NBA Live 09 Defense
In this section, we will be covering the basics of an effective defense in NBA Live 09.
| Know Your Opponents
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Although you obviously cannot study film of your opponents, you can research the attribute points of your opponents. Look to see what each player can do well and what they're terrible at. For instance, Shaq can be a big threat when he's got the ball near the hoop, but he's terrible shooting free throws. This is why many teams have used the "hack a Shaq" method of defense during certain parts of the game. Study your team's strengths and weaknesses, and you won't be surprised in a game. |
| Clog Up The Paint
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you're on offense, you'll often see that the CPU has defenders in the paint, making inside passes and drives to the hole a little more problematic. Why not do the same? You'll cause similar problems for the CPU's offense. Just be sure to keep defenders on their man, so as not to allow open shots on the perimeter. |
| Tip | Don't stay in the lane too long, or you'll be called for an illegal defense. |
| Take It Like A Man
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whether you're clogging up the paint or guarding someone on the perimeter, you will eventually encounter a player who has decided to drive to the basket. Get in front of him, plant your feet, and take a charge. Charges can sometimes change the momentum of a game. |
| Keep Your Hands Up
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whether your defending an in-bound pass or simply defending a player, keep your hands up. This will cut down on the number of passing lanes available to your opponent, possibly causing them to throw an errand pass. Typically, we'll control the guards on the team. They often pass the ball to the big men, enticing us to chase after it, but we try to stay to the outside to close off passing lanes, forcing their big men to do something with the ball other than pass it. If they have to put the ball on the ground, it's easier to steal the ball from one of them than from one of their sure-handed guards. |
| Stop the Pick and Roll
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The CPU teams call a lot of pick-and-rolls. Keep an eye out for a man setting up for a screen and quickly get around him. If you get tangled up with him, don't worry about it. A few times a game isn't out of the ordinary and won't hurt your chances of winning by very much. There aren't many ways of getting around the screener, so do whatever you can to avoid getting called for a foul. |
| Just... Take It
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some of the best defenders in the NBA don't wait for the point guard, for instance, to make a bad pass. He'll actually create opportunities for himself by reaching in and taking the ball away. Don't be afraid to reach in and steal the ball. Your steals won't likely take place when you and the ball handler are standing still. Instead, you'll likely get the ball if you time your steal attempt(s) when the ball handler is attempting to make a move, perhaps in a pick and roll, for instance. The refs won't call a foul for every steal attempt, but they will call it on occasion, so don't go crazy with it. After you've got the ball, you've got a great fast break opportunity, so take it to the hole. |
| Stuff It |
One of the most enjoyable plays on defense is stuffing a guy's dunk or layup attempt. Such a play can not only lead to a fast break, but it can be the start of a big shift in momentum. While it's possible to block a shot from behind, you'll be far more successful if your primary shot blocker is in front of the shooter. Try to be as close to the shooter as possible. If he's been able to get a cushion between the two of you, he'll likely be able to get the shot off and over your outstretched arms. As the player goes up for a shot, make your leap upward. Timing is very important. Although it's quite easy to move towards the shooter as he's shooting, keep your hands off of the player movement control. Lunging at the shooter in mid air may very well cause in a foul.
Be patient and study the move and time your jump properly, and you'll be stuffing players left and right. We recommend working on this in the NBA Academy. Defending the fast break is a very good mode to use in the academy. It gives you the opportunity to defend against multiple shooters while in the paint.
| Hit The Boards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whether on offense or defense, grabbing rebounds are a key to winning. If you want to win, don't rely on the CPU to rebound for you. Keep your center and power forward near the rim when possible. Grabbing rebounds isn't particularly easy. It relies very much on positioning and timing. You have to time your jump properly, so jump just as the ball bounces and hits the rim. Again, practice in the NBA Academy; they have a mode set up specifically for this sort of thing. |
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