Wayback Wednesday: ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 Retrospective
This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 by Konami.
In my retrospective of ESPN NBA 2Night, I described it as one of the absolute worst basketball video games from a Triple-A developer that I’ve ever played. That’s a bold declaration that I don’t make lightly, and I stand by it. From poorly-designed controls to underwhelming AI to unpolished animations and collisions, gameplay was a mess. It could produce a rare fun moment, but on the whole, it was a lacklustre sim-arcade hybrid. As such, some of its impressive features like the ESPN presentation and face editing deserved to be in a much better game.
To that end, there was really nowhere to go but up for its sequel, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002. Released for the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox midway through the 2002 season, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 definitely made an effort to be an improvement on its predecessor. Right out of the gate, I will say that it was respectably successful in that regard. That may sound like a backhanded compliment, but the game did make a commendable leap from the first ESPN NBA 2Night in some key areas. Does that make it a good or even a great game, though? Let’s take a look back…way back…
One of the biggest improvements in ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 was the adoption of controls that are very similar to NBA Live 2002, and other 5-on-5 games of the era. By implementing a configuration that had basically become the standard in the genre, the game is far more pick-up-and-play than its predecessor. In my opinion, the ability for an experienced basketball gamer to play a title “blind” and immediately be able to perform the basics due to logical and familiar controls is an indication of good design. It’s a reliable barometer when revisiting old titles, because so many of them fell short of the brand leader by needlessly implementing unorthodox controls to be different.
Not ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 though, which again clearly takes cues from NBA Live 2002. Triangle is jump/rebound, Square is dribbling move/steal, X is pass/switch, and Circle is shoot. A sprint control has been added after it was sorely missed in the first ESPN NBA 2Night, albeit on R2 rather than R1 as in NBA Live 2002. And so, within minutes of jumping on the sticks, I felt right at home. Additionally, as in NBA Live, shot fakes are performed by simply tapping the shoot button, rather than the contrived two-button method in ESPN NBA 2Night. There’s a reason that certain controls and mechanics became the standard in basketball games, so these were all good changes.
Furthermore, although the advanced controls in ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 differ from NBA Live 2002 and other games, they’re implemented logically. R1 is used for a protective dribble on offense, and facing up opponents on defense. L2 is a modifier that can be used in conjunction with the face buttons to call for a screen, force a dunk or layup attempt on a drive, throw an alley-oop, bring a teammate over for a double team, or intentionally foul. While controlling a player with the ball, Triangle can be used to fake a move. In short, the controls are a good mix of familiar configurations and different approaches that are well-mapped. As a result, they’re far less frustrating.
This goes hand-in-hand with some better tech. The dodge button from ESPN NBA 2Night is notably absent, as it’s no longer needed to slip by defenders after getting them in the air with a pump fake. It lends credibility to my theory that the control was a bandaid fix for subpar player collisions! Players do still stick to each other far too easily, which is where the drive/dunk/layup modifier comes in. Of course, NBA Live 98 had a similar function, so there’s merit to having a control to trigger a driving move when guarded tightly. Moreover, it doesn’t feel like defenders have a force field with a wide radius that must be smashed through, even if you successfully fake them out.
Well, for the most part. Player collisions and physicality do feel better than in ESPN NBA 2Night, as does movement and speed in general. The ability to sprint certainly helps here. However, while ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 feels a bit more polished than its predecessor, the tech is still somewhat clunky. As mentioned, players still stick to each other too easily, stopping ball handlers dead in their tracks. The drive modifier and dribble moves button (labelled the “shake” control in the manual) can help, as does the sprint control. Player motion and physics remain a bit janky though, with awkward animations and out-of-control moments when players are zooming about.
In other words, it definitely has some of the same problems as ESPN NBA 2Night. It just feels a bit more polished, and easier to control. Granted, that’s still a welcome improvement that makes ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 better from moment to moment, but again, it remains clunky. Even with some of the issues that NBA Live 2002 had in the wake of the rebuild that began with NBA Live 2001 – the result of a switch in programming language – it controls and looks better than ESPN NBA 2Night 2002. It’s stiffer than other NBA Live games, and some of the animations in ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 are more fluid, but NBA Live 2002 is still more precise and polished.
