Monday Tip-Off: NBA 2K14 MyCAREER Year 4 Recap

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with a recap of Year 4 in my MyCAREER in the PlayStation 4 version of NBA 2K14.

Can you believe that I’ve played through four full seasons of MyCAREER within the past twelve months or so? It’s true! This is what happens when you’re not forcing yourself to grind to level up a player as quickly as possible in the latest game, all the while knowing that your progress will be reset to zero in a year’s time. Given my lack of enthusiasm for either version of NBA 2K21 and NBA 2K22, I’ve greatly enjoyed NBA 2K14 PS4 providing me with a basketball gaming experience that’s been so engaging. It’s unquestionably picked up the slack.

With NBA 2K23 looming and its previews inspiring some cautious optimism, I did want to wrap up Year 4 in NBA 2K14 MyCAREER before the release of this year’s game. I have no doubt that I’ll pick it up again to play through Year 5 – I still have one more Hall of Fame Milestone to achieve for 100% completion in that regard – but I do want to spend time with NBA 2K23 and give it a fair chance to impress. Even with the deadline of NBA 2K23’s release however, I still took the time to enjoy the journey in Year 4 of my NBA 2K14 MyCAREER. As I prepare to take a break from NBA 2K14 in the near future, here’s a look back at how the 2017 campaign went down.

As in my previous recaps, before I get into all of the events of Year 4 in NBA 2K14 MyCAREER, I’d like to reflect on the overall experience and impressions of the mode after four full seasons. It obviously continues to be a blast given that I’m still playing it, but I have noticed a couple of issues. As I’ve noted, the story beats of being called out by a Legend and suffering your own Flu Game continue to repeat. It’s a great idea as far as additional opportunities to unlock the associated Trophies/Achievements, but I wish that those events could’ve been flagged as completed in specific saves. It’s an example of how not everything was properly designed for playing beyond Year 1.

This is also apparent in a scheduling bug. The All-Star Weekend keeps getting moved forward, and currently takes place during the week! Everything works fine for now, but I have a nagging concern that it’s somehow going to get pushed out of February, and potentially cause a crash. The lack of player movement is also a detriment the more seasons that you play through. A lot of journeymen (and players who should be journeymen, based on their real careers) are beginning to rack up lengthy tenures with teams. There should be more faces changing places, as well as free agent pickups. The latter in particular seems to be almost non-existent through the first four seasons.

Nevertheless, Year 4 in NBA 2K14 MyCAREER was still a fun ride, and it began with an unfamiliar scenario. Carmelo Anthony’s knee injury in the 2016 Playoffs ruled him out for the beginning of the 2017 season, and several months beyond that. It’s a situation that inspired mixed feelings. On one hand, it was a realistic portrayal of a serious knee injury, and added to the story via an organic in-game event. On the other hand, one of my best teammates was out of action, and it led to Michael Carter-Williams being promoted to the starting lineup, shifting me over to shooting guard. It was annoying not being able to call plays, and generally sharing ballhandling duties.

It didn’t prevent us from getting out to a hot start though, and when November ended with us at 15-0, an undefeated season officially became the goal. Melo’s absence was offset by the performance of Terry Hanson, who – with a little help from many passes from me – increased his scoring average to around 30 points per game. Despite our hot start however, not everyone was happy. Tristan Thompson remained disgruntled with his playing time, demanding to be traded yet again. Tony Wroten missed a couple of weeks with a concussion, joining Melo on the injured list. Melo’s morale was also dipping, with his injury forcing him to watch us win game after game without him.

Strangely, the team fired (or didn’t retain) Brett Brown over the offseason, electing to bring in Johnny Davis as his replacement. It didn’t affect the on-court experience beyond the face on the sideline and name on the Dynamic Goals, but it was an odd wrinkle to the story. In any event, we kept on winning through December, and I was able to get Hanson to post 48 and 51-point games. The team also rid itself of Tristan Thompson, ironically trading him back to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Jarrett Jack! The latter fit in well with us – even if it did keep me at shooting guard too often – while Thompson was soon demanding to be moved once again. Good riddance!

My goals throughout the season were to put up numbers, ensure Terry Hanson was the second-leading scorer and get him to average 30 ppg alongside me, achieve more of the Hall of Fame Milestones, and ultimately go 82-0. As the months went by, the wins kept on coming. I scored a new career high of 76 points in January, and also hit my 1000th three-pointer and tallied my 250th double-double. In February, I scored my 10,000th career point against Jackson Ellis, had 19 steals against the Hawks, led the East to another victory in the All-Star Game, and remained undefeated heading into March. Along the way, I was having fun with big games, and clutch plays.

At the same time, I wasn’t entirely satisfied. The handling of the team’s rotation was frustrating. In real life, my emergence as a superstar likely would’ve made MCW expendable years ago, leading to a trade. Instead, he was signed to an extension, and we were starting together as an ill-fitting dual point guard backcourt. When he injured his knee after 44 games and was ruled out for the season, it was actually a blessing in disguise! The team also acquired Trevor Booker for our first and second round picks in 2017, but then proceeded to put him behind Lavoy Allen and Arnett Moultrie in the rotation, despite a higher rating. We were winning, but I was questioning The Process.

