NBA 2K14 Advanced Controls Guide

Anyone can pick up a controller and at least learn the basics of NBA 2K14, but the true veterans of the series who buy the annual releases have to know much more than passing and shooting. Posting up, calling plays, rebounding the ball – there are a slew of more advanced techniques that can make the difference between a close win and a blowout loss online, and we’re here to help you know what you’re getting yourself into. A senior game designer from 2K Sports has posted the full control layout on Operation Sports, detailing both the basic and advanced options.

The basic controls are similar to what you’ve seen in past 2K games, with pick and pass all mapped to the face buttons and movement on the sticks. But The Pro Stick features really shine in the advanced controls, where all the finesse movement and shooting has been mapped to the right stick. Spin shots, floaters, and pump fakes require specific movements with the right analog stick, and all that information can be seen in the list below.

BASIC CONTROLS

BASIC OFFENSE

Move Player
|LS|

Pro Stick: Dribble Moves/Shooting/Passing
|RS|

Pass Modifier
|PS3=L2, X360=LT|

Sprint 
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|

Call Play
|PS3=L1, X360=LB|

Icon Pass
|PS3=R1, X360=RB|

Pass
|PS3=CROSS, X360=A|

Pick Control
|PS3=CIRCLE, X360=B|

Shoot (tap for pump fake/hop)
|PS3=SQUARE, X360=X|

Post-Up
|PS3=TRIANGLE, X360=Y|

DPAD UP = Signature Skills
DPAD RIGHT = Quick Plays
DPAD LEFT = Offensive Strategies
DPAD DOWN = Substitutions
|PS3=SELECT, X360=BACK| = Timeout

BASIC DEFENSE

Move Player
|LS|

Hands Up/Shade/Contest
|RS|

Intense D
|PS3=L2, X360=LT|

Sprint
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|

Double Team
|PS3=L1, X360=LB|

Icon Swap
|PS3=R1, X360=RB|

Player Swap (closest to ball)
|PS3=CROSS, X360=A|

Take Charge
|PS3=CIRCLE, X360=B|

Steal
|PS3=SQUARE, X360=X| 

Block/Rebound
|PS3=TRIANGLE, X360=Y|

DPAD UP = Signature Skills
DPAD RIGHT = Defensive Sets
DPAD LEFT = Defensive Strategies
DPAD DOWN = Substitutions

ADVANCED CONTROLS

PRO STICK – SHOOTING

Jump Shot
Press and hold |RS| any direction

Stepback Jumper
Press and hold |RS| away from hoop (driving laterally)

Hop Gather
Press |PS3=SQUARE, X360=X| while driving (|LS| determines direction of hop)

Spin Shot
Rotate |RS| from ball hand around player's back, then press and hold

Half Spin Shot
Rotate |RS| in a quarter-circle from ball hand to hoop, then press and hold

Runner/Floater
Press and hold |RS| away from hoop (while driving close)

Normal Layup
Press and hold |RS| toward hoop (while driving)

Reverse Layup
Press and hold |RS| toward baseline (while driving baseline)

Euro Step Layup
Press and hold |RS| away from hoop left/right (while driving)

Hop Step Layup
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|+Press and hold |RS| left/right (while driving)

Dunk
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|+Press and hold |RS| toward hoop (while driving)

Mid-Air Change Shot
Start dunk/layup, move |RS| in any direction while in air

Pump Fake
Start a jump shot, then quickly release |RS|

Step Through
Pump fake, then press and hold |RS| again before pump fake ends

 

PRO STICK – ISOMOTION

In and Out
Press |RS| toward hoop then quickly release

Stutter Step
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|+Press |RS| toward hoop then quickly release

Hesitation (Quick)
Press |RS| toward ball hand then quickly release

Hesitation (Escape)
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|+Press |RS| toward ball hand then quickly release

Crossover
Press |RS| toward off hand then quickly release

Between Legs Cross
Press |RS| between off hand and player's back then quickly release

Crossover (Escape)
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|+Press |RS| toward off hand then quickly release

Behind Back
Press |RS| away from hoop then quickly release

Stepback
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|+Press |RS| away from hoop then quickly release

Spin
Rotate |RS| from ball hand around player's back, then quickly return to neutral

Half Spin
Rotate |RS| in a quarter-circle from ball hand to hoop, then quickly return to neutral

Triple Threat Jab
Press |RS| left, right, or forward then quickly release (while in triple threat)

Triple Threat Stepback
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|+Press |RS| away from hoop then quickly release (while in triple threat)

Triple Threat Spinout
Rotate |RS| then quickly return to neutral (while in triple threat)

PASSING

Pass
|PS3=CROSS, X360=A| (|LS| selects recipient)

Bounce Pass
|PS3=L2, X360=LT|+|PS3=CROSS, X360=A| (|LS| selects recipient)

Flashy Pass 
|PS3=L2, X360=LT|+Press |RS| toward desired recipient

Icon Pass 
Press |PS3=R1, X360=RB| then press action button of desired receiver

Fake Pass
|PS3=SQUARE, X360=X|+|PS3=CROSS, X360=A| (while standing or driving)

Alley-Oop
|PS3=L2, X360=LT|+|PS3=SQUARE, X360=X| (|LS| selects recipient, toward basket for oop-to-self)