That brings us to the issues with the “shake” button. While the crossover and spin move buttons in NBA Live 2002 don’t always send us exactly where we want to go, they’re generally effective and contextually appropriate. If nothing else, they allow us to choose whether we want to spin or attempt a crossover. The shake button makes that choice for us, and it’s not always what you want or expect. Its moves are also far less effective in eluding defenders. This is a problem when the CPU switches to a full court press, as we’re forced to burn the sprint meter and spam the shake button in an effort to cross into the frontcourt before we’re whistled for an eight-second violation.
On top of the mechanical issues, AI and balance are still a problem. The CPU is adept at playing lockdown D thanks to player stickiness, but it’s much tougher to impede. It also has a tendency to hit tough shots and shoot a ridiculously high percentage, while the user will blow wide open jumpers and easy shots inside. ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 leans a bit further into the sim style than ESPN NBA 2Night, but it’s still an up-tempo shootout with the CPU having an advantage. Like its predecessor, the correct players will sometimes take the most shots, but the CPU’s choice of go-to guy can be weird. This doesn’t really disadvantage it though, as it can score effectively with everyone.
It doesn’t help that CPU teammates have a tendency to just stand around, leading to matador defense and uncontested rebounds. As a result, there are too many offensive boards, giving the CPU plenty of second chances when it does actually miss. You’ll have a bit more luck if you’re cleaning the glass yourself, but you’ll still miss out on too many defensive rebounds. Blocks are satisfying and organic, but getting a hand in a shooter’s face isn’t as effective as it should be. Poor balance and an inability to play good defense are staples of subpar basketball games, and while I’ve played titles that are far worse in that regard, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 is weak in both of those areas.
Mind you, CPU opponents aren’t particularly smart, either. Quite often, the CPU will drive or make a pass into the paint, only for the ball handler to stop in their tracks and either dribble or kick it back out. As in the previous game, the rapid and unnecessary passes feel like an artificial attempt at strategic ball movement and clock usage. The AI can and will take advantage of defensive lapses and therefore has its aggressive moments, but there’s generally a lot of timidness as it plays hot potato on offense. Obviously, you don’t expect particularly advanced AI in a game of this vintage, but other 2002 season releases tend to play far more realistically, or at least intelligently.
Some clunky mechanics and questionable AI make it difficult to play a strategic game of virtual basketball. To be fair, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 is still something of a sim-arcade hybrid, so it’s not surprising that sticking to a diet of dunks and three-pointers, defending as well as you can, and simply aiming to win the shootout, is the best recipe for success. Flashy dunks are plentiful and a few players who shouldn’t be throwing down are rocking the rim, so absolute realism wasn’t the goal. It does feel like it’s trying to lean in a more realistic direction than ESPN NBA 2Night or the In the Zone games however, so it’s fair to point out where it falls short of NBA Live and NBA 2K.
There are way too many charging calls on dunk attempts. I’m not entirely sure if it’s the result of the janky collision mechanics, or a deliberate tuning choice to encourage more careful play. I’m inclined to think it’s the former, but either way, it seems at odds with the game’s action-oriented style. There are also issues with phantom defensive fouls, though predictably the CPU can get away with some very physical play at the other end. As in ESPN NBA 2Night, it’s too easy to get whistled for an over-and-back when crossing into the frontcourt, especially if you perform a dribbling move near the line. In short, many of the fundamentals aren’t as polished and tight as they should be.
Still, if you can acclimate to its idiosyncrasies and get a handle on the controls, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 can actually be fun on the court…at least in small doses. Now, that doesn’t make it a good game. As I’ve discussed before, our ability to master poorly-designed mechanics doesn’t mean that they aren’t broken. I wouldn’t have chosen it over NBA Live 2002 back in the day, nor is it likely to be part of my retro gaming rotation now. However, I will say that it’s possible to create highlights and enjoy the gameplay for what it is, as long as you’re not taking it too seriously. It’s playable and capable of entertaining moments, which puts it ahead of many notoriously bad games.
