You’d think with the isolation and free time, more content would be produced. Especially by a homebody solidified in their natural habitat alone with thoughts and ideas, a breeding ground for creativity to flourish. Low and behold, processing this period in the beginning of the decade of: decadence, morbidity and despair, coping with the common cliches of “new norms” and “unprecedented times”, introspection is vital to overcoming the distressing nature of sudden and challenging change in social and individual norms.

Any type of positive escapism from fitness, reading, or hobbies can help boost that serotonin, endorphins and try to create a new routine to better your environment and self within these “trying times”. Outside of distractions from the political and irregularity of sports coming back, delving back into the sweet nectar of the sports avatar world of NBA 2K’s MyGM mode was an attempt to try and master the skill of being a “GM” and living out a fantasy when god knows they’re needed.

TL;DR: Next Gen version- dope, best version of 2K produced in a long while, past/current gen- whack in comparison due to more effort to next gen it seems; there’s always bugs just gotta find that rock theyre hiding under; go to the bottom for tips to get in top 20 in ranked

This is supposed to be about MyGM but had to put this tidbit in because it literally grinds my gears especially when MyGM and My Career avatars are synced but not really. My Career as a whole is overly produced and overly dramatic piece of storytelling of not your player but the player 2K wants you to be. Yeah there’s “archetypes” and work arounds like money dumping for skills, but the overall story can do without. It should be your story, not their’s. Just make a narrative game based on JR or DJ or whoever, or please go the choose your own adventure RPG route.

As you can tell, I hate forced narratives and stories. It’s not like playing Batman: Arkham series’ where: you are Batman, you know you’re playing an avatar of Batman and do Batman things through that narrative to fit the overall arc of the story to finish and enjoy the game as the world’s greatest detective-Batman. If it’s you, then you should play your own narrative and create your own story that fits you and you only. Not everyone should have the same experience since we all live differently, as if we’re some 2K robot avatars but just dress differently.

Hate the caps on stats, but it’s pretty reasonable in intention: No “OP” players, via bankrolling your VC to play in competitive modes. Which if you got it, fine, but a new game comes out next year and the year after that, so you’re just gonna keep spending money to cap out a yearly updated avatar. Your player doesn’t carry over to the next year as it should, since the yearly releases are nothing but roster updates essentially.

Outside of that, all about My Team this year. It’s a total upgrade: badges are back, love season progression and exchange because it’s just like FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT). I don’t play online haven’t touched the stuff in years, (can’t stand connectivity issues with players). Offline Modes are dope! So many more ways to gain xp to reach your season rewards (Level 40 Max if you got the time) via weekly/daily objectives respective to Pack releases and other mode rewards (BOLO Locker Codes!).

MyGM

Rants over, so now onto the main focus: My GM- essentially the same (current gen). It’s just like MLB Front Office Manager and not a real GM mode. Like 6 min quarters, what?! That lies into MyLeague but it’s too much customization to be taken seriously like the former GM modes. But glad there’s no Sanderson’s again. AP is used as like a work schedule to emulate tasks in a day. I don’t know, if I was getting paid a GM salary to work 2 hours per day, sign me up.

Going at your own speed only lies in MyLeague, but an improvement can be utilized like UFC4, where you have a certain amount of time in a week to prep for your readiness of your fight I.e. 40 hrs with tasks (spar, new moves, promotion). Or, like any other sports game, at your own speed because it’s fantasy.

There’s still no in-game progression or manual trainings to level players up. Mentorship is ok, but it’s only 3 at a time. Weekly progression and game progression, manually outside of a slider is of upmost importance. They had it, use it in my player, make it broader for full experience of player development.

The MyNBA mode in the next-gen system blows MyGM out of the window! More customization, uploading scenarios, no AP (toggle if you want) and no forced narrative! Also, adding MyWNBA is a plus! Editing ALL players is available, the G-League games and rosters are expanded, and it feels like a true franchise mode. Only downfalls are the glitch in the expansion selection where your players will lose 30 PTs of rating, and no expansion available in MyWNBA.