Rolling Inbound 
|PS3=L2, X360=LT|+|PS3=CROSS, X360=A| during baseline inbounds

Give and Go 
Press and hold |PS3=CROSS, X360=A| to retain control of passer, release |PS3=CROSS, X360=A| to receive the ball back

POST MOVES

Enter / Leave Post
|PS3=TRIANGLE, X360=Y|

Post Movement
|LS| any direction

Faceup Drive
|LS| toward key or baseline + |PS3=TRIANGLE, X360=Y| (while holding the ball

Disengage Drive
|LS| toward baseline + |PS3=TRIANGLE, X360=Y| (while dribbling the ball)

Aggressive Backdown
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|+|LS| toward hoop

Drive to Key
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|+|LS| toward key

Drive to Baseline
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|+|LS| toward baseline

Quick Spin
Rotate |RS| to outside shoulder

Hook Drive
Rotate |RS| to inside shoulder

Fakes
Press |RS| in any direction but away from hoop

POST SHOTS

Post Hook
|RS| left or right toward hoop (close range)

Post Fade
|RS| left or right away from hoop (beyond close range)

Post Layup
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|+|RS| left or right toward hoop (close range)

Shimmy Shot
|PS3=R2, X360=RT|+|RS| left or right away from hoop

Post Hop
|LS| left or right away from hoop then press |PS3=SQUARE, X360=X|

Post Stepback
|LS| away from hoop then press |PS3=SQUARE, X360=X|

Dropstep
|LS| left or right toward hoop then press |PS3=SQUARE, X360=X|

Pump Fake
Start a shot listed above then move |RS| to neutral

Up & Under / Step Through
Pump fake, then |RS| again before pump fake ends

POST PLAY DEFENSE ON BALL

Neutralize Move
|LS| toward offensive player when he attempts a move

Post Steals
|PS3=SQUARE, X360=X| during post move

ONBALL DEFENSE

Intense-D
Press and hold |PS3=L2, X360=LT| when in front of dribbler

Shade Stance Change
Press and hold |PS3=L2, X360=LT|, press |RS| left or right

Crowd Dribbler
Press and hold |PS3=L2, X360=LT| when near the dribbler (triple threat or holding ball)

Fast Shuffle
Press and hold |PS3=L2, X360=LT|+|PS3=R2, X360=RT|, move |LS| in any direction

Hands Up Defense
Press and hold |RS| in any direction

Shot Contest
Press |RS| towards shooter

Pass Contest
Press |RS| away from dribbler

Take Charge
Press and hold |PS3=CIRCLE, X360=B|

Flop
While in take charge, release |PS3=CIRCLE, X360=B|, press |PS3=CIRCLE, X360=B|

Intentional Foul
Press |PS3=SELECT, X360=BACK|

Double Team
Press and hold |PS3=L1, X360=LB|

ADVANCED OFFENSE

Call Timeout
Press |PS3=SELECT, X360=BACK|

2K Smart Play
Press and hold |PS3=L1, X360=LB| to call the best play for the situation

Positional Playcall
Press |PS3=L1, X360=LB| then press teammate's action button; choose play from menu

Send Teammate on Cut
Press |PS3=L1, X360=LB| then press teammate's action button; |RS| to cut

Basic Pick Control
Press and hold |PS3=CIRCLE, X360=B| (length of hold determines Slip, Roll, or Fade)

Icon Pick Control
Press |PS3=CIRCLE, X360=B| then press and hold the action button of desired screener (length of hold determines Slip, Roll, or Fade)

Putback Dunk/Layup
Press and hold |RS| in any direction during an offensive rebound

OFF BALL OFFENSE

Call for Ball
|PS3=CROSS, X360=A|

Call for Alley-Oop
|PS3=L2, X360=LT|+|PS3=SQUARE, X360=X| (while cutting toward hoop)

Set Screen
|PS3=CIRCLE, X360=B|

Call for Screen
|PS3=TRIANGLE, X360=Y|

Stand Juke
|RS| press left/right

Juke Launch
|RS| press left, press and hold right

Spin Launch
|RS| half-circle

Stutter Launch
|RS| left twice, then press and hold

Stutter Cut
|RS| press any direction (while running)

Juke Cut
|RS| left, right (while running)

Spin Cut
|RS| half-circle (while running)

Post Up
|PS3=L2, X360=LT| (with back to defender)

Post Spin out for Lob
Release |PS3=L2, X360=LT|+|LS| left/right (when posted offball)

Counter Deny/Front in Post
|PS3=L2, X360=LT|+|RS| left/right (when posted offball)

OFF BALL DEFENSE

Post Up / Ball Denial
|PS3=L2, X360=LT| when near opponent (based on distance to basket)

Deny Hands Out
|RS| in any direction

Ball Pressure
|RS| press towards ballhandler

Fight for Position in Post
|PS3=L2, X360=LT|+|LS| into defender (when posted offball)

Deny/Front Post
|PS3=L2, X360=LT|+|RS| left/right (when posted offball)

Steal Post Entry Pass
|PS3=L2, X360=LT|+|PS3=SQUARE, X360=X| (as ball is passed into post) 

NBA 2K14 is available now for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with the next-generation versions arriving in November. If you haven’t yet, take a look at the first footage for the PS4 and Xbox One options.