I’ll also say that while I’ve criticised the animations and collisions, there are moments where the action looks and feels good. I do enjoy the dunks – which are more realistic than in the previous game – and some of the layups and other moves are good for the time as well. The adjustments on contact layups are awkward, but I appreciate that the game is trying to account for physicality in the paint. The controls are also responsive, so it doesn’t feel like you’re running in mud, though again getting the right move to trigger is a challenge. For all of its flaws, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 is markedly more polished than its predecessor, with a solid approach to the sim-arcade hybrid style.
Again, it helps that it borrowed concepts and configurations from better games. The sprint meter burns out too quickly, but it does grant us the burst of speed a basketball game needs. The familiar control layout means that you’re less likely to hit the wrong button, and it’s easier to pick up and play without consulting the manual. They even got rid of the weird rotating target approach to free throw shooting. Instead, you need to press L1 and R1 to start two meters moving, and stop both in the “make” zones. It’s still more contrived than a T-Meter, but at least it’s logical and you can make it work. It kind of sums up the game as a whole: it’s rough, but a commendable improvement.
An element of the first game that didn’t need too much improvement was the ESPN presentation. Nevertheless, it is slightly better in ESPN NBA 2Night 2002. If nothing else, they gave Stuart Scott some more mic time, and he delivered with a number of his signature lines. It’s wild to hear him describe as a dunk as being for “the shorties in the crowd”, rattling off imaginary relatives (and a baby daddy) when talking about a shot “making (a player’s) kinfolk proud”, or thundering “the Lord says you got to rise up!” like a fiery preacher. They do become repetitive and the game doesn’t always use them on appropriate plays, but they unquestionably give the commentary character.
Brent Musburger’s play-by-play commentary is also solid, though some of his lines aren’t spliced together seamlessly, and he also soon becomes repetitive. It’s no worse than other sports games from that era though, and understandable given the limited disc space. Beyond that, the scoreboard and in-game overlays accurately reflect an NBA on ESPN broadcast from 2002. Like its predecessor, the menus also incorporate the ESPN branding, making the frontend feel like part of the broadcast presentation. There are a few more main menu options though, so they can’t spell out ESPN this time. Basically, Konami again took full advantage of its partnership with the network.
As I’ve noted in previous retrospectives, even games that are rough on the sticks tend to have some cool little features that I wish were in much better releases. In addition to allowing us to cue up substitutions to take place at the next dead ball, we can also pre-emptively call timeout at the next available opportunity. Back then, not every sim game included that functionality, instead making the timeout and substitution options inaccessible if we couldn’t currently perform those actions. The game also recognises both Full and 20-Second timeouts. These features were also in ESPN NBA 2Night, so for all their other shortcomings, both games were definitely aiming for some depth.
Speaking of depth, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 expanded upon its array of modes with the addition of Franchise. Similar to Franchise in the PC versions of NBA Live 2000 and NBA Live 2001, it runs for a maximum of 25 years, besting the 10-year Franchise mode in the console-exclusive NBA Live 2002. Not only that, but we can also choose a shorter length of 5, 10, 15, or 20 years. As in the Franchise modes in NBA Live and NBA 2K, players develop, decline, and retire, with fresh faces entering the league via the Draft. The CPU will make moves of its own, as well as accept or decline trades it’s offered. As in contemporary NBA Live titles, a point limit stands in for a salary cap.
Franchise mode in ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 is a mixture of excellent ideas and subpar execution. It boasts some features that NBA Live’s Franchise mode didn’t, but some of the basic functions of the mode are poorly done. I’ll start with some positives, though. My favourite aspect of ESPN NBA 2Night 2002’s take on Franchise mode is easily its approach to the offseason. Unlike NBA Live’s approach of isolating offseason tasks into separate stages, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 presents us with a 12-week offseason period. The lottery and Draft naturally occur on fixed weeks, but all other tasks – re-signing players, signing free agents, and making trades – can be done at any time.
