NBA 2K20: Complete controls guide (offense, defense, shooting, dribbling, stealing) for PS4 and Xbox One

Published: Oct 10, 2019, 2:53 pm Updated: Sep 28, 2020, 11:50 am

Hoops season is so close you can almost taste it, but if you can't wait for the NBA to get back on the court you can take it over yourself NBA 2K20.

Players all over the world are getting their hands on the title and looking to get stuck into all the new features in the game before the NBA season starts.

But to get started, you need to know the controls. With a host of new features, the only sure-fire way to crush your opponents is to have total mastery of the controls. There have been a few changes from last year, but we have what you need to rain down points and win games in NBA 2K20.

To make the highlight reel plays you have to be able to do the basics first.

Basic Offense

Action	Xbox One	PS4
Regular Pass	A	X
Bounce Pass	B	O
Overhead Pass	Y	△
Shoot	X	▢
Call Play	LB	L1
Icon Pass	RB	R1
Post Up	LT	L2
Sprint	RT	R2
Move Player	Left Joystick	Left Joystick
Pro Stick	Right Joystick	Right Joystick

These are the basic controls that you need to compete in 2K at any level. Although basic, if you use them well, they are some of the most important controls you'll need when competing across every game mode.

Like in previous editions of NBA 2K, the trick is ensuring that you time when to press your buttons and which direction to hold your joystick in order to make the right pass or bucket.

Being able to use a range of different passing styles is crucial. Whilst a basic flat pass may work for short passes from man to man, if you can throw an overhead or a bounce pass from time to time, it will make your play far less predictable and therefore much more difficult for your opponent to defend against you.

Off-Ball Offense

Action	Xbox One	PS4
Call for Ball	A	X
Set Screen	B	O
Rebound	Y	△
Tell CPU to Shoot	X	▢
Post Up	LB	L2
Sprint	RB	R2
Move Player	Left Joystick	Left Joystick

Regarding shooting, it is all about timing. Each player has their own different timing. For example Carmelo Anthony has one of the fastest release in the game, whilst Dirk Nowitzki has a very slow release, so you will need to spend some time on the practice court figuring out which players work best for you.

Learning players' hot spots will help massively.

Those players with high shooting attributes will be slightly more forgiving if you don't get your timing spot on. So if you're attempting a three with one of the A+ shooters for example, you will have more leeway than shooting with those who don't.

Basic Defense

Arguably more important than offense, it is crucial to learn the defense controls like the back of your hand to stop your opposition from picking up easy baskets. Being able to steal consistently is vital, but it is also the control that will give away the most fouls.

Look for those players with an A-grade steal, they will be your best friend when defending. Being able to block and take charge well are two other key features for basic defending

Action	Xbox One	PS4
Player Swap	A	X
Take Charge	B	O
Block/Rebound	Y	△
Steal	X	▢
Double Team	LB	L1
Icon Swap	RB	R1
Intense-D	LT	L2
Sprint	RT	R2
Move Player	Left Joystick	Left Joystick

The Off-Ball Controls are all self-explanatory. These are the absolute basics that any 2K player needs to know in order to play the game at any level.

Off-Ball Defense

Action	Xbox One	PS4
Take Charge	B	O
Block/Rebound	Y	△
Steal	X	▢
Post Engage	LB	L2
Sprint	RB	R2
Move Player	Left Joystick	Left Joystick

That's what you need to survive on the court, but to thrive there is plenty more to learn. Those 2K players who want to be a little more specific with the choices they make on the court can use a whole host of more advanced controls...

Advanced Offense

When it comes to attacking, simple passing and shooting doesn't always work. There is a whole lot more that you need to know if you are going to be able to outwit your opponent and grab that W.

Playcalling in offense will help you pick up points.

Action	Xbox One	PS4
Call Timeout	A	X
Positional Playcalling	Press LT and RT then select the teammates' action button	Press L1 and R1 then select the teammates' action button
2K Smart Playcalling	Press the left arrow and select 2K Smart Play	Press the left arrow and select 2K Smart Play
Post Up	Press LT and select Post Up	Press L1 and select Post Up
Quick Isolation	Press LT and select Isolation	Press L1 and select Isolation
Dynamic Quick Play	Press the left arrow and choose desired Dynamic Quick Play	Press the left arrow and choose desired Dynamic Quick Play
Pick Control Basic	Press and hold LT to have a teammate set a pick	Press and hold L1 to have a teammate set a pick
Pick Control Side	Press and hold LT. Use LS to choose the pick side.	Press and hold L1. Use L3 to choose the pick side
Pick Control Roll or Fade	Press and hold LT. Use RT to choose Roll or Fade	Press and hold L1. Use R1 to choose Roll or Fade
Slip Screen and Early Fade	Pick a call and then press LT again before the screener gets hit to have them Slip or Fade early.	Pick a call and then press L1 again before the screener gets hit to have them Slip or Fade early.
Icon Pick Control	Press LT and RT, then press and hold the teammates' action button to have them set a screen.	Press L1 and R1, then press and hold the teammates' action button to have them set a screen.
Running Baseline	Hold LB and use the right analog stick to move the in-bounder.	Hold L2 and use the right analog stick to move the in-bounder.