It was good for immersion and role-playing, though. Even with our success, I wasn’t thrilled with some of the decisions. Extending Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel’s contracts and not mine felt like a slap in the face, given that I was the reigning three-time MVP and Finals MVP, carrying the team to far more success than they’d ever have otherwise. I began considering whether I would leave in free agency at the end of the season. When the in-game NBA.com posted a headline stating that Derrick Rose would be exploring free agency, the possibility of going to Chicago entered my mind. In the meantime however, I still had goals I wanted to achieve in Philadelphia.

March proved to be an interesting month. I tallied five quadruple-doubles in March alone, and also became the first player with 500+ steals and 200+ blocks in a single season, with several games left to further pad those stats. However, I also fouled out early in the fourth quarter – a highly unusual event – of a win over the Magic. Ellis and the Detroit Pistons also snapped our winning streak at 69, preventing an undefeated season. It was a heartbreaking loss – I’ll admit I briefly considered dashboarding – but I also appreciated the poetic nature of it. The Pistons were a potential Conference Finals opponent, and the rivalry with Ellis already came complete with cutscenes.

Speaking of other teams’ performances in Year 4 of NBA 2K14 MyCAREER, I kept tabs on the standings and likely Playoff matchups. It was interesting to see the top four in the West change throughout the season. The Minnesota Timberwolves started strong following their unlikely NBA Finals run the year before, but couldn’t hold onto the top seed once Derrick Williams went down for the season. It was a constant battle between the Thunder, Clippers, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers, which wasn’t decided until the final day of the season. In the East, the Bulls and Pistons battled for second place, while the Bobcats, Celtics, and Bucks were all solid in the fourth to sixth seeds.

Naturally, my attention was also drawn to the Los Angeles Lakers. In this reality, Kobe Bryant returned for a 21st season, playing alongside LeBron James. Their defeat in the 2016 Western Conference Finals after blowing a 3-1 lead seemingly established a form that continued throughout the 2017 campaign, as they struggled to remain in the top eight. Kobe missed time with a broken finger and later a broken jaw, but an impressive late season push led by LeBron allowed them to sneak into the Playoffs as the eighth seed. Gregg Popovich also left the Spurs to coach the Lakers, making for a very strange (and frankly, ridiculous) sight during our two regular season clashes.

The loss to the Pistons proved to be our only one of the season, and while 81-1 is far from a poor effort, the blemish on the record did sting. On the bright side, Carmelo Anthony finally returned to action in April, playing five games and slotting right back into the lineup without the team missing a step. I finished the season averaging a triple-double and leading the league in all five major categories for the third straight year, though it was more out of ingrained habits in my style of play than a conscious goal this time around. Terry Hanson also ended up averaging 30.3 ppg, and though Melo’s morale was iffy and I was considering free agency, there was still a job to do.

Unfortunately, the 2017 Playoffs began with some terrible luck. Terry Hanson, who had never missed a game in his career to that point, suffered a high ankle sprain just minutes into our Playoff opener against the Toronto Raptors. He was expected to miss the rest of the Playoffs, and indeed he did. Not surprisingly, Melo was able to replace his scoring output, and Tony Wroten – starting following MCW’s injury – also had a fine postseason. The Raptors didn’t put up much of a fight, and the Bobcats were also a fairly easy opponent for the third year in a row. With the Bulls bowing out in the first round, the Pistons overcame the Bucks to set up a showdown with Jackson Ellis.

I was determined to destroy the Pistons as revenge for handing us our only loss of the season, but it wasn’t so easy. Despite sweeping the series and winning each game by double digits, it was extremely competitive in three out of the four games. The final scores don’t tell the whole story, as they were the result of furious fourth quarter runs to seize control and get the win. Still, it felt good to rack up points against Ellis, and break out the brooms to send the Pistons home for the year. Meanwhile, the West kept me guessing as to who I’d have to overcome in the NBA Finals. To that point, there were several intriguing subplots formed by Year 4 in my NBA 2K14 MyCAREER.

After making it to the NBA Finals in 2014 and handing us a loss in Game 4 before we finished the series at home in Game 5, the Portland Trail Blazers suffered first round exits in 2015 and 2016. Upon falling short of the top seed at the very end of the 2017 regular season, they were bounced in the first round again, this time being upset by a Houston Rockets team that was missing James Harden. The Thunder made short work of the Lakers, but fell to the Pelicans, who swept the Timberwolves in the first round. New Orleans then upset Oklahoma City 4-1, while the Clippers defeated the Jazz in six and outlasted Houston in seven to face NOLA in the Western Conference Finals.

In a scenario eerily similar to ones we’ve seen in real life, the Clippers went up 2-0, but lost Chris Paul in the fourth quarter when he separated his shoulder. This ruled him out for the rest of the series, and the Pelicans took advantage, winning the next four to advance to the NBA Finals. This continued a streak of unlikely opponents coming out of the West to face us for the title, though given the unlikelihood of our performance, I’m not about to complain about a lack of realism! CP3’s injury and its parallels to real life were an appropriate twist to the tale. All in all, it was far more believable than the Timberwolves coming back from 3-1 down to LeBron and Kobe!