In that respect, it’s a more accurate representation of the NBA offseason. Also, while free agency isn’t separated into re-signing and signing phases as in NBA Live’s mode, the “contract deadline” at Week 7 affords us the opportunity to retain players before other teams can make them an offer. On top of being able to make trades throughout the offseason, this gives you way more flexibility to build your roster. You can also release players during the Draft to make room to sign your picks, or forfeit a pick if need be. Players can also be released while offering contracts to free agents, cutting down on some back and forth between menus if you need to make room on the roster.
While I actually prefer this approach to NBA Live’s sequential offseasons tasks, as I said, the execution could’ve been better. Let’s start with the points system. NBA Live used points in place of real dollar amounts, but still implemented the basic salary cap rules. A player’s points generally reflected the size of his contract in real life, and so each team’s cap situation was generally realistic, even if the numbers were simplified. Conversely, many players in ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 are on tiny contracts, so every team is under the 1,000 point limit. Similarly, whereas NBA Live’s Franchise reflects Bird Rights and other such cap exceptions, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002’s mode does not.
As such, it’s a lot easier to make trades and sign free agents. Additionally, since the Class of 2001 rookies are on small, 1-year contracts, many are attainable free agents at the end of the first season. Indeed, while simulating through a Sacramento Kings Franchise, I was able to snare Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, and Jason Richardson in the 2002 offseason! It seems as long as you have enough points available and you meet a free agent’s terms, they’ll always sign with you, compared to NBA Live where players will turn you down. However, CPU teams won’t give up their stars too easily, so you do need to match Overall Ratings and present an appealing offer to pull off big trades.
Unfortunately, the sim engine didn’t improve much from ESPN NBA 2Night. Some of the right names will rank among the league leaders, but Bo Outlaw almost always takes home the scoring crown in 2002 with around 23-25 ppg. Bench players don’t get enough minutes, and several players will play around 48 mpg with the league leader often averaging more than that, a la Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. The award winners and simulated results are spotty, with the Orlando Magic frequently faring better than expected. One might suggest this is due to Tracy McGrady being the cover player for the NTSC version, though again, it’s Bo Outlaw who ends up being the team’s star!
I’d say that Franchise mode in ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 mirrors the gameplay. It’s not quite polished enough compared to NBA Live 2002, but it has some cool features and presentation, and is potentially enjoyable if you’re not a stickler for accuracy. I think I would’ve been too bothered by the issues on and off the virtual hardwood to enjoy it as an alternative experience back in 2002. Even now, I’d still rank it behind NBA Live 2002 across the board, but I can appreciate what it was trying to do. There are aspects I would’ve liked to have had in NBA Live – especially the approach to the offseason tasks – but the sim engine and over-simplified salary system are undoubtedly inferior.
In all fairness, the Franchise modes in NBA Live and NBA 2K were also still in their relative infancy at that point. As such, while their modes achieved better simulated stats and results, they shared a familiar quirk with ESPN NBA 2Night 2002: unlikely names for generated rookies. During my simulation, I had a Draft class that included three Pippens, as well as a Felton Ostertag and Zydrunas Majerle! It also generated an imposter Eric Piatkowski and Eddie Jones; another funny quirk of generated rookies. To that end, while later games made the right move in improving the name generation logic, there’s an undeniable charm to all those weird and coincidental combinations!
Despite the ESPN presentation with immersive stats screens such as Double Clutch (top three performers) and Iron Unkind (three worst performances) – now available on cue for every game on the schedule along with box scores – Franchise mode in ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 could be limited in the information that it presented. The League Leaders only display the top six players. You’re only notified when a player on your team retires, with no league-wide listing. The Draft pool is divided into positions and then ordered by Overall Rating, with no option to sort the entire group to quickly find the best available player. On the plus side, you can view of all of a prospect’s ratings.
The option to play fewer seasons is nice though, and one that we interestingly haven’t seen too often in basketball video game Franchise modes over the years. It’s joined by some standard options including season length, Playoff format, quarter length (both for gameplay and simulated games), difficulty level, and enabling and disabling CPU-initiated trades, the trade deadline, and the aforementioned points system. You can also customise the league by moving teams into different divisions, as well as hold a Fantasy Draft. Notably, there’s no option to randomise the schedule. Subsequent years in Franchise mode also reuse the 2002 schedule, rather than generating a new one.
