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Here's the thing about SB I'm noticing, as well as ID.

SBing at a higher level than ID results in better usage of SB. I think most people believe that SB has to be equal to ID. Problem with that is GE tries to pick the best action based on the skills. In my observation, the GE will pick ID over SB. What that means is your player will get in position to defend, but then he won't necessarily contest the shot. When SB is higher than ID, the GE will decide to defend the shot rather than get into a good defensive position. This results in shots being blocked, but also results in SB going against the opponents offense to defend the shot which results in misses not seen as a statistic.

Because of this, I really don't think ID over 10 or 11 is needed. I forget what NBBA team it was, but several seasons ago there was a manager than had no more than ID of 10 on a big man. His theory is that ID above that resulted in very little additional defense compared to much higher levels. For example, a guy may shoot 60% against 10ID, but shoot 56% against 18ID. Those 8 additional ID pops aren't worth the time or salary.

On the flip side, if you have 10ID and 18SB, for example, the defender will get into position with 10ID, but the GE sees the best chance of stopping the shot with his 18 SB. Therefore I believe that 10/18 (ID/SB) could defend better than the 18/18 (ID/SB) because the SB will be utilized more based on the GE selection of skills.

Thats the issue with LI tactics. 60, 58 or 56% is still elite efficiency. Anything over 52 true shooting percentage in this game used to be elite. Nothing had changed since season 23 when i quited, slightly more skillfull players.

The only way to defend LI is try to minimize shots the C, PF and SF take. It could be done by having absurdry high OD stats on guards. But that could be countered by having high driving skills for centers. Thats the way players built had changed during 23 seasons. Higher driving for centers, everything else the same. Never bothered either to have elite ID or SB either. Had been playing div 2 with 12 ID 7-10SB centers, everyone kept rolling around 56-58%...around the same as agains 18ID...

Even the best Li guards tend to shoot bellow 50 % like 48,5 mostly, because high OD of opponents and low passing skills to make their salaries managable. Best bet to defend shot is to force not to take it. better force guards chuck bricks from midrange with 8 JR.

Last edited by Vilkai [LTU NT] at 6/10/2019 3:05:18 PM

SBing at a higher level than ID results in better usage of SB.

I agree this could be the case, but unfortunately I concluded it's almost impossible to try this at top level because one of the points I made above: training.

Training a big man punting ID is very hard if not impossible, while training a big man punting SB/IS/RB is doable and much easier to do. Since nobody gives up RB (rightfully so) and you need IS in inside offenses, then the choice is between medium ID and elite SB or elite ID and no SB. The second option costs tens of thousands of $$$ less and is effective in limiting inside shots.

I tried as much as I could to figure out a way to have a big man with minimal ID and elite IS, SB and RB and I could not find any based on training simulators and CP. More precisely: you can do it at D2 level or below, but not at top level, while you routinely see players with 54 IS+ID+RB and 7 or less SB on the transfer list. There are some on the market right now.

I suppose you could find guys with 7 IS/RB/SB and 1 ID as draftees and train them, but that's something you pretty much have to go all in on yourself since you're not going to stumble across D1 ready guys with skills trained that way. Punting IS is a lot easier, of course, but that naturally has its own complications.

You did quite a long time ago now when you had lots of players with SB and played zones. If you want me to say you were experimenting? No problem, but I think it's fairly accurate to say this is what it was: team building relying heavily on shotblockers (due to Nachmahr and other trainers) on the assumption that you can stop and beat inside tactics this way.

To be honest, slowing down/stopping inside tactics isn't necessarily that much of a problem if that's the goal. Hell, I think I've given up 100 points once in the league the past few seasons despite almost always playing a predictable fast outside offense. Pairing that with enough offense to actually take advantage of that without burning through money is the challenge that seems to be out of my reach. ;)