NBA Live 19: Best Wing Defender Build and Traits


In the latest offering in the NBA Live series, The One career mode is a feature, giving you the chance to create your own fully customizable player and follow him or her through an entire career. Before you even get started though, you'll need to choose what type of player you want to use, which you can do by clicking on 'character select' on the right of your home screen.

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Doing so will bring up a choice of 11 different playing styles; we'll focus on Wing Defender for this piece. These guys all start with the same ratings on basic skills. His or her on-ball defense and steal will both receive a 74/95 rating, while shot block, mid-range shot and dunk will all start at 74/88.

As well as these skill ratings, they'll also start with two 'traits'. The first of these is the ‘corner three', a trait which gives a slight increase to your shooting accuracy on corner three attempts. The second is ‘relentless defender', which means that you’ll get a slight reduction to fatigue while playing off the ball on defense, as well as a small stamina boost. Other traits can be added to your player's arsenal as you progress through the game.

Within the Wing Defender play style, you'll also have the option of two different icons. These icons are embodiments of a past and a present superstar of the game, and the skills of whichever one you choose will be transferred into your own player. Clearly a decision not to be taken lightly, this will have a significant impact on what your player can and can't do throughout his or her career.

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Once you've selected Wing Defender as your play style, these two icon options are presented: The Claw - who emulates Kawhi Leonard - and Pip - who emulates Scottie Pippen.

Best Wing Defender Icon

The Claw

The Claw’s specialized icon skill is the 3-point shot, which can reach up to 85, and this player can also receive boosts to free throws, shooting off-dribble, layups, passing, dribbling, stamina and strength. Getting a steal or blocking a shot will also help this player’s mid-range shooting and finishing skills. This player will start out as a capable defender, but as you progress through the game, they will develop into a threat at both ends, able to score in a range of ways on the offensive end, particularly through lethal 3-point shots.

Pip

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Pip’s specialized icon skill is passing, while his or her 3-point shot, free throw, shot-off dribble, layup, dribbling, speed, vertical, stamina and strength can all also receive boosts as you progress through the game. All of your offensive skills will receive a boost when you play solid 1-on-1 defense or grab a board with this player. The end result of this player is a selfless star, contributing in a variety of ways on offense while playing elite offense at the other end - you may not pick up the stats of more high-profile players, but you’ll be an invaluable member of a good side.

Many gamers don’t enjoy the defensive aspect of the game as much as the offensive aspect, but locking in on the less glamorous end of the floor can be rewarding nonetheless. Of these two star defenders, Pip is the most enjoyable. Being able to contribute in so many different ways offensively, and receiving boosts simply for playing good defense, creates a versatile and interesting player to play with, and one capable of putting up some unusual box scores.

Best Wing Defender Build

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A player with a Pip icon needs to be big but agile, an intimidating presence in front of dangerous offensive players but capable of moving his feet fast enough to stay ahead of his opponent. As a result, a solid player standing at 203cm and 98kg is ideal. This guy is blessed with a range of physical gifts; his speed comes in at 80, vertical at 78, and both stamina and strength at 84. This will enable him to defend both outside and inside, while still giving him the speed to cover the ground at the other end and maximize his offensive capabilities.

To get the most out of the Wing Defender playing style, select Pip as your icon, and stand him at 203cm and weighing in at 98kg. With these measurements, your player will be an intimidating defensive force in much the same mold of Scottie Pippen. He’ll also move across the floor well, be able to get open on occasions to make the most of a solid outside shot, and fling around plenty of nice passes to rack up good assist numbers. 

For more articles like this, take a look at our NBA Live page.