Single Season mode returns from ESPN NBA 2Night, and offers the same options as Franchise. That may seem redundant, but I do believe there’s value in offering a single season alternative to franchise play. It works best when it’s a more basic experience however, and Season mode in ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 does err in that regard by retaining features such as the CPU accepting and rejecting trade offers. The points system is also less useful in single season play, especially when every team is under the cap out of the gate. Nevertheless, I’m a fan of basketball games providing both a deep Franchise mode and a single Season mode without all of the bells and whistles.
Playoffs mode also returns from the previous game, without any major changes. The brackets are randomised upon choosing a team, though the teams and seeding can be manually changed as desired. In addition to changing the format and quarter length settings, there’s a trade option that’s off by default. Obviously, Playoff teams can’t make trades until they’re eliminated in the real NBA, but it’s a fun fictional option. As in the previous game, there’s no multi-team control in Playoffs mode, or Franchise and Season for that matter. Still, the addition of other customisation options plus a multi-season Franchise mode is impressive, even if some of the basics are flawed.
After the PlayStation 2 version of ESPN NBA 2Night was left without an All-Star Game mode and didn’t make the East and West All-Stars available in Exhibition play either, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 made sure to include them. Not only that, but you can actually modify the All-Star lineups! The catch here is that you’ll definitely want to do that, because for some reason, the default lineups are a random assortment of players rather than the 2001 teams. It’s a puzzling choice, but again, the kind of deviation from the norm that too many games made instead of following the brand leader’s example. Still, it’s great to have the All-Star squads, and for them to be customisable.
On the subject of customisation, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 provides us with the basics: trades, signing and releasing players, Create-a-Player, and the ability to edit original players. Once again, we can edit the accessories, jersey numbers, body proportions, and hairstyles for the original players, though not their head model this time around. You also need to change their hairstyle if you want to assign or remove a headband, which may not be ideal. Somewhat unusually, you can’t edit their ratings or other bio data, which is unfortunate as there are players who are underrated, overrated, or have been assigned the wrong position. The capacity for roster updates is therefore limited.
Even though I appreciate the aesthetic of the frontend, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 uses the same slightly frustrating approach to navigating menus as its predecessor. Circle and Square are used to toggle options and choose teams, where we’d normally use left or right on the stick/D-Pad, or the shoulder buttons. If you cycle through to the other screens when viewing a player’s profile, you need to back out of each one – essentially retracing your steps – to return to the previous menu. I’d describe it as treating each screen like a page in a web browser, with the back button taking you through each one individually. It may sound like nitpicking, but it’s unusually awkward frontend design.
The approach of “X to advance to another screen, Circle to select something on the current screen” can also get confusing. For example, when editing the rosters, making a trade involves going to a team’s screen in the Clubhouses menu and selecting the Trade option, which is all done with X. On that screen, Circle is then used to select players and place them in the Trade box. X advances to the next screen where you cycle through other teams to trade with, with players once again being selected by Circle. Pressing X then confirms the trade. Signing and releasing players, drafting rookies, and even making substitutions, all use this same approach to menu controls.
In other words, the button to make a selection is contextual. This runs contrary to the more common approach of using one button – usually X or A – to select anything that can be highlighted for whatever function the menu facilitates. Naturally, this method often results in accidentally exiting a screen when you’re trying to select a player to trade, release, or substitute. Eventually you grow somewhat accustomed to it, but even then mistakes are going to happen from time to time. Again, it may seem as though I’m being too petty about this, but it’s another prime example of a game trying to be unnecessarily different; another janky design choice in a game that has a few of them!
I do need to touch on the graphics, because it’s another area where ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 didn’t really improve. I’m not the harshest critic when it comes to graphics, and you certainly can’t hold a 2002 game to modern standards besides. It’s worth pointing out when a game’s visuals are particularly good or notably subpar for their era though, and to that end, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 is definitely in the latter category. Some of the players’ faces aren’t too bad, but they’re spoiled by blocky, one-size-fits-all head models. The lighting is better and it makes the game bright and vibrant, and the jersey textures are good too. Overall though, I’d give NBA Live 2002 the edge in graphics.
