Once you’ve squeezed your budget to make your perfect starting roster in NBA 2K23 MyTEAM, it is time to start thinking about your defense.
Although you can certainly influence your defense as a player, it is impossible to be over the court at all times. You need a little help from the game.
This article will outline the best defensive settings for NBA 2K23 MyTEAM to give you the most chance of winning matches.
With so much more XP and rewards at stake for playing the game at a higher difficulty level, the great defense can be the difference between success and failure.
If you want to gain MT quickly, try these defensive settings.
Your Defensive Settings
Firstly, head to the MyTeam tab, select Line Ups Management, and choose the Coaching Tab.
From there, you have five options:
- Change the Playbook
- Change the Coach
- Change the Gameplan
- Adjust Minutes
- Coach Settings
This article will focus on the Coach Gameplan and Coach Settings. This defensive setup is designed to apply plenty of pressure to your opposition and increase the likelihood of getting the ball back quickly.
Coach Gameplan
On Ball Pressure: Change to Smother. On automatic, defenders will use the team’s pressure scheme when guarding the ball handler. In Smother, the on-ball defender will crown their matchup as closely as possible, giving more opportunities for a turnover.
Off Ball Pressure: Change to Tight: On automatic, defenders will use the team’s pressure scheme when guarding off-ball. In Tight, off-ball defenders guard perimeter players closely and leave little space.
On Ball Screen: Change to Go Over. Defenders will guard the ball in the pick-and-roll, based on the team’s scheme. In Go Over, the on-ball defender will go over the screen.
Force Direction: Leave as automatic. On automatic, defenders will favor a side and force the ball carrier based on the team’s scheme.
On Ball Screen (Center): Change to Go Over. Defenders will guard the ball in the pick-and-roll, based on the team’s scheme. In Go Over, the on-ball defender will go over the screen.
Hedge: Change to Soft-Hedge. On automatic, defenders will hedge their assignment based on the team scheme. With Soft-Hedge, the hedging player will step out to stop the ball carrier from turning the corner.
Hedge Center: Change to Soft-Hedge. On automatic, defenders will hedge their assignment based on the team scheme. With Soft-Hedge, the hedging player will step out to stop the ball carrier from turning the corner.
Stay Attached: Change to Yes. On automatic, defenders will stay attached to the screener based on the team scheme. With Yes, the hedging defender will stay attached to the screener. The defender will change to go under when on-ball pick and coverage.
Off-Ball Screen: Change to Go Over. In automatic, off-ball defenders will defend based on the team scheme. In Go Over, the on-ball defender will go over the screen.
Double Team Perimeter: No change. Manuel allows defenders to double team on the perimeter only when you call for it.
Post: No change. In automatic, the post defenders will defend as per the team scheme.
Double Team Post: No change. Manuel allows defenders to double-team in the post only when you call for it.
Switch Rules Off Ball: No change. On Switch Auto, the defenders will switch based on the team scheme.
Pre-Rotate: No change. On no, when the ball is in the corner, the lower weak-side defender will not come over to load up the strong side of the floor.
Screen Help Rules: Change to No Help. On automatic, off-ball defenders will help pick and roll based on the team scheme. With no help, the help and the rotation defenders will stay home on their assignments.
Drive Help Rules: Change to No Help, on automatic, off-ball defenders based on the team scheme. With no help, the help and the rotation defenders will stay home on their assignments.
Coach Settings
Once those settings are in place, it’s time to move on to your coach settings. Here, you can make some quick changes to help you in-game.
- Turn off the Adaptive Coach Engine
- Change Timeouts to manual
- Change Substitutions on manual
- Change Late game fouling on manual
What to Do Next?
Now you have the information you need to create the perfect defense for NBA 2K23 MyTeam!
Unlike 2K22, these changes are implemented automatically across all game modes, so you don’t have to reapply when changing to MyCAREER mode or switching to your superteam in MyGM.
If you are looking to play MyGM, here is how you can trade for superstars.
