NBA 2K23 Offensive Gameplay Enhancements

With it coming right around the corner, you might be interested in what's new. Here are the Offensive Gameplay Enhancements for NBA 2K23.

NBA 2K23 will have a lot of enhancements gameplay-wise which will affect your experience regardless of your playstyle and skill set. With more authentic animations and more intense competition, NBA 2K23 will be the most authentic game in the series ever. Indeed, 2K Sports says that the main pillar for this year can be summed up in one word: Authenticity. In this article, we'll be discussing just how NBA 2K23 offensive gameplay enhancements will make the game more authentic on both current and next-gen consoles.

NBA 2K23 Offensive Gameplay Enhancements

Slashing

Slashers will get a buff in NBA 2K23, as Visual Concepts adds more tools to the Slashers' repertoire to make them more effective in attacking the basket. New gesture combos are added to the Pro Stick, dubbed as “double throws” and “switchbacks.”

Double throws consist of flicking the Pro Stick in one direction, quickly letting it go back to center, and then moving the Pro Stick back in the same direction.
Switchbacks consist of flicking the Pro Stick in one direction, letting it center, then quickly moving the Pro Stick in the opposite direction.

These skill-based Pro Stick flicks will give players new weapons in shooting and ball handling.

Dunking

Finishing strong is just as important as slashing to the ring, so dunking controls have been improved in NBA 2K23. The metered skill dunks from NBA 2K22 return, but this time, there are new commands that will give players more control over how they want to finish on the rim. The way you flick the Pro Stick will now affect the finish as follows:

UP = Two-Hand Dunk
RIGHT = Strong Hand Dunk
LEFT = Weak Hand Dunk
DOWN = Rim Hang
UP-UP (Double Throw) = Flashy Two-Hand
DOWN-UP (Switchback) = Flashy One-Hand
UP-DOWN (Switchback) = Normal Skill Dunk with meter
DOWN-DOWN (Double Throw) = Rim Hang Skill Dunk with meter

Visual Concepts also added rim-hang controls for a fun time with your dunks. Holding the Sprint trigger as you use one of the Rim Hang gestures above will allow your player to hang on the rum for as long as you hold the trigger. You can also use the Left Stick to adjust the momentum of your body and the Right Stick to pull yourself up closer to the rim. This might be just one of the most exciting (albeit technically useless) 2K23 gameplay enhancements so far.

Layups

NBA 2K23 will also give players better controls for their layups, with the same map controls as in dunking:

Double Throw = Hop-step Layups
Switchback = Euro Step and Cradle Layups
Hold Left or Right = Quick Scoop Layups

Bigger players will also have stronger contact layup finishes that make body collisions look more authentic – so watch out.

Post

Similarly, Double Throws and Switchbacks now also have different effects on post:

Double Throw = Post Drop Step and Hop Shots
Switchback = Shimmy and Hook Shots

Dribbling Combos

New to NBA 2K23 is combo-ing up gesture combos while dribbling. Again, Switchbacks and Double Throws are the main culprit:

Switchback = Signature double cross and hesitation cross combo moves
Double Throws = Signature Size-ups

Size-ups are also tweaked to allow players to be more aggressive. NBA 2K23 introduces “attacking size-ups” that allow side-to-side movement and force the defense to drop and shift, baiting them from one side as you move to the other. Use these new features to outwit your opponent and make an opening for yourself on the course. Watch out, though, as these dribbling combos will quickly deplete your stamina meter fast.

Adrenaline Boosts

One of the most significant NBA 2K23 offense gameplay enhancements is the new Adrenaline Boosts feature. There will be three available boosts per player per possession, represented by three small bars under the stamina meter. These are consumed every time you go hard on your player. Once depleted, speed and acceleration will decrease significantly for the remainder of the possession. Play smart basketball and try to manage your entire team's Adrenaline Boost to allow you to outlast your opponent on the court for every possession.

Shooting

Of course, you couldn't have a more authentic experience for your offense if you don't touch shooting, so NBA 2K23 will also get some nice upgrades.

Shooting attributes are getting a revamp. Signature jump shots will now have unique shooting stats that help determine their effectiveness:

Shot Speed – how quickly the shot gets to its ideal release point
Release Height – how high the shot is released
Defensive Immunity – how good is the shooter at shooting over defense
Timing Impact – reward good timing more at the cost of an increased penalty for bad timing

More shot animations will also be added in NBA 2K23, over double the amount of any NBA 2K game, giving the game much more authenticity in getting how every NBA player actually does their jump shots. For MyPLAYER, be sure to pick the appropriate shot animation as it will now be gated by the shooting ratings above, so pick the ones that really resonate with your way of flicking the Pro Stick.

Shot Meters & Feedback

Since NBA 2K22's shot meter was controversial, Visual Concepts will now give players more options on how they want their shot meters will be like, with over 20 shot meters to be unlocked throughout the next year. Now, you can actually choose which shot meter works best for you.

Shot feedback also gets subtle adjustments. Shot arcs are used to indicate the shot release timing, and shot feedback will now appear only after the ball hits the basket.

Floor Generals

For playmakers, The Lead to Basket pass returns in New Gen the same way it worked in Current Gen last year, allowing players to simply press and hold Y/🔺 to get your receiver to cut to the basket and release the button to throw the pass.

A new Spot Up pass mechanic will also be coming to NBA 2K23 as part of its offensive gameplay enhancements. If you press and hold B/⭕, the receiver you're pointing at with the left stick will perform a quick V or flare cut to get himself open outside the arc.

And that's it for the new NBA 2K23 offensive gameplay enhancements! For the new defensive gameplay enhancements, check the accompanying article here. For the complete report, check the first Courtside Report for NBA 2K23 here.