Even with top scorer Tyreke Evans sidelined for the entire series due to tendonitis in his knee, the Pelicans put up a respectable fight. Much like the series with the Pistons, the scores didn’t reflect the competitive nature. Jrue Holiday also shook off a wrist injury in Game 1, and was a tough opponent all series long. Most of the games were up for grabs until late in the fourth, and I had to rally back from some big deficits. The series did end in a sweep though, as I won my fourth consecutive championship and NBA Finals MVP. At long last, my big decision was finally upon me. Would I remain a 76er, or leave to become a Bull? As I advanced to the offseason, I wasn’t sure yet.

That brings us to what is easily the most disappointing part of what was otherwise an enjoyable Year 4 in NBA 2K14 MyCAREER: there was no free agency decision to make! I simply re-signed with the 76ers for 0 – yes, that’s zero – VC. I wondered if it was a by-product of being an offline file, but it appears this was happening while the servers were still online. I know it’s possible to join forces with LeBron James, and I’ve also seen a clip featuring a choice of destination when teaming up with Jackson Ellis, though I’m having trouble finding it again. Seeing those options may depend on being a free agent at the same time as LeBron and Ellis, which isn’t the case for me.

If so, that’s disappointing to say the least. While I was strongly considering staying with the 76ers anyway, I was definitely mulling over joining the Bulls for a change of scene. I would’ve even considered other scenarios if they appeared to be fun. I’m locked in for a Drive for Five in Philly however, and while it was contrived, I can run with that scenario…for now. Knowing that my only way out of Philadelphia might be to demand a trade – and considering there’s a Trophy/Achievement for that – there’s always a chance that I’ll turn heel on the City of Brotherly Love, and force my way out. I’ll have to see how the 2018 campaign shapes up, and whether I get bored.

Once again, I’ll be taking a break to dive into NBA 2K23, but I’ve had too much fun through Year 4 in my NBA 2K14 MyCAREER to not return to it at some point. Even if I’m enjoying NBA 2K23, I may end up rotating it with NBA 2K14, at least until I’ve achieved the final Hall of Fame Milestone (five All-Star selections). Like my NBA Live 06 Dynasty, this is a save file that I want to preserve, and return to whenever I feel like it; especially since I’ve enjoyed maintaining a story topic once again. I am ready to put it aside once NBA 2K23 drops later this week, but I’m not sick of it, nor will I have any problems picking it up once more. The timing has worked out well.

It’s strange to think that I’m now playing through seasons that I experienced in later NBA 2K titles! Obviously, Year 4 in my NBA 2K14 MyCAREER was the 2017 season, which I played through years ago in NBA 2K17. I’m now entering the 2018 season, which I couldn’t get through in NBA 2K18 because I didn’t enjoy the game. I’d still love to play through to the current season, though doing so without simulating does depend on what other games capture my attention, including NBA 2K23. At the very least, I want to achieve all of the Hall of Fame Milestones without simulating. After that, perhaps I’ll finally start making use of the Play Next Key Game function.

The stories that have developed through four seasons of NBA 2K14 MyCAREER have really made it a special experience. Although I’d like to see more player movement, a few big names have changed teams, and I’ve ended up facing a few former teammates turned opponents by this point. Playing most of Year 4 without Melo also changed things up, and there’s still the question of whether he’ll ask for a trade, or leave via free agency at the end of Year 5. Forming a dynamic duo with Terry Hanson continues to make each game of the season a lot of fun. It’s incredibly rewarding to see stats and accolades accumulate. It feels like a proper NBA career!

I do hope that I’ll have an opportunity to explore free agency at some point. It appears as though I’ll probably play at least five seasons for the 76ers, though I can see myself asking for a trade, or trying to force Michael Carter-Williams out of town. It would be a departure from the personality that I’ve been role-playing as, but I believe some of the frustration I have with the game’s lineup logic should start influencing my actions. While it would be unfortunate, demanding a trade and ending up somewhere I don’t want to go would be a realistic and interesting outcome. Will I be willing to take the risk, knowing that I can’t experiment and then reload an old save, as in NBA 2K13?

Time will tell, but I’m definitely interested in exploring some of those scenarios, and continuing the journey beyond Year 4 in NBA 2K14 MyCAREER. Even though I miss some of the additions and enhancements that came in later games, I still really appreciate the focus on an NBA-based experience. That’s something we’ve lost over the years, to the point where an offline MyCAREER is no longer possible as of NBA 2K20. As such, even with a couple of bugs or undesirable outcomes, I’m grateful that NBA 2K14 still allows us to go back and play MyCAREER. I know that I’ll continue to take advantage of that opportunity, until I feel it’s time to head to Springfield.

The post Monday Tip-Off: NBA 2K14 MyCAREER Year 4 Recap appeared first on NLSC.