Since posting some highlights of ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 on our Facebook page, a few people have commented that the game was slept on, even suggesting that it was superior to NBA Live 2002 and NBA 2K2. Tellingly, some of those people admitted that they’re drawing that conclusion despite having never played ESPN NBA 2Night 2002! While everyone is entitled to their opinion – and I’m sure people do have fond memories of playing it back in the day – there’s a reason it had a mixed reception, with a few reviews being harshly negative. It has some nice bells and whistles, and it can be enjoyable, but it’s also plagued by on-court issues and clunky design in general.
Granted, it depends on how much you care about realism and statistical accuracy. The fact that it’s a sim-arcade hybrid allows for some grace here as well. Even putting that aside though, the horrendous AI, inconsistency in pulling off elusive dribbling moves, sticky collisions, questionable fouls and other officiating glitches, volume of bricks at the rim, and general lack of balance, are constant issues that will frustrate you. It can be made to look good in a highlight reel, but actually play it or even just watch some raw gameplay, and you’ll see how rough it is. NBA Live 2002 and NBA 2K2 aren’t the best games in their series, but they’re far better than ESPN NBA 2Night 2002!
At the same time, it can be fun. While the action has clunky moments, the responsive controls and fluid player movement mean that you won’t be mightily struggling to get around the floor. The dunks are emphatic and exciting, and the ESPN presentation is immersive. By taking cues from NBA Live’s control layout, it’s far more pick-up-and-play than ESPN NBA 2Night. Improved collisions and the addition of a sprint control make the gameplay faster, and facilitate explosive moves. Franchise mode is solid. It’s still a bit too unpolished and janky, but it’s capable of producing some fun moments. For all its faults, the game is far more enjoyable than a disaster such as NBA Live 07.
With that in mind, while I can’t really call it a good game, it doesn’t feel entirely fair to call it a bad one, either. Unlike its predecessor, I wouldn’t say that it’s a contender for the worst Triple-A basketball game I’ve ever played! I think the fairest assessment of it is to say that overall, it’s mediocre. I realise that carries negative connotations in a time where describing something as “mid” may as well be calling it “horrible”, and indeed, mediocrity isn’t exactly ideal. However, ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 made an impressively huge leap over ESPN NBA 2Night. “Notably flawed, but potentially fun with some cool ideas” is way better than “only ever play this out of morbid curiosity”!
Although I’d disagree that ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 was “slept on”, there’s another reason apart from its shortcomings and the popularity of NBA Live and NBA 2K that it didn’t gain the same amount of attention. It was a late release, with the PS2 version hitting North American shelves in February 2002, and arriving in Europe/PAL regions in May. Similarly, the Xbox version was released in North America in April, as the regular season was drawing a close. By the time it came out, most basketball gamers had picked up and gotten hooked on NBA Live 2002 or NBA 2K2, or moved on to other games. NBA titles that come halfway through a season are a much tougher sell.
After Take-Two acquired the ESPN license in 2002 in time to implement it in NBA 2K3, Konami adopted the Starting Five branding. This lasted for two releases – the second of which was exclusive to Japan – before they withdrew from the basketball gaming space. It wasn’t altogether surprising. Sim gamers were demanding more and more authenticity, and Konami’s clunky games with their sim-arcade style weren’t turning heads away from NBA Live and NBA 2K. Still, it was a shame to lose them and other games during the 2000s. There’s value in alternatives, and those less popular titles still found an appreciative audience. Sadly, the glut of games wasn’t sustainable.
I’m glad that we got them, even if they didn’t all turn out the way we would’ve liked. They’re interesting to look back on now, and can be fun to play, if only very briefly. As harsh as I’ve been on certain aspects of ESPN NBA 2Night 2002, I do appreciate the way Konami was able to improve considerably upon their previous release. I had some fun messing around with it, even cobbling together a re-creation of the 1998 NBA Finals! ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 was rough compared to the competition, but it had its good points. Much like a mediocre NBA team, it was a long way from being a true championship contender, but had potential and occasional flashes of brilliance.
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