The advance defense controls are difficult to grasp and will take some time to master. Calling zones is probably the most confusing feature for new players but one which can be the difference between winning and losing when executed properly.

Advanced Defense

Action	Xbox One	PS4
Intentional Foul	Press and hold X when near the ball handler	Press and hold ▢ when near the ball handler
Double Team	Press and hold LT	Press and hold L1
Icon Double Team	Press LT, then press the desired double teamers action button	Press L1, then press the desired double teamers action button
Team Intentional Foul	Press the view button to commit a Team Intentional Foul	Press the touchpad to to commit a Team Intentional Foul
Defensive Pressure Adjustments	Press LT, then press the action button of desired defender.	Press L1, then press the action button of desired defender
Call 2-3 Zone	Press the left arrow and select 2-3 Zone	Swipe from top to bottom on the touchpad
Call 3-2 Zone	Press the left arrow and select 3-2 Zone	Swipe from left to right on the touchpad
Call Man to Man	Press the left arrow and select Man to Man	Swipe from bottom to top on the touchpad

Dribbling

Brookyln's Kyrie Irving has some of the best handles in the game.

Dribbling isn't as simple as just taking the ball up the court. Being able to handle the ball well and step past your man will help to open up the court and give you plenty more options on offense. Here is the list of those all-important dribble moves you need to know.

Action	Xbox One	PS4
In and Out	RB and move right analog stick up then quickly release	R2 and move right analog stick up then quickly release
Hesitation	Move R right then quickly release when dribbling with right-hand	Move R right then quickly release when dribbling with right-hand
Hesitation Escape	RB and move right analog stick then quickly release when dribbling with right hand.	R2 and move right analog stick then quickly release when dribbling with right hand.
Crossover	Move right analog stick left then quickly release when dribbling with right hand	Move right analog stick left then quickly release when dribbling with right hand
Stepback	RB and move right analog stick down then quickly release when driving.	R2 and move right analog stick down then quickly release when driving.
Spin	Rotate right analog stick clockwise then quickly release when dribbling with right hand.	Rotate right analog stick clockwise then quickly release when dribbling with right hand
Half Spin	Rotate right analog stick in a quarter-circle from right to up then quickly release when dribbling with right hand.	Rotate right analog stick in a quarter-circle from right to up then quickly release when dribbling with right hand.

NBA 2K20: How to shoot the perfect 3 pointer and rack up wins

Raining down threes at will is one of the best ways to dominate any basketball game and demoralize an opponent, both in 2K or in real life.

There's no better feeling than hitting that buzzer-beater from deep to win the game, it's something which we all love, but how many of us have the know-how to pull it off?

Shooting a three on 2K20 isn't as easy as it may seem, there's a whole range of factors which come into play for those daring enough to take the tricky shot on, here's our guide to teach you how to shoot the perfect three.

Picking your man

Now, this may seem simple, but you will not be able to shoot a three with every player on the court.

Each player in the game has their three-point ability graded, from the A+ shooters, the likes of Golden State's Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, all the way down to the F grade shooters, the likes of Philadelphia's Ben Simmons, who is yet to hit a 3 in his NBA career.

Whilst he may be a beast in the post, Ben Simmons 3 point record doesn't make for great reading.

READ MORE: NBA 2K20: Complete controls guide

So this is something you need to remember when you're on the court. If the opposition's defense is consistently leaving your man open from deep, there's probably a good reason for this and that reason is probably their inability to shoot the three-ball.

Know the Hot Zones

Another key element to learning how to shoot the perfect three is knowing the hot zones of your players.

The best way to do this is to hit the court on 2KU and start experimenting with your favorite teams and players.

Each player has their own 'hot zones' based on how they perform in real life. It is crucial to learn where each player's hot spots are, particularly from three-point range, as they are more likely to be successful when shooting from these areas.

Again, the higher the player's rating from deep, the more hot spots they will have. Look at Golden State's Steph Curry, arguably the best three-point shooter to ever grace an NBA court, he has Hot Zones all over the court.

Curry can shoot from pretty much anywhere

In comparison, Lou Williams of the LA Clippers, whilst he still has a solid B+ ranking from deep, only has two Hot Zones, so you will have to be more selective when you shoot three's with the veteran shooting guard.

Your best bet with Lou is shooting from the corners.

Know your release

Whilst JJ Redick and Bojan Bogdanovic might both be expert three-ball shooters, they both have very different timings when releasing their shot.

New Orlean's JJ Redick is one of 7 A+ shooters from three-point range

This is the case with pretty much any player you will use in the game, everyone has their own shooting technique and release timing.

So again, get on the 2KU court, practice with your team and learn how each player releases the ball, because although they may have a good three-point shot on paper if your release isn't up to scratch, you will struggle to drain those shots.

Be realistic

The final thing you need to do is just be realistic.

Steph Curry may have hot zones from every position around the arc, but that doesn't mean he will make every shot, especially if he is heavily contested or rushed into his shot.

When playing on higher difficulties or online, your opposition will undoubtedly look to double up on those better three-point shooters, so you will have to be very selective in when you shoot the ball and when you don't.

Shooting an open three with a B shooter will prove far more beneficial than shooting heavily contested with an A, so know all your players and choose wisely.