NBA 2K23 is the closest thing to a real basketball simulation we've come across. Things are a little slower and more complicated this year, and I'm not sure how I feel about the changes that were made before the release. I can confidently say that this is the first time in a long time that 2K's claim of "stick skill rules first" sounds right overall. Add to that the fact that you have to play with your IQ, and you can play a great game of basketball on the court. Of course, before you can do that you need to build a strong player using MT 2K23. Here's a breakdown of what's worked well so far.

Shooting

From the beginning, shooting is more rewarding because you have to "green" or shoot a perfect/excellent release to get your shot in. I have seen some "white" or slightly earlier/later release shots, but this is very rare. Some players had a hard time locking in their shot timing and release point and were unhappy about it, but most players were happy with the change. Not having to bail on a shot because of bad timing is good for everyone because it forces players to find the right shot for them, learn and stick with it. Mike Wang has already taken to Twitter to express his stance on not wanting to touch the shot.

The changes in the shooting are also in line with this year's new Jump Shot Creator system, which introduces "shot attributes" when creating shots in the animation menu. Release height, release speed, defensive immunity, and timing impact are zones on a scale of a + to f. The higher the level you get in each zone, the more lethal your shot will be. Provided, of course, that you can lock on to the shot and get the timing right. I managed to create a combination of -level shots and I was able to get my timing down pretty quickly.

Recommended: How To Improve Your Shooting Skills In NBA 2K23?

Dribbling

The next area of play that underwent a huge change and helped balance the ball was the introduction of the adrenaline boost. Working in conjunction with stamina, the adrenaline boost seems to have been introduced specifically to moderate the movement and streak of garbage dribbling. While iso basketball and the "dribble god" is a style of play that drives teammates crazy every year, this year's NBA 2K23 team seems to bring more of a desire for teamwork and IQ than in previous years, which creates more balance in gameplay.

When you perform a "hard walk" or "explosive dash launch", you will consume an acceleration bar. Once all three bars have been consumed, your player's speed and acceleration will drop significantly for the rest of the game. This now brings a more carefully calculated approach to using dribble movement rather than the old zig-zag and left/right acceleration cheese.

That said, I'm seeing more and more players figuring out how to play dribble moves without using gain, and also players who have figured out how to play dribble moves without using gain and Gym Rat's extra stamina. I haven't seen much on this so far, but I wouldn't be surprised if it starts showing up more in the meta in the coming weeks.