Overall, had to take a stab into the mode per usual since it’s the new incarnation. This comes in between taking over the Eagles and making Carson Wentz into a ‘Superstar X-Factor’ in Madden 21, getting Stevenage a EPL promotion in FIFA 21, winning the UFC Title with CM Punk, and before Assassins Creed Valhalla comes out on Series X (so clearly this is post is backdated before Nov 10 as it lie withering within the drafts for months on end). Doing my thing as usual (pre 2020 draft update):

1) Come into this mode as a savior of the organization to fix everything that was broken within the franchise.

2) Cleaning up the mistakes, or making a winner out of a loser franchise.

MyGM Tips

In the first MyGM run, took the Sixers and revamped with retaining Brett Brown as the coach, became #30 on the ranked leaderboard in first run. It was daubing and too easy, since they’re already built for success, but couldn’t get over the hump and pieces didn’t match on the court.

Utilizing the Hornets, had to go the Hinkie route of tanking for the picks. However, trading away most of the team in an overlapping time due to the AP system. Making the most out of dumping expiring contracts to then flip for 1st round picks and packages without mortgaging the future. Scout ahead to teams makeup’s and see where they will projectedly land in the lottery. Only trade for lottery protection to flip for a higher pick for it will be either **/*** in value. If you have to use B+ potential players, do it. For you will end up drafting A to A+ potential players.

All the while, pumping and dumping prospects in the FA pool, since the season hasn’t started yet and there aren’t any incoming rookies uploaded/updated into the game as it’s still in bubble rosters. The best way to do this is what I call master scouting. Before you could use perks with VC like “pump up” and boost your staffs morale from 10, 30, or 100. Thus, making their traits like trades, and scouting better. However, you have to chit chat and complete tasks which is daunting, but it does give small XP needed to level up. Like most people, these avatars are needy, some belive that they need more playing time (72 OVR to be over a 80OVR) so their feelings get hurt. If you have AP to spend, perfect way to level up. It takes a lot of time, but payoff is greater than skipping the day or week. So instead, you can go to the front end rosters and find players with A- to A+ potential and work out trades, (preferably 70-75 OVR since they’ll be ** or **.5 value) or you can go to the FA page and filter via potential. It won’t be right, since your scout is not an A yet, so open the player card, and scroll to Skill Graphs.

There you will find Overall (Potential, Offense, Defense, Rebounding), select only the players who have their graph going more or all the way to potential. Sign them to 2-way contracts, or contracts and send them to the GLeague all season. You’re only allowed 2 roster players outside 2-way to the GLeague, so choose wisely. By the end of the season they will potentially reach 5-10 points higher than they started. Bring them up too fast, and they level out. The rest of the players keep as trade peices for you won’t be able to trade them for 60 days. This also works out well if your organization wants to get rid of a player for lack of performance. Gives you enough time to scout the teams heading towards the lottery as well. Need more stock, trade for players already in the GLeague from other teams, for they will stay in the GLeague and grow. However, you need 8 players on the active roster so choose wisely, especially with injury prone players.

Trading in the Off-Season begins after the lottery and when staff change begins. So if you didn’t get the picks you were hoping for, nows the time to use that stock of players and draft picks to make some package deals to move up. Or you can draft on potential. Either way, when the draft hits it will pay off. The goal should always be: stay under the cap, have a lot of draft stock, and a team full of potential and talent. You’ll have a great future team to win with within 2-3 years. And when FA comes around stay away from high priced FAs within the first 2 years. They’re poison. They Kill your cap, and depreciate in value. If you need a mercenary (I.e. KD with the Warriors), then add them when you have an established cap with flexibility (I.e. bird rights with cap space).

So far, ended up trading out the whole Hornets roster, to get 8 lottery picks, including the #1 pick. Drafted on potential afterwards, and signed MPJ, and RJ Barrett in FA since their teams declined their rookie options (both A+ potential) to fill out the starting 5 while staying under the cap by $1m. One of whom is gonna be flipped next year for either the #1-4 pick. To drop the cap by $10m-15m. And won the NBA title in the first year. If only real life could be this simple.

Anyway, thanks for going down this elongated rabbit hole. If any tips work for you, that’s awesome, keep grinding away and stay safe out there there.