started off at 66-67 (stuff like durability and hands already at a decent score). The way the mechanics have been refined makes it harder to dominate in all statistical categories as you could do in 2k11, but at least the player is more competent at the start to compensate.

The way the coaching works is probably just as wonky though. Trying to guard someone like Carmelo Anthony as a 3-pt specialist SG isn't so great.

@TheGreatGuero: It's fun playing for the Jazz so far. Initially I wanted a trade immediately, but now I've kinda settled in and feel like I could have a future here. All depends on how much they're willing to pay me when my contract is up after my second year. I feel like I'm a good fit, but we definitely need some PG help. Our frontcourt is ok with Millsap and Jefferson, but our backcourt is lacking. Still, we've been doing pretty well which I'll get into more on my next update. I don't think you get randomly traded though. Trading seems to work pretty much as last year, where you can request a trade and based on that teams interest in you and what they have to offer your team it may or may not happen. I'm a huge Chicago fan, so when I saw Chicago was interested I requested a trade there right away, but it ended up falling through so I think I'll stick with the Jazz at least until I'm a free agent.

@HistoryInRust: owl_of_minerva has it right, it's a lot more streamlined. There's literally one game before you start your NBA career: the Rookie Showcase. Based on your stats from that game and your pre-draft interviews with 3 GMs of NBA teams you get a scouting report that shows where they expect you to go in the draft. I don't think you can even be a second round pick this time, as the lowest I've gone in my couple characters is 17th and that was a game where I played terribly. You actually started in the high 30s last time, but once you got done spending your initial 10,000 skill points you would have been mid 40s. You are no longer the complete scrub you were last year, so you can actually compete from the start.

@owl_of_minerva: Yeah the coaching choices are strange at times, but I just call for double-teams on players that I know I can't guard one-on-one, like Kobe, Melo, Wade etc.

I can't believe you guys are upset about the all-star match-ups. Call me crazy, but I relish in those moments. Even as my 6'0" Johnny Cage, I was always thrilled to even play against guys like Kobe or Wade. Sure, it's kind of a mismatch considering the size difference, but that's how it really goes in the NBA sometimes. You had LeBron James guarding Derrick Rose in the playoffs last year. Sometimes you gotta put your best player against their best player, even if they're not quite the same size. As long as they don't have you trying to play point guard against power forward or center, I think it's alright. In last year's mode, I remember I got schooled pretty good by Kobe a couple times during the regular season. I felt like all I could do was watch in amazement. Then there was a lot of anticipation for my first game against the Heat. I got matched up against Dwayne Wade and I ended up taking over the game and scoring my first ever NBA quadruple-double. That was incredibly satisfying.

@TheGreatGuero: Don't get me wrong, I love it too. I just know my abilities aren't quite there to completely defend them one-on-one. I've played the Heat and Lakers so far as teams with great SGs, and with the Heat I guess I did a good enough job of just denying Wade the ball that they just ran the offense almost completely through LeBron (although I did get a fantastic pump-fake, jab-step 3 pointer against LeBron when he defended me, saved a replay but can't upload it yet). Kobe completely torched me though, I had to basically call a double-team whenever he had the ball because he'd be posting me up and doing all sorts of fancy moves on me and fadeaways and whatnot. I had no chance lol. I still scored on him too and my offense was the only reason they could keep me on the court, but he made me look like an amateur out there! Still, makes it exciting for when you do get those defensive abilities up and can make the big stops when you need them. But this is why I love this mode, because you're not the ultimate baller when you start out and you have to "learn and earn™" in order to get better.

Nice to see a blog about this game. Picked it up after reading some extremely positive reviews and it really is a lot of fun. No experience with these games so I did a portion of the training camp and tried a couple of matches on rookie difficulty. There are so many options and controls, I have a lot to learn.

Oh yeah, tried the my player too but I sucked horribly at the exhibition match. Still got drafted of course, but I'll start over once I have a bit more experience with the game.

@yevinorion: Yeah, but then again, you are on the Jazz, so I'm not sure if ANY of your players are up to par to even guard those guys. The fact that they're having you do it should make you feel pretty good. And yeah, like I said, it's just satisfying when you actually do something good against them (like your three on LeBron). It really makes you feel like you're playing against guys who are pretty much in a league of their own, and you know you'll get there too eventually. I think it works beautifully.

I wonder if playing the point guard is still the best position. I've tried small forward and shooting guard in the previous games, but never had as much success as I did at the point. Mainly because it takes a while before your guy can even shoot, so I'd build up my character by passing and taking advantage of pick and rolls (which thankfully I hear aren't as easy to exploit this time around). Hopefully I'll have this game in about a month from now.

@owl_of_minerva said:

@HistoryInRust: My Player has been streamlined quite a bit. You play one exhibition match, get interviews with three teams, drafted, and then you're into the regular season. Also, you start off at a higher skill level. I forget where you started in NBA 2k11 but I think it was around the 50s in overall rating, whereas my shooting guard started off at 66-67 (stuff like durability and hands already at a decent score). The way the mechanics have been refined makes it harder to dominate in all statistical categories as you could do in 2k11, but at least the player is more competent at the start to compensate.

The way the coaching works is probably just as wonky though. Trying to guard someone like Carmelo Anthony as a 3-pt specialist SG isn't so great.

Is it as bad as last year where the game would put my SG at PF sometimes?

@GorillaMoPena: I have been moved to PF once or twice, but fortunately not for very long. Usually it's quite logical and only moves you to positions your player card lists you for, unless the team is severely shorthanded perhaps.

@owl_of_minerva said:

@GorillaMoPena: I have been moved to PF once or twice, but fortunately not for very long. Usually it's quite logical and only moves you to positions your player card lists you for, unless the team is severely shorthanded perhaps.

That's good. Last year occasionally it would take my like 6 foot 3 guy and go. "Hey cover Pau Gasol"

@GorillaMoPena: I'm about 20 games in (yeah, I really need to do another update!) and as a 6'6" SG I have only been subbed in at PG and SF, and only rarely at either. Occasionally I may have to guard a weird position due to defensive switches, but that happens in real basketball so that's ok. So far though, no placing me in positions I shouldn't be touching (like PF and C).